Ta12sec

iTrader: (1)

Finally got to take my new to me formula 242 out this weekend.. If you have not seen my other posts my wife and I are long time boaters years on sailboats but we have never even been on a performance style powerboat .Got down to the ramp dumped the boat, parked the truck. Came back and turned the keys, it's pretty loud and I have a big grin, the wife is nervous. Idle though the marina to make rack storage arrangements. All set up we leave the dock to go see what this thing will do, as we are backing up the starboard engine stops, and will not even crank, I tapped the dock a few times with the swim platform but was able to get it back into open water. After a few more tries the engine finally cranks and fires and we are in bussiness. Going down the channel just off idle get close to the end tabs down and push the sticks forward. The port engine comes up to 2500 the starboard engine revs to 5000. Something isn't right. Slow down shift back to neutral, into forward again and throttle up, this time both engines come up to 2500 and the boat jumps on plane, i am now grining like a kid on Christmas the wife is holding on telling me to slow down gps speed is 31 knts. End of the channel and I cruise for a minute then hammer down, boat speed is now 46 knts I'm pretty sure I was giggling. The bay has a light chop but the boat is eating it up. So down the bay we go 3100 rpm on both engines making 42 knts on the gps . We made it to boca Chita key in 15 minutes on the sailboat it was a 4 hour trip if it was breezy. The wife and I stop and have a beer, decide we can get used to this powerboat idea.
On the way back from boca Chita I start playing with the boat a little, adjusting the tabs and the drives... I have the both throttles all the way down, port engine is revving to 3600 starboard is 3900 and we are doing 48 nts, I trim the tabs up and the speed touches 50, I start to trim the motors up I get another 100 rpm out of both engines and the boat hits 51 knts but suddenly feels loose, very unstable I back down get it back to a stable feeling about 45 and run it home like that. Get the boat back to the marina and the fork lift picks it up and sets it in the wash rack. Washed the boat and covered it up and called it still a great day
So the good, the boat runs very well, engines don't smoke and have good pressure.
The stereo is pretty loud. The seats are pretty comfy
Full tank of gas and no idea how to get the top end 51knts is 58 mph, I can deal with that.
The bad, fuel gauge doesn't work. It was 1/4 tank i put 30 gallons in and the pump stopped but only reads half .
The trim gauges don't work, the speedo in the dash doesn't work. The shifters are kinda wanky, fwd is an inch different between the two sticks neutral sometimes gets stuck and you get no gears without shifting back out and in.
The steering feels tight, don't know how it should feel but kinda like an old truck with out power steering.
Kinda concerned im only getting 3600 out of the port engine, but I guess I can't really trust the tach with all the other gauges packing it up

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Splitdecision271

Those are the words of a happy man!

Now you get to start fixing all those things, yet still get to go out and enjoy her when you want. My happiest times are when I'm out on the water and I'm either cleaning her or tinkering with something.

502ss

iTrader: (3)

awesome! Congrats!

Glad to see we converted another blow boater!

feel free to lean on the experts here with some of those issues you mentioned. Lots of good information on this forum!

Thanks
Jim

314joey

iTrader: (1)

Congrats on the new boat..................my only advise other than have fun is to "only go as fast as you want to hit something" point being, take your time and everything will be great, have fun.

79formula

I just picked up my 86 242ls Saturday. Mine gets to be dreamed about for the next 6 months here in buffalo ny. I am so jealous. Nice boat!

tpenfield

Congrats on the maiden voyage.

Those engines should have some attention, as your RPM should be in the 4500-5000 range, instead of the 3600/3900 that you described. Could be just the throttle linkages, but who knows. Not that you would want to travel at the speeds that 5K RPM would bring, but just a sign that the engines are OK.

Could be just way over propped, but worth checking out.

38fountainecman

Just a few hints: While I now own a Fountain, I have owned Formulas, 1990 292 SR1, 1986 357 SR1 Kamma/then bravo, and a 1997 419 Fastec. My buddy had a 272 with twin 350 small blocks and alpha drives. As your drives both turn clockwise, you will end up needing to trim the drives at different heights to level the boat. You will need good trim indicators or seat time to figure that out. The boat will be more susceptible to that condition at higher speeds. That may explain why it got unstable or lose at speed. My other suggestion is to look into livorsi shifters so you have separate throttles and gear shifts, the boat is a whole lot more fun to drive with the livorsi race style shifters. Good luck, nice boat.

Baja_Bigdog

Congrats on getting your 242....the 242 with twin engines has always been a different beast. I had a friend with an '87 242 SR1 with twin 350 mags, it would get very loose and scary when trimmed up at WOT....most likely why Formula quit installing the twin engine setup by 1989 or so.

I agree with 38Fountainman, my 272 had those shifters and they are absolute JUNK....they were the thing I hated about the boat the most, and mine were new at the time. Yours are most likely worn out by now. You should look for some used Livorsi or Kiekhaefer shifters and you would enjoy the boat a great deal more. Here are some examples for sale here in the swap section.....

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...iekhaefer.html


http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...-switches.html

Ta12sec

iTrader: (1)

I expected more rpm but 51 knts is 58 mph , the engines are likely original and I was with a full tank of gas, I'm also running unknown pitch cleaver props that are pretty beat up.. I'm thinking the tachs are not accurate other wise my rpm wouldn't get me almost 60 mph.

My trim indicators don't work, one doesn't change at all the other moves about 20 seconds after the tab, Both engines the skeg is missing about 2 inches from the drive, I think that is contributing to the looseness at speed.

I'm intrested in the shifters, but man they are expensive.
Are these a bolt in deal or do I Need to change the cables as well?

My first upgrades I think will be new gauges so I know what's going on and I after that that I'll start saving for a set of shifters.

Mr Maine

Those old medallion tachs are notoriously inaccurate and the adjustment screw is 1/360th turn per 1000rpm. Anyway there is no way you are running 58gps at those rpm so engines are probably ok, tachs are off. My 206 tach was about a 1000rpm off when I bought the boat and that was on the v8 setting.