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First time out this year.

Spoiledrotten

Spoiledrotten

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First trip out wasn’t so good. Been sitting in the drive on the trailer all winter. Launched and idled out the channel. Opened it up and got 30 MPH at 5800 RPM. Normal top speed last year was 38 MPH at 5800RPM. Forgot to mention that the dreaded fuel gauge that gave me trouble from day one, stayed on empty. When I tried the throttle at different speeds, I still couldn’t make it over 30. Thought I’d check the fuel gauge sending unit to see if I could tap on it to make it work. I discovered that varmints, most likely squirrels, had chewed both sending unit wires completely in two. Fuel line and fuel tank had been chewed on. Looks like they almost made it through the tank, but I don’t think they completed the task. Don’t think they made it completely through the fuel line either. Just can’t figure why it wouldn’t go over 30mph. Taking it in to the shop in the morning.
 
That’s a rough start to the season Randy. Sorry to hear it. I hope it can get taken care of in a timely and cost effective manner. That said, the top end speed is a puzzle. Anything off with toons or prop?
 
It ran like a top the last time we had it out last fall. Even sitting on the trailer so prop hasn’t been touched. Toon couldn’t have water in them from sitting in the drive on a trailer.
 
Or mothballs to keep them away. We have that cylindrical wire that goes around our transducer wire to protect it from muskrats. Has anybody used anything to protect the fuel and sending unit lines??? Also, did your boat run smooth at 5800 RPM's or did it struggle to get up there?
 
I woke up during the night thinking about all of this. We’ve a problem with giant salvinia which created a need for the reservoir keepers to drop the level. We went up river last year late and hit something. I might have a hole big enough to pick up water while slipping through the canal yesterday. Might be why RPMs are up and speed is low. Will check closer this morning.
No to the cats.
Yes to the moth balls. I put a few packs in areas that house wiring and hoses.
 
Spoiledrotten said:
It ran like a top the last time we had it out last fall. Even sitting on the trailer so prop hasn’t been touched. Toon couldn’t have water in them from sitting in the drive on a trailer.
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Maybe you forgot to release emergency brake or dash light burned out? (Could you smell hot brakes?) Sorry.....have a goofy sense of humor :rolleyes: Couldn't resist being a smart a$$. :cool: Hope its an easy (and cheap) fix
 
Yikes! That's certainly a bummer but hopefully you'll be back out on the water in no time. And of course, keep us updated on what they find.
 
8CC63CEB-6126-42C9-AC92-2D1D343E0C67.jpeg

One pic is the sending unit with wires chewed completely off. Just beside is where they almost chewed through the gas tank. And beside is the fuel line they almost chewed through. The other pic is the negative battery wire that they chewed the insulation completely off, leaving about 8” of exposed wire. Mechanic said I was very fortunate that didn’t ground to any part of the boat. Looking at $900 for the repairs. Includes checking for leaks in the logs. Said they drilled holes in the back of the logs and got gallons of water out. 8CC63CEB-6126-42C9-AC92-2D1D343E0C67.jpeg6221BC28-19E8-49F7-836F-19DC07809439.jpeg
 
Dealer is a good friend. I took it yesterday. He said he’d work me in. By noon, he had discovered all of the problems and was fixing to get it all fixed up. Just might be ready by the weekend.
 
Not much fun, but nice you have such a great dealer to work it out.
 
Well, at least you know why you lost speed! All in all, it looks like those dang varmints could have cause a lot more problems than they did.
 
Spoiledrotten said:
View attachment 26534

One pic is the sending unit with wires chewed completely off. Just beside is where they almost chewed through the gas tank. And beside is the fuel line they almost chewed through. The other pic is the negative battery wire that they chewed the insulation completely off, leaving about 8” of exposed wire. Mechanic said I was very fortunate that didn’t ground to any part of the boat. Looking at $900 for the repairs. Includes checking for leaks in the logs. Said they drilled holes in the back of the logs and got gallons of water out. View attachment 26534View attachment 26535
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$900??? Little bastards! Okay so no waveshield in that area? Now you will have threaded drain holes to check for leaks in the future.....
 
Yep. The wave shield goes almost to the front but they got into the wiring some way. These pics were taken after the shield was removed. He’s going to put self tapping screws in the back of the logs so I don’t have to bother with welds.
 
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Spoiledrotten said:
Yep. The wave shield goes almost to the front but they got into the wiring some way. These pics were taken after the shield was removed. He’s going to put self tapping screws in the back of the logs so I don’t have to bother with welds.
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Agree with Lakeliving......Have them welded.....
IMG_20190719_141820689.jpg
 
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