My $1,500 pontoon and $600 motor

[Way2slow]

[NavyVet1204]

Nice man you need to get her on the water ASAP!

[Way2slow]

Got to come up with a way of getting there.  I can't put the motor back on until I get if off the ground and it's too big to fit in the back of my truck.  

[Dens228]

Nice!  Hopefully it doesn't go Way2Slow!   

[GaryH]

[GRiver]

Very nice, it is the same layout as mine. I love the seats up front. How big is it. 

[Way2slow]

It's a 2001, 24' but was kept in a boat house on the lake.  The motor is actually a 2009 where it was bought with a 60 on it and they upgraded that to an 90. 

I noticed in the picture the carpet looks splotchy.  Actually it's not, that's the sun coming through the trees.  I had just got through pressure washing the carpet and it actually looks very nice.  It was almost brown and rough looking and I was considering replacing it, but decided to see what the pressure washer would do.  It's back to being a lighter blue and is in very good shape.  Looks good enough I would never consider replacing it now. 

The stereo/radio receiver wasn't working, just got through trouble shooting it and the power amplifier module is bad, just got through ordering that. $6 to fix the one in it is a lot cheaper and easier than just sticking another one in it.

 

Someone commented hope it ain't Way2slow.  It is but I'm just gonna have to get used to that.  Other than my canoe, this will be the slowest boat I've ever owned 

[Way2slow]

Finally, took two (boat and a motor) and made one (boat with a motor).  Motor is on the boat, checked out and ready for the lake, so Sunday should be able to see what is going to do.  Rain and severe weather forecasted for Saturday, so it will have to be Sunday. (maybe)

My bother put his in the water and says he leaves it all summer, so I could use his trailer, hopefully one will show up by the time he gets ready for his back.

[Ski213]

What came of the trailer that your wife found?

[Way2slow]

To tell you the truth, I don't have a clue.  It seems now the lady wanted to take time to make sure she wanted to sell it.  That's all been between my wife and her cousin.  I've kept my mouth shut about it.  After over 50 years, you learn when it's best to do that.

[GRiver]

Got a big foot merc 50 on mine. Full tank, just my wife and I, it’ll do 19 mph with a following wind. But it seems the run forever on a tank of fuel. I could play with pitch on the prop and get few more mph faster,I’m in the bottom end of the scale on rpms.  But I’m happy with it

[galyonj]

On 4/18/2021 at 8:09 PM, Way2slow said:

Someone commented hope it ain't Way2slow.  It is but I'm just gonna have to get used to that.  Other than my canoe, this will be the slowest boat I've ever owned 

 

2 hours ago, GRiver said:

Got a big foot merc 50 on mine. Full tank, just my wife and I, it’ll do 19 mph with a following wind. But it seems the run forever on a tank of fuel. I could play with pitch on the prop and get few more mph faster,I’m in the bottom end of the scale on rpms.  But I’m happy with it

 

I don't know better, but it feels like going fast on a pontoon would be absolutely terrifying.

[Way2slow]

Four Stroke and two stroke a two totally different animals.  I've never owned or worked on an four stroke outboard but have ample experience with two stroke.  I'm sure the four stroke has a much more sophisticated ECM and probably has anti-knock sensors to detune the timing when needed with this junk we have for gas now.  Plus they are a whole lot more fuel efficient than two strokes.

A 2009 two stroke is not going to have anything about it that's would be considered sophisticated.  

That's why you should never run a two stroke at WOT when it won't reach near max rpm.  Any motor that's loaded down with todays gas is going to pre detonate.  This starts pitting the piston and eventually destroys the piston, meaning good by motor.  That's why most of your better mechanics detune most two strokes about two degrees on the timing. 

 

About 10 years ago, I built an engine for a guy's 24' deck boat that pushed it 65 mph but you are sitting so high up off the water, it didn't feel like you was running anywhere near that.  You take a low profile bass boat and run 65 mph and it feels like you are flying.

