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back to current newsMay 30, 2008
Went out for another test yesterday with the newly worked OMC prop. Pretty much the same performance -- disappointing speed and rpm barely in the 6000s. So I jacked the motor up about 1/2 inch. Gained some rpm, but lost a bit of speed along with control and turning ability. Clearly not a step in the right direction. Maybe I'll tap out some of the cup and try again at the original engine height.
Bad news for our Mini GT class. With only three drivers prepared to race, and one of them already knowing he'll miss half the races, the decision was made to upgrade all of them to GT Pro. It is easy to say that we'll bring Mini back next year, or as soon as possible, but the truth seems to be that once a class goes away like this, it will be very hard to bring it back. Luckily, all these kids making the upgrade now can quite easily revert back to Mini if they want.
We can quiltily say, however, that this is good news for GT Pro. I currently count at least nine boats ready to appear in Detroit Lakes on June 7th and 8th; a total list of thirteen active boats; and two more under construction. We may never get them all together in one place, but it's fun to imagine them them all crowding into the first turn together....
May 29, 2008
Well, there was no dirt in the carb, and it still runs fine on the garden hose but falters when the lower unit is in the lake -- and the exhaust has to be pushed down through the water and out the prop.
So I decided now was a good time to assemble my spare parts into a second engine, something I'd been meaning to do anyway. I painted up a hood, a mid section and a pan; rebuilt a carb; assembled the motor; stole the gearcase off the Johnson, and I had a nice "new" Evinrude to go racing.
I made two mistakes. Number One: I bought spray paint at the hardware store, 99 cents a can after mail-in rebate. Number Two: Apparently I never snugged up the four screws that hold the carb together. After only one pass across the lake, these two blunders joined together when leaking gas ran down the mid-section and began stripping off my paint.
But, after putting the carb back together I made a successful test run. Still a tendancy to porpoise, and an unspectacular 44.5 mph but if it all holds together I can work with that. This morning I worked up a new SST OMC 10x17 propeller, so that will be the next test.
May 22, 2008
Mini builder Dennis McGinnis sent more pictures, and I've added them to his page in the Customer Project section. Click HERE to see his very impressive progress.
I had the Pro Vee out yesterday for another test, but the motor gave me trouble, first refusing to idle smoothly, then just not quite getting up to speed. When I went back to the beach, it loaded up and quit. But it restarted, so I ran it up on the trailer and took it home. In the driveway, it idled quite nicely. Isn't that just the way. I'm guessing some crud in the carburetor, so I better take it apart and investigate.
May 18, 2008
Yesterday, finally, I put the first coat of paint onto the Sport C. I'm even flirting with the possibility of having it ready to race early in the season. Really? Detroit Lakes is just three weeks away. That seems too ambitious, but I'll keep plugging away. See the painted Sport C HERE
May 14, 2008
I had the Pro Vee out again today. The battery is now mounted in the bow, a small garden tractor battery that weighs about 17 lbs. I added 20 lbs. of ballast to account for the weight of the original battery, and then another 20 lbs. because I believe I need it (and maybe more) to make racing weight.
Even with all that up front, there is still a tendancy to porpoise, but at least the chinewalk is gone. Passing over rougher water upsets the rhythm of the porpoise, so it may not be so obvious during a race.
My speed was a little disappointing, but then again my throttle was slowly -- and then quickly -- getting out of adjustment as the adjuster on the cable rotated with the engine vibration. I had forgotten to secure that. In the end, my choke butterfly was only opening about three-quarters.
So, I'm stuck in the mid forties for now. Fifty mph is my ultimate goal.
May 7, 2008
I put 20 lbs. of ballast in the bow of the Pro Vee and went out for another test run. It helped some, but didn't solve the problem. I added another ten lbs. and made one partial pass across the lake, then my steering cable came off the right side steering arm. So I limped back to the beach.
I'm going to have to consider relocating the battery up forward. Not a simple thing.
May 6, 2008
I got everything functioning on the Pro Vee. And it was a beautiful summer-like day in the mid-70s. So I towed it down to the lake and backed it in.
Well, I clearly have work to do. With just a little bit of positive trim it started to porpoise, and that quickly lead to a nasty chinewalk. Trimming back quieted it down, but then the bow was too low. I never got more than the low 40s mph and the low 6000s rpm. Probably a weight distribution problem. My calculations tell me I need to add twenty or thirty pounds anyway. Stay tuned.
Finally got some work done on the Sport C over the weekend. Installed the transom. The hope is to have this boat on the water and racing this year, although I suspect it will only have two or three coats of primer on it, and probably no rear cowling. As soon as it's water-ready, it's going in! Details HERE.
May 3, 2008
Sooner than expected, the Mini Vee has been towed away by its new owner.
May 2, 2008
Finally, the ice is breaking up, just a bit left on the southern shore -- including the beach where I launch. But, maybe sometime next week I'll get a boat on the water.
The first boat to go in may be the Mini Vee. I'll need to make sure all is running correctly because a week from Sunday the new owner is coming to write the check and take possession. Goodness, that's the quickest I've ever sold anything.