Vibration @ 3k rpm and higher

[cane.mba]

Well 130 hours over three years and I think I finally sucked something into the impeller housing. Port side engine sounded and felt like it was shaking apart at 3k RPM and higher. Starboard engine has no issues at all. Limped home at 3k rpm on one engine and upped to 4k on the other for a little extra speed.

Of course, it was the night I was taking my Cub Scout Den fishing and had a couple of people with us. Tried the reverse gate clearing (which has always worked in the past) but just couldn't shake it loose. Guess I'll have to limp it to the ramp tomorrow and trailer it to see if I can figure out what's what.

Just hoping my assessment is correct, and it's something in the impeller pathway. Can someone confirm my thought process please?


Thanks!

Mike

 

[Bruce]

Sounds exactly like cavitation. Kill the engines, pull the cleanout plug then reach in there and clean it out.

 

[cane.mba]

Thanks @Bruce Tried that couldn't feel anything. I'm going to WFH tomorrow and hopefully I'll be able to see something with some daylight. Worst case, I'll limp to the ramp (20 minutes at limping speed from my dock) pull her up on the trailer and see if I can ID the problem that way.

 

[Bruce]

The debris might be caught on the intake grate. You can feel it if you reach forward through the cleanout plug.

The lake we live in has lots of debris in the spring. Sometimes I will just keep going and see if the jet cleans itself out. Most of the time it does.

 

[Julian]

Keep in mind that I thought I had a problem with my wear rings from the sound my engine was making....turned out to just need new plugs!

 

[OrangeTJ]

Just a note that you really shouldn't have to limp along that slowly. If you can still run the offending side at 2-3K rpm, I can't see any reason you couldn't run the clear side at 6K or more to make decent headway. You'll burn a lot of gas because you won't be planing but you can at least go 8 - 10 mph and get to the ramp more quickly.

 

[cane.mba]

Keep in mind that I thought I had a problem with my wear rings from the sound my engine was making....turned out to just need new plugs!

@Julian I'll keep that in mind but this was a sudden event. We ran her wide open for 20 minutes on the way to the park to meet up with my cubbies, and she was purring along. Hit 50 mph (according to GPS), with three adults and 4 kids.

Not discounting the plugs, I know they can cause some interesting problems! If I can't find anything in the tube, I'll definatley change the plugs next.

Just a note that you really shouldn't have to limp along that slowly. If you can still run the offending side at 2-3K rpm, I can't see any reason you couldn't run the clear side at 6K or more to make decent headway. You'll burn a lot of gas because you won't be planing but you can at least go 8 - 10 mph and get to the ramp more quickly.

@OrangeTJ i figured I could run the good side higher, but am terrified of hydro-lock And didn't want to turn a great evening into a horrible one over something in the tube. Ok,ok,ok... The real reason is I couldn't stand the sound of the mismatched rpms above 4k. It was a beautiful night and a nice cruise looking at all the lights of the homes, docks, yards, etc. my oldest said it reminded him of the "Peter Pan" ride at Disney.

Just embarrassing when you have new friends on the boat for the first time. I really should have expected something, we're over full pool and up 2' since December so all the trash and debris that's been sitting on the shoreline all winter is floating in the lake.

 

[Scottintexas]

also check your silicone around the intake grate and pump, see if any is missing or gently try to pull on it to see if it still attached but not sticky and loose, if it's loose when you start it will pull away and could allow air in.

 

[cane.mba]

There's a good sized piece of wood wedged in pretty tightly. I was able to tear a few pieces off of it with a small pair of pliers. Did you know that pliers will slide right down the tube and out of the boat through the intake? Yep, sure surprised me when I lost my grip and donated them to the lake!

I may jump in the water and see if I can pull it out through the nozzle. If not, looks like I'll have to put her on the trailer. Depending on how busy the ramp is tonight I may try to free it at the ramp. If not I'll let her sit in the driveway for a couple of days and hopefully as it dries out it'll shrink enough to pull free.

 

[sysinu]

I keep really small vice grips on the boat for yanking on crap like that. I had a water bottle lid (damn things float!) get sucked in once and working that little puke out was quite an effort.

 

[Bruce]

I had that happen. After a long struggle we got it out through the clean out plug.

After you get it out this thread should be good for a laugh https://jetboaters.net/threads/post-pictures-of-stuff-found-in-your-jets.2669/

In the mean time feel comforted that it is wood. @Backwash and I removed this from one of his jets last year.

 

[Zarrella]

@Bruce

Looks like Pepperoni Pizza!!

 

[Bruce]

@Bruce

Looks like Pepperoni Pizza!!

It was a chunk of white quartz with staining from red clay.

 

[Gumbeaux]

Good luck getting it fixed.
Waved to a black one like yours around 12:30 Sunday up near the Chestatee/Chattahoochee split. You?
We had camped at Bolding Mill and were headed back to Port Royale...spent Sat afternoon and Sunday morning on a mostly quiet lake up North. Rare days!

 

[OperationROL]

There's a good sized piece of wood wedged in pretty tightly. I was able to tear a few pieces off of it with a small pair of pliers. Did you know that pliers will slide right down the tube and out of the boat through the intake? Yep, sure surprised me when I lost my grip and donated them to the lake!

I may jump in the water and see if I can pull it out through the nozzle. If not, looks like I'll have to put her on the trailer. Depending on how busy the ramp is tonight I may try to free it at the ramp. If not I'll let her sit in the driveway for a couple of days and hopefully as it dries out it'll shrink enough to pull free.

Glad you found the issue. Sucks when you don't know what is causing issues. However, this is another example of the types of simple issues we have compared to other boats.

 

[cane.mba]

@Gumbeaux, wasn't us on Sunday we stayed home and took care of business. There's a Black 242 that lives on Young Deer Creek though, at least I saw it docked there a few times last summer. I miss the north end of the lake, very quiet compared to the southern end.

 

[cane.mba]

Well, jumped in 79 degree water to try and reach the chunk of wood, and couldn't. Bruised my wrist pretty good trying to pull it out through the clean out port. So the saga continues tonight, as she's sitting in my driveway now. I'm hoping with near 80 temps, the wood will dry out and shrink today. Either way I'm pulling the pump housing off and looks like I may have to pull the prop to get it out. Most of the wood in front of the blade is gone, but there's a good size piece sitting behind the blade that I can't get too.

 

[PEARCE]

With it out of the water why don't you just start the motor and see if it'll pop out and save the hassle of pulling the pump.

 

[Boat Crazy]

@cane.mba What! No pictures?

 

[rkluck]

I had something like this in December. I think it will eventually dry up and then come out. After I happened I didn't get back to the boat for a few weeks but when I was pulling the boat from the dock to the trailer it came out. The piece actually got caught in the bucket and I couldn't go into reverse. I don't think you have to wait that long and with the temps where they are. I would try running it a little out of the water as Pearce suggested and keep tearing the little thing to pieces.