Nordic Rage, Born Again!
 

I thought it would be cool to show a progress report on the Rage. Also to keep from hi-jacking CB-BLR's testing thread :D .

Stock 496 in Mercruiser trim and the mess left behind...

I gutted the bilge, filled all the holes, and shot in some fresh paint. Then added the appropriate power and re-rigged everything.

Right now I am in the process of dealing with the sunroof the engine wanted...

Nice looking job! Give us some specs on your motor, please? Who made the tailpipes for your KE headers?
Thanks,
Dean

The engine compartment looks great with the bright white and the polished diamond plate to accent the motor.

Thanks Dean! The motor is a 555ci with AFR heads, Victor jr intake, and an RM Builder cam. CMI built the tail pipes. They did an awesome job. I sent them a drawing of the flange dimensions and PVC models littered with sharpie notes. They fit great.

A thanks to you too Bill! I thought the white paint would brighten it up in there. It has metal flake in the clear, so it should look good in the sun.

Engine Compartment Paint
 

What paint did you use or was it gel coat?

DR,
Nice work man. Your engine and engine compartment look great. I've been down the hatch mod road too.
Send us pics when you get yours done.
Regards,
Steve

Lookin' good.

For paint I used PPG's epoxy primer, DBC color, and Concept clear. I looked hard at the awl grip and bilge kote products, but they didn't offer a bright white metallic.

Steve,

Alright, I know a little about your mod. From what I know, it sounds like it turned out great! Nordicflame has helped me out with some ideas he's seen.

Thanks,
Jon

I think Dave is going to have to break out the jigsaw too from what I've seen............
Regards,
Steve

Your right, Daves tall deck monsters are going to need some room!

I put in some time on the hatch last night. The 02 era hatches are a balsa core fiberglass lamination. My plan is to use balsa to build some contored walls around the opening and epoxy on a balsa cover. Then laminate everything in biaxial cloth. GlassDave on this site gave me some great tips.

Jon

Here are a few unfinished shots of the hatch. The top was made out of 1/2" end grain balsa with 2 layers of 17oz glass in epoxy on both sides. It is rock solid. I will fair the inside pocket and outside vents then paint it to match the bilge. The original vinyl pad will have to be modified and reupholstered to get it to fit right.

Jon,
Nice work. Good idea on the vents. I think the factory doesn't believe our motors need to breath :rolleyes:
Regards,
Steve

Breath, lets talk chocking the engines

Yes, the flames have very little breathing room...
My new clearanced hatch has vents incorporated as well. I will post pics soon but right now I'm very dissatisfied with the job that was done by the new Nordic OEM upholstery company.
I am giving them a chance to make this right before post pictures of their work :mad:

One of the reasons Jon opted to do his own...

Dave

Thanks Steve!

I think there is only one way out for all the hot air and it's through the carb! Hopefully the two vents will help with circulation. I plan to add some intake vents in the front of the hatch, very similar to what you did. That was a great idea.

I just got back from lake powell and the rage ran great. Full of camping gear, two people and fuel it ran 82 on gps. You could really feel the boat get out of the water and ride on the pad. It didn't walk at all in around 1' chop. When we got into some bigger white caps and waves coming from different directions it wanted to walk a bit, but other than that it really didn't need tabs.

On the test run my water pressure was through the roof. I was getting around 30psi at 50mph and 40+ at 78. I think it's the dwp drive because this exact engine, exhaust, oil cooler and plumbing was in my Mirage last summer and it never went over 28 with a side water pick up only drive. Right before Powell (literally the day before), I installed the over priced merc blow off valve. It did a great job at keeping the pressure in check. Now it will run up to 25 while cruising and never goes above 30 at wot.

Looking good Jon,
Looks and sounds like you are running great. Congratulations.
I never had any problems with the DWP XR housing as far as excess water pressure goes. Mine was around 25PSI @ WOT. I figured that any excess pressure from the front pickup was probably bleeding back out the side pickups, and sort of self regulating. When I switched over to the Imco LWP only, my water pressure went through the roof and pushed a head gasket with the usual milkshake results.
I now have water coming off my raw water pump to feed my drive shower, off the back of the intake manifold to prevent hot pockets at the back of the block and heads, and the Merc blowoff. And it still gets to 35 PSI before the blowoff kicks in. The factory says they kick in @ 30, but my first one didn't come until 40, and this one is 35PSI. You can adjust them by clipping the internal spring to change the pressure.
Regards,
Steve

Steve,
Did you have the blow off installed when you had the DWP and 25 psi or did you add that when the IMCO kicked it up?
Thanks,
Dave

