help!
 

I Have A 01 42 Fountain , I Just Re Powered With 572 Cu Bb With 1471 Blowershop Superchargers,tbs Intercooler, Dry Sump 4 Stage Pumps, Efi Digital Fuel Injection,two Sea Strainer Per Engine ,one Tall 2.5gal And A Smaller 1 Gal For The Intercooler, 2 Stage Ke Sea Pumps.i Blow The Excess Water Out The Sides Of The Fountain.

The Problem I'm Having Is Possible Steam Pockets In The Heads, Number 7 And 8 Cylinder In Both Engines Show Signs Of Excess Heat Around The Valve Seats. I Talked To Jeff Harris At Fountain And He Suggested A Longer Thinner Water Pick Up Similar To Some Of The Speedo Pick Up I've Seen In The Past.the Problem With Them Was At Low Speeds(not Enough Volume,very Hot Headers).the Stock Water Pickup Are Mounted On The Pad At The Stern Of The Boat And Are About 1.5 Inch In Diameter And Protrude Very Slightly Into The Water. I'm Thinking About Modifying Them To Pick Up A Larger Amount Of Water And Less Air.

Has Anyone Had Experience With Adjusting Water Pick Ups In This Application. Is This Even The Problem With Number 7 And 8 Getting Hot? I Need Input.

Thanks, John G 863-608-5646

Re: help!
 

John--Just out of curiosity, what kind of water pressures are you seeing? The water pickups on my Slingshot are also mounted on the pad near the stern. Don't know who made them (don't see a name on the spare) but they have a flattened opening ~ 2"x 1/4". The very bottom of the pickup is 5 1/2" below the centerline of the threaded tube that goes thru the transom. I've not experimented with adjusting the heights but recall something in Powerboat (maybe Hot Boat) a year or two ago where they shortened the pickup height to reduce excessive water pressure and believe it or not picked up some top speed. Again, I'm saying this from memory. I'm sure some of the experts on the board will respond. Usually steam pockets can be influenced by the volume of coolant as well as the velocity it moves through the engine. Sounds like you may have tried the type of pickup I have. I've had no problems with them other than picking up algae. Just trying to help.--Lou

Re: help!
 

I have heard of tapping the rear water passages thru the intake manifolds, install small dia 1/4 lines to bleed out the steam that gets trapped. Seems to be more common with boats that have had the recirculating pump removed. Perhaps someone else has heard of this?

Re: help!
 

how is your cooling system plumbed? are you running a re-circulating pump? do you have a cross-over?
i had a similar problem running a cam-driven pump, with the lines going into the front of the block, and coming out the front of the intake manifold.
i fixed the problem by running a line between the two rear outlets on the intake
manifold. (note i use a 1 1/4" through transom pickup, cut at an angle, going into
the water about 1/4" at the back edge, which provides more water than i would ever need)
do you suspect that your pickup is coming out of the water?
unusual for 7 and 8 to show heat. usually it's the front of the motor from being lean. i would suspect a steam pocket also.

Re: help!
 

Lmarth, Water Presure 5-7# @2500 Rpm, 10-12#@3500 Rpm,15-1
7@4500rpm,20+@5500rpm
CROSSOVER NO RECIRCULATING PUMP

Re: help!
 

Have you ever looked in the strainers at speed? If the pickups were not deep enough and you were grabbing airerated water, then you would see the bubbles in the strainer. The pressure gauges only read pressure, they can't tell if it's air or water.

Re: help!
 

John g-- Thanks for the response. Your water pressure looks good though I'd prefer to see a little more than 10-12# @ 3500rpm. Just personal preference. What keeps tripping me up is the "Tall 2.5 gal strainer" comment. I know I'm going to show my ignorance here but the Marine Machine strainers in front of my blown 572's probably don't hold a fraction of 2.5 gals. Sounds like you've got a top shelf boat so I'm sure it's been properly rigged. Cord makes some interesting points. I don't know what more to say other than keep us posted as you work through this so we can all learn.--Lou

Re: help!
 

I know that whipple and teague will tap the intake manifold on the back two cylinders and dump a small amount overboard using a -4an hose from each side. This allows water to bleed out of the system and prevents steam pockets to form.

Re: help!
 

I like the water hoses running from the back of the intake forward to the front of the intake. This way there is no trapping of air. I usually put in a "T" if I need to run senders this way the water can circulate. I like to use -6 or something close to it. We use to have this problem, now we dont.

Pwrbt33
Offshore Performance
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