Listen to your engine when it talks to you

[Frank Acampora]

Today I took Amanda Ford out onto the river for her pre-season shake-down run. Everything went well. I changed a couple of props to check performance and nothing was amiss. I ran the Chrysler 140 for about ten minutes on the last prop change then put Amanda back on the trailer.

After dragging her out of the water, I spun the prop by hand as is my habit. I heard a grinding noise that went away. Since The boat was on the trailer and I was going home anyway, I decided to check it at home.

Pulled the prop in the driveway and --lo and behold-- The two screws holding the anode had loosened and the anode had driven itself up into the prop hub. I had to drive a screwdriver between it and the hub to free it. Those two screws were held in with lock washers and they were grunt tight with a screwdriver, yet they worked out. No damage was done other than a couple of nicks in the anode here and there and one screw ground flat. However, continued running could have resulted in damage to the gearcase housing or the four spool bolts. Of course, I replaced the screws with 3/8 head bolts and really laid into them. If that doesn't do it, next step is Loctite.

MORAL OF THE STORY? When your engine talks, listen! Investigate any strange noises you hear--even if they stop.

 

[redfury]

Re: Listen to your engine when it talks to you

Absolutely! My riding lawn mower sounded like it dropped a cylinder at the end of the season last year. I immediately pulled the plug on the cylinder that had gone bad and did a "thumb" test for compression. None.

This summer, I pulled the head to find a small machine screw ( 1/2 inch long ) had worked its way to the intake valve and was holding it open. No damage to the seat or the valve, put the head back on after pulling the screw out and all is well.

I pulled the carb off my 25 Johnson because it had a stumble last season and rebuilt it this month. Of course, now I'm staring 6 inches of snow in the face over the next 3 days, so I probably won't get to run it on the muffs to see if that did the trick or not

 

[azlakes]

Re: Listen to your engine when it talks to you

MORAL OF THE STORY? When your engine talks, listen! Investigate any strange noises you hear--even if they stop.

... tru-dat. and if you have a long in-depth conversation with your motor... well thats another forum entirely

 

[bman1bpm]

Re: Listen to your engine when it talks to you

glad nothing got messed up on you. Since I've got the same motor as you on my boat..granted mines only a 17' runabout, what props were you trying out. Mines gettin a little rough and theres not too many choices. Anything work well for ya?

 

[JB]

Re: Listen to your engine when it talks to you

To add to Frank's rule: If it is not performing correctly stop running it until it is fixed.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Listen to your engine when it talks to you

Ahh-well--BMAN --I was testing a Michigan 19 cupped, a Chrysler 21 uncupped and a Chrysler 19 uncupped--all stainless steel. As you can see, I don't really think too much of aluminum props. Stainless will always give more RPM and MPH that the equivalent aluminum. To me that's worth the premium dollars.

Michigan 19 cupped gave me 4900 RPM at 32-33 MPH, Chrysler 21 uncupped was about the same with 4900 and 33-34 MPH and the 19 uncupped gave 5300 at about the same speed. However, since the engine sits high with the anti ventilation plate about 1 inch above the bottom, the cupped prop gives the best all around performance. The other two are a bit touchy as to trim.

Actually, the primary test I was doing was evaluating larger jets. I slipped in a pair of .098 in place of the .096 jets, however it actually caused about a 5 MPH loss. Last season I had the boat going 38. Not too bad for a 21 foot cuddy with a kicker on the back, full tank of gas, and a whole bunch of line, fenders, and PFDs.

This 140 is ported and the lower unit is vented for less back pressure. It has a higher compression head, and was .010 overbored. Timing is still at 32 degrees advanced. Next I am going to play with high performance prop. I have a 12X 21 Chrysler stainless chopper. Because of the porting, this engine really needs to get into the higher RPM to make its horsepower. After props, I am going to play with high performance reeds.

Interestingly enough, this engine was bought as a seized engine on a 19 foot closed bow. When I took off the head, I saw only light rust iside the bottom cylinder, jamming that piston. The rust was caused by a leaking exhaust chest cover gasket. I was in a hurry to get the boat on the water and figured that I would need to rebuild it anyway, so I honed out the rust without disassembling the engine or removing it from the boat. In stock condition, that engine pushed the 19 footer to 42 MPH with a 19 pitch Chrysler stainless prop. Lasted me two seasons before I needed the rebuild.

Chesapeake beach is about two hours by boat from Baltimore. If you are not in a hurry, I will probably cruise down the inner harbor one or twice the beginning of July. If you want to meet me there, you could test my stainless props and maybe a couple of aluminum ones also. If so, send me a private message with your email address.

 

[bman1bpm]

Re: Listen to your engine when it talks to you

man where'd you find all those fancy chrysler parts? I have trouble just finding replacement and tune up parts. I was hoping you were tryin out one of the composite props. I hadn't even seen stainless props listed anywhere for it. I Saw the comprop and pirhana plastic ones and thought about tryin one out. I've just got a 17' closed bow, I don't know if I'd want to take it on a 2 hour trip in the bay haha.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Listen to your engine when it talks to you

While Comprop says that they are ok for general use, I would not use a composite prop as my main one--as a spare yes. That's a lot of horsepower to be putting through plastic. AND---- my experience with the smaller ones is that if you touch anything at all, the blades break off right at the hub.

NOW--Where's your sporting blood? See the 15 footer in the avatar? That photo is in the Havre de Grace channel looking out toward Turkey Point. I used to ride that from Conowingo Dam to Annapolis. Yes, a little uncomfortable if there is a lot of traffic on the bay, but do-able. But don't do it with a young man driving. I did it with my son and he had it in the air more times than I care to count. I had to hold myself down onto the seat. When we got home my butt was bruised badly enough that I had trouble sitting.

I have about 15 Chrysler and Force engines. I have been collecting them for a few years. That is how I acquired a few of my props. Bought a couple off E Bay and a couple off Franz at franzmarine@aol.com. ---The Chrysler Crew. As for other parts---salvaged off junkers. It's my hobby and while not cheap, it's not quite as expensive as women.

I have not tried them yet but others have told me that they are quite satisfied with Boyeson reeds. The company is located right here in Pa. and reeds for the 140 will cost about 125 bucks.

Look for my private message to you.

 

[MWBROWN]

Re: Listen to your engine when it talks to you

Frank,

The exact same thing happened to me on the Blakely River here in Mobile. My buddy and I had just made a 13 mile run to the ramp. Loaded the boat and I noticed that it stalled while putting it on the trailer. After we pulled the boat out, I could not move the prop. Took it apart at home and those two screws had come loose and locked up on the anode. Another couple minutes and it would have been ruined. Two new screws, and some lock washers, and it is just fine now.

1984 85 HP Force.

Mike

 

[pnwboat]

Re: Listen to your engine when it talks to you

I recently purchased a new prop for my 1988 125. Before I purchased it, they told me that in order for it to work I would have to machine my anode down by about 3/8th of an inch as the new prop would hit it. No biggie. When I took the two screws off that hold the anode in place, I noticed they were slighly bent. They "wobbled" as I unscrewed them. They didn't look to have any damage to the heads, but I'll bet that at some time in the past, the same thing has happened to them. The anode itself also did not have any nicks or damage. I'll replace them with some stainless steel hex head bolts w/some loctite. Great information available on this forum!