Slow to speed

[RickyT]

My recently purchased 2018 AR190 with less than a 100 hours is slow to get up to speed and tops out at less than 30 mph? The motor sounds fine? It is stored in a wet slip?
any ideas? Thanks

 

[WildCatFan54]

The fact that you mentioned "stored in a wet slip " would lead me to question the hull condition ? When was the last time it was cleaned / waxed ? Not sure where you are located , but in my area a hull would be filthy after a few months of being stored in the water. Thats what convinced me to invest in a lift several years ago.

 

[Sonic Blue]

I’d really like to hear more on this. Thanks folks.

 

[WildCatFan54]

Don't get me wrong. A perfectly clean , slick hull is not going to add more than a couple mph to the top end speed. I don't know what "normal" is for your model boat as mine is different ? 30 mph seems a little low. You might have a mechanical issue but hull maintenance is a good starting point that cost nothing but a little bit of your time.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Since you have a 19 foot non supercharged model you should be closer to 40 than 30 so you may want to investigate the intake tunnel and the pump for weeds or other items even a small piece of fishing line can take away top speed. Things like to grow inside the pump and intake when the boat is not in use.

 

[RickyT]

My recently purchased 2018 AR190 with less than a 100 hours is slow to get up to speed and tops out at less than 30 mph? The motor sounds fine? It is stored in a wet slip?
any ideas? Thanks

Thanks for the ideas. I am going to take it out of the water, clean the bottom and intake. That sound like a DlY Project.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Do you have a car wash around with a good pressure washer to clean the boat with that is probably the easiest way to handle it

 

[RickyT]

We sure do. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Dave burke]

Are you carrying a lot of weight in the boat? A couple of years ago I was losing about 7mph. I checked and cleaned the hull and that helped a bit. Turned out the culprit was one of my ballast tanks was full and I didn’t realize it. I drained it and problem solved. You probably don’t have a ballast tank but if you’ve got water in the bilge or other significant weights, that could have an impact.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

It's very interesting we are having a discussion today about a 19 foot boat that for several reasons is not going fast enough and we mentioned non versus supercharged engines in previous posts/threads. That is why I prefer supercharged. Even if all is working well 40 mph is, for me, too slow for a 19 footer and that is without heavier loads (gear/friends). As for fuel consumption with a supercharger - so what - hit the gas pumps a bit more often or cart a gas can. At least with the extra power of a supercharger you can handle a heavier load - you have a choice. As I have said, I have never heard anyone say they had too much horsepower.

 

[tdonoughue]

While you have the boat out, pull the pumps. There are instructions in the FAQ. Examine both the impellers (for nicks, gashes, etc.) and the intake path (for gaps, missing caulk). Either of these issues can lead to cavitation, which will make your boat seem sluggish (slow to start, won't hit max speed). If nicks in the impeller are minor, you can clean them up with a file. If major, you need to have the impeller refurbished or (better) replaced. For the intake, get some silicone caulk and make everything as smooth as can be from the intake grate (all of those bolt heads), into the intake (around the edge where the grate meets the hull) up to the pump (the junction between the hull and the pump ring. The smoother the better.

While you have the pumps out, also a good idea to check the end bearings. Buy a couple of new seals, pop those open and make sure you don't have water in there. Repack with nice grease or a combo of grease and gear oil, and pop the top back on with a new seal. Lots of writeups on that around here, too...

 

[WildCatFan54]

@RickyT , everything @tdonoughue said about pumps , impellers , intake grates , etc. is spot on , good advice. The best news is all of those items are singular and not plural on your boat !! lol You only have to do it once , not twice.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

One more thing to check is all your hose clamps on the exhaust system , they are known for rusting off, in your boat engine compartment if you have an exhaust leak you will notice a significant loss of high speed with no cavitation or engine misfiring , it will run ok but loose about 10 mph top speed if enough carbon monoxide leaks into the engine compartment, probably not your problem but worth checking on the hose clamps anyway .

 

[SCP1]

Also keep in mind the 19’ boats are very sensitive to bow weight. Any weight up front will drastically reduce your top end especially on a non supercharged model from my experience.

 

[haknslash]

Don't get me wrong. A perfectly clean , slick hull is not going to add more than a couple mph to the top end speed. I don't know what "normal" is for your model boat as mine is different ? 30 mph seems a little low. You might have a mechanical issue but hull maintenance is a good starting point that cost nothing but a little bit of your time.

You might be surprised how much drag and loss of efficiency hull growth can cause. Depending on the type of growth you could see over 10 mph and massive loss in fuel efficiency.

 

[OrangeTJ]

Are you getting full rpm out of the engine(s)? If not, almost surely spark plug related. If you are getting full engine rpm at WOT, you either have a loss of thrust due to cavitation or reverse bucket impeding pump output or you have a really shaggy hull. Our SX210 lost 12mph in top speed due to accumulation of algae growth over the course of a summer.

 

[ZGhost]

Check your oil level and make sure its not overfilled. Some threads here suggest too much oil may impact power output. Check it on a level engine and note where oil level between the min/max mark you are at.