Hole shot a bit weak

Was out this morning and just felt that, compared to recent performance, the hole shot was weak. PCM 351w sounds fine, performance on plane seemed normal. Honestly seemed completely fine except just felt like I had crappy power pulling the skier out of the water compared to the last time I went out.

Most of the threads on this focus on prop. I have a 4 blade prop that I’ve had since last season and nothings changed there so let’s assume that’s not it.

I did change the trans fluid between outings. I put in 2 quarts of dex/merc after sucking out about the same... although found a bit of trans fluid in the bilge so it may have overfilled. Not sure if that’s an issue.

Changed my fuel filter at the end of last season like always and always fill with no ethanol fuel.

Plugs and wires are all fairly new (<30 hours).

I haven’t done timing / cap / etc and have no idea how honestly.

Thoughts?

Sounds like a carby issue to me.  Could be a ruptured accelerator pump diaphragm.  I certainly would check the timing.  Your boat is a 1993 correct?  ProTec?

Any chance you have gotten water into the bilge foam?

10-4. Was just a hypothesis.

Jonny Quest wrote: Tell us about the engine. Based on your signature block, your boat is a 1993.  Above I asked about "ProTec".  Does the engine have the ProTec management system?  If so, ProTec could be part of the problem. JQ

DockDoc wrote: KENO wrote: Last time he had issues and got asked the Protec/distributor question he didn't exactly answer the question for sure but he thinks it's a distributor. Click on the link for some previous info or lack of  link   No Protec, regular old carbureted 351w with a Holley carburetor.

I might be wondering about the other head gasket that didn't get replaced after your last lack of power on takeoff issue, which would then make me want to do a compression test, which would probably  make me stop wondering after seeing the results 

KENO wrote: I might be wondering about the other head gasket that didn't get replaced after your last lack of power on takeoff issue, which would then make me want to do a compression test, which would probably  make me stop wondering after seeing the results

Valid point...

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GottaSki wrote: Actually, timing off after if was tuned make perfect sense in our experience

Jonny Quest wrote: After setting / checking the timing, make sure that the mechanical advance in the dizzy works properly.  It wouldn’t be the first time that performance suffers due to a dizzy that doesn’t advance the spark properly.    JQ

Makes sense although I’m going to have to research how to do that. I assume that’s a new distiributor if that’s the issue?

Just to follow up on this. Checked timing today on the trailer (let it warm up first on the hose). Idle is dialed in right at 10 BTDC. However advance seems to max out at 26-28 BTDC or so. So I suppose I’m not getting quite enough advance timing correct? Seems smooth, not erratic. But not the 34 or so I was expecting. Using timing tape so I think it’s fairly accurate.

8122pbrainard wrote: Tyler, Did you get a chance to clean up and lubricate the advance mechanism?

gun-driver wrote: DockDoc wrote:   ... pulled off the dizzy cap and immediately had no idea what I was looking at, so put it back and figured I should do some more reading first.  That right there is funny Honest but still funny

 

I've had things that were not broke until I fixed them.