Hi Dave,
I never had any (excess) water pressure issues with the DWP XR lower. That's probably why the factory uses them on blue motors. They seem "self regulating" to me.
Just switching to the Imco lower raised my WP 10 PSI to 35PSI @ 85mph.
When I got the boat over 90 the WP just went through the roof. In hindsight, I should have caught it, but since I had never had WP issues (high or low), that was the only gauge I wasn't watching. Murphy's law I guess.
So at the same speeds expect about a 10PSI increase, and as your speed increases, it goes up exponentially. It's the ram effect I think, and spinning the motor faster does the same thing to the water pump, so they feed each other more volume and pressure. I was actually pegging the gauge. So I added the blowoff valve, post milkshake. Oh yeah, I would definitely add stainers if you don't have them. My water pump and impeller seem to last much longer now, just keeping the trash out of them.
We put an Imco shorty on Mayor McCheese's '96 Heat this spring, and it did the same thing. At least we know to watch out for it now. Also fixed with a Merc blowoff valve.
BTW, I heard that Imco has change the water inlet from a machined version like I have (early), to cast on the later models. Maybe this was done to alleviate the excess WP issue.
I also read an article by Teague in Powerboat where he told a guy having similar problems to weld a small bump in the water opening to cut down on excess water pressure.
Regards,
Steve

Thanks Steve,
I have blown two hoses off the new motors so I'm sure I'm getting a ton of pressure.
I just have a temporary gauge on the seat and see 25-30 at 4000 but I haven't really looked at it over that rpm/speed yet.

I have DWP drives but plugged the upper holes and smoothed and "slightly" enlarged the nose holes to ensure good flow. This worked really well with the crossover setup on the R-Tech Heat but I'm thinking that with my standard waterpump setup this is creating too much ram effect for it to overcome.
I think I'll yank out the side plugs and give it another shot!

Thanks,
Dave

Jon,

Great picture and performance numbers! Lake Powel is around 3600 feet elevation isn't it so mid 80's at lower elevation seems like a done deal. It also sounds like you may have a perfectly balanced/tight steering/proped Rage since you are getting no chine walking above 80mph in uniform water. I'm jealous. Do you have any AFR numbers?

Jon,

I just heard that you hit 84mph at 5000 feet altitude!! Man that is strong. Details please.

Bill,

We had a great run Sunday morn. I blame the killer conditions for the strong numbers! Early morning, cool air, nice chop, and a lot more trim! I installed mechanical indicators and am still getting used to where the drive really is. At Powell, I could feel the boat get up on the pad, but with more trim it really picked the nose up and started to throw a nice roost!

I got lucky with the prop, it’s a labbed 26 (not by merc). It measures 26.2 with pitch blocks. The hull seems naturally balanced, it has got to be the full hydraulic to the helm steering that is keeping things straight. I didn’t use the tabs at all. Maybe I’ll need them when I break 90 :evilb: .

The only AFR numbers I have are from last year in the other boat. It’s a bit rich; I definitely need to do some work there, next on my list...

Steve,

Thanks for your comments on the merc valve and how to adjust opening pressure!

Does the Imco lowers usually help or is it trial and error? My X-dim is at 5.5 and I can't help but wonder what a -1 imco lower would do.

Thanks,
Jon

Hi Jon,
I am not a Rage expert, but our boats are similar. The faster you go, the more the improved hydrodynamic aspect ratio of the Imco lowers help, even at the "stock" XD. A less expensive altenative is a good quality nose cone. It looks like you are handy with fiberglass.
Regarding a 1" shorty, I think that would be advantageous too at your 5.5"s below the pad. We have found 4" to 4.5" to be good on Heats. They are heavier, longer boats which generally would require deeper prop shaft depth than a Rage. You might even be able to go to -2"s, and fine tune down from there with spacers.
As you know, there's nothing like testing before you lay out the cash. If you could test a shorty from a friend or dealer, that would be ideal. I definitely think your application is perfect for an Imco. If you can't find one to test, I would call Imco and see what they say. Nordic might also have some data on this, you never know :rolleyes: ................
Regards,
Steve

What were the rpm's at that 84 mph with your labbed 26?

Jon,

That is interesting. I assume it is a Bravo 1. The Prop experts (not me for sure) say that the Bravo 1 prop's P numbers stamped on them are 1" bigger than actual up to 28P and then ~1.5" bigger P numbers stamped than actual numbers above that. In other words a stock 26P Bravo 1 is actually a 25" pitch. Any history on your labbed 26P prop mods?

I am real interested in anything you might learn about proven merits of different X dimensions on the Rage! I asked about such for a Rage back in 2007 but no one responded about trying anything different from the stock 5.5".