However, I have no intention or desire to make this one fast.  First off, that aluminum bucket on the back that hold the motor does not look super strong.  

The reason my wife would not ride in any of my bass boats is she always said it felt like she was gonna go flying out of it.  So, I'm sure she would not be happy with this thing going fast.

It would not make me mad if this one would run at least 35mph so it could be used to water ski, but other than that, I would have no desire to change it.

[GRiver]

10 minutes ago, galyonj said:

 

 

I don't know better, but it feels like going fast on a pontoon would be absolutely terrifying.

Yep mine is fast enough too me. One goes by here once in a while  with two older guys in it( I’m no spring chicken 56), with  a huge motor, 2-stroke. 
it is haulin. Not much of the pontoons In the water at all.  I bet it is pretty squirrelly. 

8 minutes ago, Way2slow said:

Four Stroke and two stroke a two totally different animals.  I've never owned or worked on an four stroke outboard but have ample experience with two stroke.  I'm sure the four stroke has a much more sophisticated ECM and probably has anti-knock sensors to goofball the timing when needed with this junk we have for gas now.  Plus they are a whole lot more fuel efficient than two strokes.

A 2009 two stroke is not going to have anything about it that's would be considered sophisticated.  

That's why you should never run a two stroke at WOT when it won't reach near max rpm.  Any motor that's loaded down with todays gas is going to pre detonate.  This starts pitting the piston and eventually destroys the piston, meaning good by motor.  That's why most of your better mechanics detune most two strokes about two degrees on the timing. 

Yep my rpm is rated for 5600-6000 rpm at wot, I’m hitting 56-5700 at wot.. it’s the low end of my wot. 

[detroit1]

Ever see the pontoon speed championships on utube? I think 114 mph is the record. Those guys are nuts...

[Way2slow]

I would say, if a steal of a deal came along on a 115hp four stroke I might would buy it.  Simply because they are much quitter and the fact that they do get much better fuel economy.  

Since I usually only buy this kind of stuff when I can get it for pennies on the dollar, and I have no experience with four strokes, it would have to be one hellava deal for me to want to learn them.   It would also have to be a fresh water motor.  I try my best to keep as far from saltwater motors as possible.  They are a total nightmare when it comes time to try taking one apart and many times, half of it's junk from corrosion when you do get it apart.

 

Let me rephrase that just a little, I have no experience with four stroke outboard engines.  I have tons of experience four stroke automobile engines.  I've been building those since my drag racing days back in the 60's.  Back in the 80's I was building mega super charged engines used by a couple of professional pullers that competed in national truck and tractor pulling events and engines for a number of local circle track racers.  

[galyonj]

15 minutes ago, Way2slow said:

Four Stroke and two stroke a two totally different animals.  I've never owned or worked on an four stroke outboard but have ample experience with two stroke.  I'm sure the four stroke has a much more sophisticated ECM and probably has anti-knock sensors to goofball the timing when needed with this junk we have for gas now.  Plus they are a whole lot more fuel efficient than two strokes.

A 2009 two stroke is not going to have anything about it that's would be considered sophisticated.  

That's why you should never run a two stroke at WOT when it won't reach near max rpm.  Any motor that's loaded down with todays gas is going to pre detonate.  This starts pitting the piston and eventually destroys the piston, meaning good by motor.  That's why most of your better mechanics detune most two strokes about two degrees on the timing. 

 

I've no experience with proper two-stroke engines, but I do have some experience with turbocharged Wankel rotaries (which, to lubricate the rotor seals, use a similar oil-injection system), which are this perfect storm of oil presence during combustion, lots of heat, and boost.

 

Oil in the combustion chamber lowers the octane rating of whatever fuel is being used. Taking timing off, as you noted, is the smart thing to do in lieu of using fuel with a higher resistance to detonation -- either super high test unleaded, adding alcohol injection, or switching completely to alcohol as a fuel source.

 

All the knock sensors in all the world can't save an engine from a determined moron.

