Today was the day to have a shake down cruise of the Ranger. I have been doing a bunch of stuff to the motor for some time now but had not been able to remove the motor gremlin.
I have to tell you that everything was absolutely perfect during the test run today. The motor ran very smoothly and was as powerful as it had ever been. I tested every condition I could think of from long idle runs to long on plane runs. There were no misfires or overloading at all. Motor ran just like a new one. I am not a speed guy but I did bump it up to 60 for just a short run andit got there with ease but I doubt there was much more left. I usually am a 30 to 40 mph guy anyway and don't care how fast it goes. As always the motor starts easily and maintains an idle rpm of 1000 and is very smooth. Idle with the prop engaged the idle was at 750 rpm. The hole shot is spectacular and it just jumps out of the hole is just seconds. As far as motor performance it looks like the problem may be solved. I credit the last repair where I changed the spark plug wires as the thing that seems to have done the trick. The old wires were carbon based and were quite old causing one cylinder not to perform well. Not so since the wires have been upgraded.
The final thing is that this is the first run with the new cable steering. The steering is a sea star NFB system that included new cables, pinion and helm. It feels a bit stiff but is does eliminate the torque steer that I experienced in the past. It will just take some time to get used to I guess. Bottom line it works very nicely but alas not as nice as hydraulic.
OK so this is my report and at this moment I am thrilled with the results after all this time. Also knowing I did all the work myself adds another layer of satisfaction to the whole deal.
Awesome news.
Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk
That's awesome Bud!
Sent from the very edge of civilization...where I belong
Good deal! The steering will probably settle in and feel right after some use. Running those steering cables on some boats can be a real pain in the rear!
Bud, tks for the update. Glad to hear that you FINALLY had an outing and there weren't any issues.
Good job on making all the repairs yourself also.
It was a struggle and I'm happy for you. I hope this gives you years of trouble free service!
Great news Bud! Glad you finally have her back performing like she should. ~c~
Good deal Bud!!! Hope it stays that way for as long as you're able to run it!!!
Rodney
Great to hear Bud. You have been dealing with several issues on the boat, happy to hear they have been worked out. Kudos for your hard work and persistence. ~c~