Bill,

I don't have any history on it other than it was originally labbed by a local shop. I had a couple of nicks fixed and thats when I had him measure the pitch. RPM was right around 5800 and you are correct, Bravo 1.

It sounds like your Rage measures 5.5" aswell?

Jon

Steve,

That is good advice, thanks for sharing. I was just starting to think of the flexibility a -2 could offer. The nose cone seems like a good alternative, but I would really like to try an Imco. I think it would come with greater benefits.

You are right, they are expensive and I don't want to buy it twice. I'll check around for more info and see if I'm lucky enough to come across one to borrow. With the merc pressure valve installed I should be all set to bolt one on.

I will let you know where I end up. Knowledge is king!

Thanks,
Jon

Jon,
I've been thinking about your setup. I bet a -2" Imco and 28" B1 or possibly a 27" or 28" P5X would be the sh-t. If you try the Hydromotive P5X (they make 4 blades too), they have an exchange program, so you won't get "stuck" with the wrong size or style prop. There are probably some prop guys who will do the same on a B1.
The P5Xs (and Herring 5 blades) work well at high XDs on Heats, but I don't know of anyone running one on a Rage. It may not be necessary on your shorter, lighter boat. In other words, you may not need the blade area of a 5 blade. A 4 blade may get it done. I'm sure you will have fun experimenting, none the less.
Keep us posted on your progress.
Regards,
Steve

Yes mine is 5.5" also.

Very interesting. I hit 84mph @5800 rpm as well but with a labbed Bravo1 28P. It had been further modified to gain an additional 200 rpm since at the time I was running less HP and 5300 rpm. Of course I did not do that at 5000 ft elevation and it was a winter run as well. Sounds like you are going to need a bigger prop when you get it all figured out.

What are you hearing as to the benefits of a nose cone on a Bravo X drive at these speeds?

Jon,

RBTNT provided very interesting insight on what speed the nose cone actually begins to improve things (on a particular installation) RE: "A friend had a twin engine cat with Bravos and nose cones. While he was getting one of the drives repaired he used a Bravo without a nose cone. Starting at ~85 mph the side without the nose cone started slipping more than the other side. At 90 mph there was a 300- 400 rpm difference between the two to keep the boat running straight."

WOW. Those headers look insane. What kind of power are you getting?

Thanks! I do like the way they turned out.

This motor has never seen a dyno, so my best guess is 650 to 675...

Hey Steve,

I found a willing soul with a -1 IMCO! The temps are dropping fast here in Utah, but I cant pass up the opprotunity to try it. Is there any special setup when installing a -1 IMCO on an XR upper? I have mated bravo lowers to bravo uppers and understand the orings and seals. I was just wondering if anything needed to be measured or if shimming was involved? Also, will I be able to run with out a bolt on cavitation plate?

Thanks for any advice you might have!
Jon

Hi Jon,
Congrats on finding a -1" to test. It's just like swapping a standard Bravo lower. You may lose a little holeshot without the cav plate, but I don't think it will affect your high speed handling. Your handling and speed should both improve.
The only oddball thing to watch out for is a dramatic increase in water pressure. Keep an eye on it. If it goes over 30/35PSI, I wouldn't run it any faster. The LWP on the IMCO rams a lot of water at high speed. I've seen it push head gaskets and/or break water pump housings. We get around it by additional water reliefs on the motor, and adding the Mercury blowoff valve, which is supposed to open at 30PSI, but I have seen them vary some.
Good luck with the testing!
Best Regards,
Steve

Thanks Steve!

I have a Merc blow off valve installed, so hopefully that will keep the pressure in check. Thanks for bringing it up though, I'll keep an eye on it.

The -1 turned out to be a -2 with a spacer. I wonder if it would be worth trying it both ways? I'm shooting for sometime next week or Sat at the latest. I will let you know what I find!

Jon

Are you going to test it with the labbed 28p B1?

Hi Jon,
This gives you a good opportunity to find the perfect propeller depth. I would try both -1 and -2. Then when you place your order with Imco, you'll know you nailed it :drink:.................
When you run shorter/shallower prop depth, you may be able to turn a larger pitch prop. Take some extra props for testing too. Since we don't have much data base on modified XD/PD Rages, this should be interesting information, particularly for our Rage owners.
Good luck, be careful testing (your boat may handle differently), and let us know how it goes.
Best Regards,
Steve

I would try it at both -1 and -2 in that order. I also agree with Steve about bringing along a bigger pitch prop to test with the shorter lowers. Try throwing the whole slip thing out the window, and concentrating on pure speed and boat handeling. The boat will definately handle differently with the shorter lowers.

What a great test opportunity,

Chris