[Way2slow]

Looks like, according to the wife, it's going in the water tomorrow.  I "thought" I was just going to run it a couple of hours to start the initial break-in of the motor since it was bored and all new pistons installed.  This morning I asked my wife if she wanted to go if I went, "I'll see" was her reply.

This afternoon, while getting ready to go into town and eat, she asked me if I had enough life jackets for "everybody".  I ask who is everybody?  It seems my, may go to the lake to run the boat some, has turned into a family boating trip on the lake with a 1/2 dozen people.  

[Ski213]

Well on the plus side your passengers may want to run around a lot and get you a little further in to the break in than you would have otherwise. I’ve never done the full break in on an outboard. I kind of finished the break in on the new power head when I bought my boat and I remember it being pretty monotonous. 

[GRiver]

10 hours ago, Way2slow said:

Looks like, according to the wife, it's going in the water tomorrow.  I "thought" I was just going to run it a couple of hours to start the initial break-in of the motor since it was bored and all new pistons installed.  This morning I asked my wife if she wanted to go if I went, "I'll see" was her reply.

This afternoon, while getting ready to go into town and eat, she asked me if I had enough life jackets for "everybody".  I ask who is everybody?  It seems my, may go to the lake to run the boat some, has turned into a family boating trip on the lake with a 1/2 dozen people.  

Haha yep owning a pontoon is like owning a truck.... can ya help me move. Pontoon, lots of room for people.... wait until she finds out it’s rated for 12 people.  
I used to be a low level motor head, nothing pro- just street racing then 4x4’s at the local pits. I don’t know that much about 4-stroke outboards, it’s a “learned I go” kinda thing. 

[Alex from GA]

Last week I was on the lake and there was a tritoon in a dock with a white 450 on the back.  I see lots of fairly fast, 40+, pontoons/tritoons running on the lake.  They're mostly pulling tubes not skiing.

[Way2slow]

Well, first trip on motor went well.  I had already idled it for an hour on the hose.  

Ran it at about 2,000 for an hour, then 3,000 for an hour

Took to 4,500 for a couple of minute and then back to 3,000, then slowly added longer run times at 4,500.  After about a half hour run at 4,500, we called it quits for this trip.  

As for speed, you gotta know my wife.  She liked it better at 3,000 than 4,500.  Don't have a clue what the speed was, haven't installed Garmin's yet, but it was slooooo.  After all, it's only a 13 pitch prop. 

The funny part, when doing the 4,500 run, I actually passed one boat on the lake.  It was another pontoon, it looked very nice and brand new, with a BIG 300 on it.  Don't know if he was just doing his break-in or if his wife was like mine, or just didn't want the feed that monster.  I almost took a video on my phone just to document that one.

I saw bunches of them clipping along pretty darn fast.  One tritoon looked like he had to been going 50 or more.

[Ski213]

Sounds like a successful maiden voyage. Count your blessings. My wife prefers boating to fishing and prefers to run around at max speed. By run around i mean literally just run all over the place. I tried to explain that wide open she couldn’t pour gas out of a can faster than the ob is burning it but she doesn’t seem to care. 
 

Edit:  To be fair sometimes I just like to run around wide open as well. 

[Way2slow]

Since the wife is all set on night fishing, been working the past couple of weeks rigging the boat for that.  Added about 12,000 lumens of lights shinning down, green led lights around the interior, radio/CD and 200 Watts of power, (I hate music, she enjoys it, you see who wins).  With all this running off batteries, 3 group 27's I figured they might need some help on a long night.  So, I added a generator to run the MK330 charger so it can help out.  

I think the battery compartment is about full now.  I also found out the generator must also have a CO sensor, because it would shut off after about a minute.  I had to add an exhaust pipe to vent it outside the compartment. 

The generator is quite enough you can't hear it in the front half of the boat.  Only sitting on the very back seat do you really notice it.  

 

[Ski213]

It’s amazing to me how quiet those inverter generators are.