1997 Triton TR21 blows out getting up! Scorpion?

[DieselDood]

I would post in the engine section but I can tell you that you need to check all the basics first.

Plugs (how many hours on them)
Fuel/air pressure
Compression
Compressor belt tension

I would start with the plugs and coils, it really seems like you are down a cylinder.

It idles perfectly smooth and doesn't feel like it's down, but it could be. I've been wrong before.
Plugs have about 30ish hours on them, as I'd assume that when it was rebuilt they were new.
Belt tension, feels good. I don't have a way to check that at the moment.
Compression test will have to wait till I get home.
Air/Fuel pressures will also have to wait till I get home.

If I had to guess, I'm going to guess that the tracker valve wasn't replaced, and that's going to be where my issue is. But that's merely a guess.

[smoken86]

Just don't start replacing stuff until you do the checks. These opti's can run very good on 5 cylinders.

[DieselDood]

Just don't start replacing stuff until you do the checks. These opti's can run very good on 5 cylinders.

Oh don't worry, I won't fire up the parts cannon. I spent 20 years as an Auto/Diesel technician, I HATE just throwing parts at things. I didn't mind throwing the fuel filter at it, as I can't see the inside of it and it's cheap, and if it was a quick fix... I'd take that chance.

The rest will have to wait till I get home and have tools available. So... the fun will continue probably Monday afternoon depending on if it rains or not.

[DieselDood]

Just to update this post as well for potential future reference.

At idle Air 80, fuel 90psi.
Compression is 115 across the board.
Plugs are the wrong plugs. I'll be getting some NGK's to put in it.

Also a thread in the 3.0 page to discuss "low power" so in the future if anyone is headed down this rabbit hole...
https://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=1268487

[smoken86]

When you are able to get on pad will it pull to the limiter?

Sorry your other thread has turned into a setup thread and I personally think you have another issue as while the early 225 Opti's are not powerhouses they run well. My 02 225 would turn a 26 Fury 4 now it was slow to get on pad but would do 70 @5400 and my normal prop was a 26 tempest.

If you want me to PM you some things to check to not muddy your thread I can.

[DieselDood]

When you are able to get on pad will it pull to the limiter?

Sorry your other thread has turned into a setup thread and I personally think you have another issue as while the early 225 Opti's are not powerhouses they run well. My 02 225 would turn a 26 Fury 4 now it was slow to get on pad but would do 70 @5400 and my normal prop was a 26 tempest.

If you want me to PM you some things to check to not muddy your thread I can.

Sunday when I pulled the boat, even struggling to get on pad (10 seconds from Hit the throttle to plane) with the 24 no name prop, I was REALLY close to hitting the limiter. My tach showed 5850... but no alarm when I had to let out due to some rough water.

This spring when my buddy was down he has a 24 Fury 4 and I did hit the limiter with that one, which is why we tried the 25 Fury 4 the next day.
Since then I've invested in the 25 Trophy Plus, 25 Fury 4 and the 23 Scorpion.

I don't mind that it's turned to that. I think once guys are satisfied that their setup ideas have been met, they will agree there is an issue to be found, and will help find it. Guys on here are super helpful, but sometimes there are things they have found that have to be gotten past before their other ideas come out. And honestly, I've seen where their thoughts were correct!

[smoken86]

What is your speed with that 24 when almost on the limiter? Also is it slow to get to that point? Only reason I ask is you may have a fuel supply (volume) issue. I had a issue with mine that I had to pull the VST and reset the float because it was not allowing enough in under full throttle.

I would hit the throttle and would just bog down, I could let off for a sec hit it again and would take off.

[DieselDood]

What is your speed with that 24 when almost on the limiter? Also is it slow to get to that point? Only reason I ask is you may have a fuel supply (volume) issue. I had a issue with mine that I had to pull the VST and reset the float because it was not allowing enough in under full throttle.

I would hit the throttle and would just bog down, I could let off for a sec hit it again and would take off.

