Blew Up Motor @ Heat Wave
05-01-2002, 03:56 PM
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Blew Up Motor @ Heat Wave
I just found out why my motor blew during the Heat Wave Poker Run.
Background: 28 Daytona LP w/twin 377 Whippled Small Blocks
When I was building the boat I planned on building two 400inch badass small blocks. I ordered a set of Merc. 6.2’s to get the drive and parts. Well when the boat was ready I did not have my motors ready so I put my Aluim heads and Whipples on the Merc 6.2’s. The boat ran way better then it should (120mph first day out). So I decided to keep these motors until they blew up. Well they never did and the boat ended up going 131.6mph. Now that was with a ton of boost, 118 octane, and some extra timing. The engines should have let go then but they didn’t.
So that brings us to the Spring Heat Wave.
The Setup: Bravo 36 4-blade, 1.36 gears, 12 pounds of boost. 4 guys and full tanks of 100+ octane. Very high X-dim
I was a little more nervous then normal at the start. Given all the hip about what can go wrong I decided to run a little conservative. I normally trim the boat to a little over the 3 mark on my indicator for high speed. Since it was a little rough and I was being a ***** I kept the trim at 1.5. We where going about 105-110 most of the time and then when I saw some clean water ahead I got to about 115-118mph. We had passed a lot of boats and we where getting close to the first stop. I started to trim up and them BOOM. The boat lurched to the right and there was a lot of smoke. I looked at the gauges and my right motor was at 4000rpm and the left was at 5200. I shut down the right motor. Opened up the engine compartment and saw a piston ring on the floor (that’s not good). Any way we trolled back to the channel on one motor (took 3 ½ hours).
So now I am having Paul Pfaff build the new motors and I am trying to get them in by the Eliminator Regatta which is weekend after next. I have to bust my ass (if anyone wants to come and help your more then welcome). I was tearing them down last night and noticed a water line on the drive. I could see this water line because half of the drive was very discolored from heat. From what I can tell the drive pickup was not getting any water. Then I thought about the trim angle I was running at. I put the drives at the same angle I was running and sure enough the front of the nose cone is higher then the bottom of the boat. So with the water line and the trim angle I am sure that there was no water going thru the drive pickup. The pickup was feeding the Intercooler for the Supercharger. So I was not cooling the intake air. Thus raising the temp and detonated accrued. So it was my fault after all. I guess I should not have been such a Puss and just trim it up and haul ass.
So there is my story I will keep you guy’s up to date.
Pyle
Background: 28 Daytona LP w/twin 377 Whippled Small Blocks
When I was building the boat I planned on building two 400inch badass small blocks. I ordered a set of Merc. 6.2’s to get the drive and parts. Well when the boat was ready I did not have my motors ready so I put my Aluim heads and Whipples on the Merc 6.2’s. The boat ran way better then it should (120mph first day out). So I decided to keep these motors until they blew up. Well they never did and the boat ended up going 131.6mph. Now that was with a ton of boost, 118 octane, and some extra timing. The engines should have let go then but they didn’t.
So that brings us to the Spring Heat Wave.
The Setup: Bravo 36 4-blade, 1.36 gears, 12 pounds of boost. 4 guys and full tanks of 100+ octane. Very high X-dim
I was a little more nervous then normal at the start. Given all the hip about what can go wrong I decided to run a little conservative. I normally trim the boat to a little over the 3 mark on my indicator for high speed. Since it was a little rough and I was being a ***** I kept the trim at 1.5. We where going about 105-110 most of the time and then when I saw some clean water ahead I got to about 115-118mph. We had passed a lot of boats and we where getting close to the first stop. I started to trim up and them BOOM. The boat lurched to the right and there was a lot of smoke. I looked at the gauges and my right motor was at 4000rpm and the left was at 5200. I shut down the right motor. Opened up the engine compartment and saw a piston ring on the floor (that’s not good). Any way we trolled back to the channel on one motor (took 3 ½ hours).
So now I am having Paul Pfaff build the new motors and I am trying to get them in by the Eliminator Regatta which is weekend after next. I have to bust my ass (if anyone wants to come and help your more then welcome). I was tearing them down last night and noticed a water line on the drive. I could see this water line because half of the drive was very discolored from heat. From what I can tell the drive pickup was not getting any water. Then I thought about the trim angle I was running at. I put the drives at the same angle I was running and sure enough the front of the nose cone is higher then the bottom of the boat. So with the water line and the trim angle I am sure that there was no water going thru the drive pickup. The pickup was feeding the Intercooler for the Supercharger. So I was not cooling the intake air. Thus raising the temp and detonated accrued. So it was my fault after all. I guess I should not have been such a Puss and just trim it up and haul ass.
So there is my story I will keep you guy’s up to date.
Pyle
05-01-2002, 04:51 PM
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Mike that really stinks. This will just get you more HP and more speed though, right!!!!
We saw you and were going to stop after the first stop but did not see you again. I guess we are just blind. I broke a drive on Friday and that ended my weekend. Best of luck getting things together for the regatta. Sam
We saw you and were going to stop after the first stop but did not see you again. I guess we are just blind. I broke a drive on Friday and that ended my weekend. Best of luck getting things together for the regatta. Sam
05-01-2002, 05:34 PM
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Eyezlee, When the drive is trimed all the way in (0 on indicator) it tucks the nosecone up higher then the bottom of the boat. The back of the drive is lower but the front is higher.
Catmando, I have Imco showers and I think the top of the drive is getting cooled, But i don't know for sure. The problem was that the main pickup in the nose cone was not getting water.
Neverfastenough, Are you going to make it to the Regatta??
Pyle
Catmando, I have Imco showers and I think the top of the drive is getting cooled, But i don't know for sure. The problem was that the main pickup in the nose cone was not getting water.
Neverfastenough, Are you going to make it to the Regatta??
Pyle
05-01-2002, 05:56 PM
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Mike, sorry to hear about that man...But I'm sure you'll get it all worked out and be back on the lake in no time. Hope to see you back in Havasu again soon!! It was good meeting you at the run. Good luck with the rebuild...At least you know what NOT to do next time!
Tank
Tank
05-01-2002, 05:57 PM
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Mike,
Sorry to hear about your problem.....I think that I saw you on your way back to the ramp but didn't realize that you had problems...What is solution to avoid this in the future? Keep the drives trimmed up slightly or add an external water pickup? Assuming the pickup in the drive is in the water, is there enough water flow to keep everything cool?
Neverfastenuf,
If I remember correctly, don't you have the 30 eagle with whippled HP500EFI? Did you have a stock Bravo I that broke?
Just asking because I'm getting a new boat now with an HP500/ITS drive with low water pickup and may want to whipple it in a year or so...Trying to find out what the "gotchas" are as much as possible...
G
Sorry to hear about your problem.....I think that I saw you on your way back to the ramp but didn't realize that you had problems...What is solution to avoid this in the future? Keep the drives trimmed up slightly or add an external water pickup? Assuming the pickup in the drive is in the water, is there enough water flow to keep everything cool?
Neverfastenuf,
If I remember correctly, don't you have the 30 eagle with whippled HP500EFI? Did you have a stock Bravo I that broke?
Just asking because I'm getting a new boat now with an HP500/ITS drive with low water pickup and may want to whipple it in a year or so...Trying to find out what the "gotchas" are as much as possible...
G
05-01-2002, 06:18 PM
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Gregr it was an IMCO Extreme Advantage XR unit. Lower was also IMCO. Both upper and lower destroyed.
Last edited by Neverfastenuf; 05-01-2002 at 06:32 PM.
