High End Performance

backfoot100 wrote: All good points Alan. I would hope that they treat him right also. You always hear about the quality work that comes out of NECC and SECC.

Eddie,
I think he's in good hands and I would hope $5600 for the motor plus the money he spent with them last year to repair the boat when it went up on the rocks should get him some degree of good will. Here's the other goofy thing, I was just rereading his posts and the problem started in spring of 06 so this motor hasn't been right from the start.

So far there's no info on the heads on his engine. I agree that the 351 can turn 5000 with no problem when talking about the bottom end but what was done to the heads when they rebuilt his engine? Are they stock, original, new, rebuilt,how many hours? Maybe he's got 1500 hours on them and a valve spring fatigued. Possible they just did a valve job and bolted them back on without checking the springs. Heck maybe they spray painted them and charged him for new ones, hard to diagnose without real info but either way if the motor rebuild came from NECC and with only 23 hours and the prop THEY installed then it should be warrantied atleast partially. I would hope he will be taken care of properly and before his short ski season ends.

Ken- there's no way you did anything to cause that type of collision in your engine. The timing chain would not have slipped or skipped enough to cause that collision without NOTICABLE engine symptoms.Sounds to me like a defective valve or a poor quality rebuild. Something like that should be covered under your warranty.
Good luck with it.
You were not turning any excessive rpms with the props CC installed for you.
-Brad

Nautique2001 wrote: Piston and valve made contact, which bent the valve and push rod. #7 cylinder is putting out zero compression. It's been torn apart by NECC and the manufacturer had been contacted to pursue 24 month warranty. Ken

Ken,

Thats' actually good news, I was keeping my mouth shut until you heard what was going on but my money was on a burnt piston.

If your going back with stock heads and valvetrain I would keep that motor at 4400rpm max and ski it. I think the 540 is a great prop but it pushes a stock motor too high in the rpm department. Leave the racing to the guys with the hotrods and have some fun with that boat. My unsubstantiated opinion is we'll see more engine problems with guys running the 540 and 542 and overturning engines. I love my 540 but you have to use it with restraint.

Glad to hear it Ken, those are pretty good performance numbers.

Here's an update:

Yesterday, my Dad and I worked on the high end issue. We tested the fuel pump. The pressure was a constant 5.5 PSI. We bumped the timing from 6 degrees to 8 degrees. I use 89 octane, so I fugured that wouldn't be a concern. The idle screws were slightly adjusted open.

We lake tested it. The last time my boat ran, it maxed out at 4,800 RPM, then it dropped to 4,200. A strange thing happened. My RPM needle was pinned at 4,900 RPM, then it dropped to 4,400. For no reason, it started surging at high end and picked up RPM's. It smoothed out and stayed at 4,900. I ran it another 15 minutes and every time, I maxed 4,900 and it didn't lose power like before. The issue disappeared. Is it possible the float settled into place after Tim and Brad adjusted it? Would the timing advance have something to do with it? It's running like a top. Idles smooth, accelerates extremely well. Thanks for everyones feedback. I'll post a video clip of the much improved performance soon. BTW, I was getting 48 MPH at 4,900 RPM with the ACME 540.

Ken

8122pbrainard wrote: 79nautique wrote: kevin all you had to do was cut the steel line and insert a tee with compression fitting and screwed in the gauge at the tee, one fitting, one guage, perminately mounted always know what the pressure is. Kevin, I really don't like the use of compression fittings on fuel lines (pressure side). I'd rather see flared in this case.

used compression fittings on brake lines all of the time and theres about 100x the pressure in a brake line compared to a 5-7 lbs a fuel line sees, so I really don't see the concern, besides to make the flares it takes three times as long and most guys don't have the tools to do it to starrt with. A compression fitting is just as good as a flareed fitting anyway,

I don't want it permanently mounted, which is why I went with a direct replacement line. Now I can use it with different engines and put the steel line back.

Tim, no haven't check the timing yet that is the first thing I'll be doing once we drop it in.

Don't know if it has already been suggested but I had a similar problem with my 77' and after a lot of screwing around it turned out to be the anti-siphon valve which was right at the top of the fuel tank, 10 minute job to remove and clean and never another problem.

Don't forget to check for vaccum leaks. The intake could be leaking once it warms up... Not saying it's your problem, but vaccum leaks are RPM dependent...

I would think a decent parts store (NAPA) would be able to tell you what need to measure the fuel pressure going into a Holley. The fitting is exactly the same as 3/8" brake line, so you can verify the plug right in the store.

Hollywood, have you checked your timing? My '90 was only capable of 41mph @ 4200rpm when I bought it. I never got a chance to put a light on it before the ignition module crapped out, but the new ignition system and proper timing put me at 42mph @ 4400rpm, which is probably about right.

Ken slow down with the posts hot damn! You're asking the same questions over and over.

I removed the steel line from the pump to the carb (dangerous i know) and made a new one out of rubber fuel line with a pressure gauge tee-ed in. Total cost was about $30-$40 because of all the brass pieces. This will allow me to run the boat normally while monitoring fuel pressure, for testing purposes only of course.

well the links not woking ken but it should look simular to what I posted big rubber piece with a hose barb on one end

Hmmmm, didn't post. It's $39 at Auto Zone


Ken