Paging Mr. Gadgets
 

Hi Dick,
Yes, that was me you saw on Coast Guard Weekend. Nice looking boat you have. It sounded good, too but, I don't remember it being all that loud. The mufflers you have hanging on the back must do a good job.

I did get the oil temps down with the new cooler. That part is OK now. It was running fine until last weekend. We were on our way back from Grand Haven running WOT across Lake Mac late last Saturday night when I started to hear what sounded like a piece of sheet metal vibrating. I pulled back on the throttle and it would go away. Just a light metalic vibration, or so I thought. I tried to figure it out by gunning it and then pulling back and listening. I did that several times. Probably didn't make the sound for more than a total of 5 seconds. The last time I gunned it I finally recognized the sound. Spark Knock! I ran easy back to the dock and it ran fine and sounded OK. I was thinking it was nothing to worry about but, Monday night I thought I better pull the plugs at least and check it out further. #7 was slighty gray and #4 was pure white with a little brown right at the tip. The others looked normal. I did a compression test and #4 was only 140lbs. All the rest were between 154 and 160. I did a leakdown test on #4 and it had about 50% leakage. Must be a burned piston or broken rings I guess. Anyway, the motor is coming out this weekend and going to the engine builder. I don't think it will be too bad because I never heard any hard pounding at any time. Expect it will need a piston or two and some rings. I hope that is all! I am going to put the 454 back in so I can use the boat to watch the races at GH on Labor Day weekend. Otherwise, it has been a good summer. The 502 definitly woke up the boat and made it a blast to drive. I picked up 6 mph. It is still slow, only 61 mph, but it is a lot better than it was.

How is yours doing? Good I hope. See ya, Doug

Macdad,
Sorry to hear your motor has taken a vacation. Hopefully the damage will be slight. Could you have gotten some bad gas? Where do you buy it anyway? Did you notice where the air noise was coming from when you did the leak down test?
At least you have a spare motor.. Then you wont miss any boating, and appreciate that new motor all the more when it goes back in!!

Mine is still running.. I keep looking at the gauges and everything is right on the money.. Oil temp, psi. fuel psi, etc.. just low on top rpms.. but I have not chased it. It pulls extremely hard in the middle, but just dies at top end. It doesnt matter, I want a couple of years of reliable boating then I will look for the big numbers again.. So you guys at LOTO, relax.. no threat here!! :D :D :D

Next time lets have a beer on the beach or something Doug and we can chat about it all..

Dick

Let's not forget that I was faster than Dick once this summer. :D
And Doug, we won't even go there!!

By the way Doug, could you call me today sometime? I can't find your number and I have a MacTool question for you.
616-540-1224