I have tried that with the throttle and it didn't help. I did it out of frustration, but... the result was the same. I've gone WOT for 15 or 20 seconds, then off for a 5 count and hit it again for 15 or 20 and it wouldn't go.

10 seconds from hit the throttle till it planed out. I had to let out but it just touched 60 at on my tach looked like the alarm was going to go off at 5850.
High slip from normal. (over 20% slip)
With where I had the jack plate where I started (about 1" lower) I would see 63-64 at 5400. I didn't get the chance to hold it there long due to boat traffic and waves.

[smoken86]

Interesting well hopefully you can find out what is up. I'll keep a eye on your thread to see what happens.

[DieselDood]

Well...Are you guys ready to shake your head?

SO....
Last night I took the blow out ring out of the Trophy, then did 2 open holes and 2 closed. Figured what the heck I hadn't tried that yet.

Me, Half a tank of fuel and both livewells full.
Boat hops up and takes off! Great! I'm onto something! Saw 63mph and climbing slowly. Set down, turned around and took off. I get a 7 count and it "stalls" at 3400. I'll try going to 2 full open and 2 part open and see if it blows out.
So I go back to the dock, tie up loose and hang over the dock and swap out plugs. Get back on the boat and now it won't get up. WTF. Go back to the dock and swap back to what worked. Won't get up.

So I pull out of the water because I'm going to try a different prop.
Out of habit, I pulled the drain plug.
I'm hungry so I grabbed a snack and I'm thinking while I snack.
Wow that's a lot of water.
So I open the rear compartment. WOW that's A LOT of water!
Why didn't the auto bilge come on?
I grab my test light and apparently my new float switch is bad. Power in, and no power out. I wonder how long THAT has been bad!
But, where did the water come from?
I get the boat empty, put the plug back in and back it into the water and watch the bilge. One of my live well control valves is POURING water into the boat.

So, perfect storm.
My float switch failed at some point, so when the live well control valve failed and allowed water in the boat, the switch never turned on to pump the water out. Because the bilge never turned on I never thought or noticed water in the boat because it would only fill to a point and never enough that I got water in the foot well. Still quite a bit of water though.

So I pulled the boat out again and dug through my stuff. I found a drain plug that fits that live well port and plugged it at the back of the boat. Ran the rest of the night, Co-Angler and Full livewell and it was able to get up on pad. A little slow still, but it got up. I think both live wells full may be trouble, but I can mess with it again this weekend.

I feel like a dumbass for not thinking about that, but.... here we are. Brand new bilge pumps and float switch this spring, who would figure that the float would have failed since May? Heck it may have died just after I put it in! I checked it and it worked when I installed it, but I don't remember it ever kicking on. Although last fall when I got the boat, I checked for leaks, and there weren't any. I fished 4 hours and there wasn't a drop of water.


So... the boat was just EXTREMELY heavy and that's why it wouldn't get up.
I've got some work to do, but at least I'm getting to the bottom of it. Now all it will take is just a little testing and it should be good to go!

[mdtritn21]

Put a 25 trophy on it set it at 2 1/2" below pad and plug all the holes solid and no ring. That motor will only perform properly with Champion QL 77CC plugs and no others.

[DieselDood]

Put a 25 trophy on it set it at 2 1/2" below pad and plug all the holes solid and no ring. That motor will only perform properly with Champion QL 77CC plugs and no others.

I have never seen that plug listed ANYWHERE in the Mercury information for a 225 Optimax. It's always the NGK.

Set like you said, all holes plugged it won't get up, even when it's not full of water.

[Capt James]

I'd run a Bravo XS/FS, they run great and don't blow out. Much better prop than a Fury 4.......they're 15.25" diameter and usually run 1" light on pitch.

[DieselDood]

I'd run a Bravo XS/FS, they run great and don't blow out. Much better prop than a Fury 4.......they're 15.25" diameter and usually run 1" light on pitch.

I may have to try and track down a 23 then. The 25's seem to be just a touch "heavy" pitched.
That also sounds similar to the Scorpion, that's a 15 1/8" prop.
Now that I got the water out, I should put that one back on and give it a try.