Re: 1988 V20 with 225 Honda
 

Finally got out fishing Saturday. The gulf was relatively calm. Had 4 people in the boat. Two sat in front of the center console on a cooler seat (315 and 240 pounds). Ron and I sat in the back (160 and 215 pounds). This was the first time I took the boat out since I remounted the motor on the transom – raised it 2 inches. Full throttle results: 5400 rmp, 41 mph, 2.5 miles per gallon. Caught 2 keeper grouper, some nice Spanish and 3 cobia (all short). Had a great time.

Re: 1988 V20 with 225 Honda
 

Good job Jackman it should work out fine for you

Re: 1988 V20 with 225 Honda
 

Jackman, was that 5400 trimmed out, neutral trim, or trimmed down/under? Those honda's should be propped to turn a little higher. You might see more speed / rpm's trimmed higher.

Airslot

Re: 1988 V20 with 225 Honda
 

Went out fishing Sunday. Had Bobby up front (240 lbs), and Ron and I in the back again (160 and 215). Fairly calm coming in. WOT - 5400 rmp, 43mph, 2.5 mpg - motor trimmed up.
Are you suggesting I get a different prop? The engine should max out at 6200 rpms - I don't get any where near there. I am open for suggestions. Maybe a 15" at 15 pitch?
Help
Caught an assortment for fish - 54" King mackerel, 36" cobia, 24" red, lots of Spanish, and misc others. Had a great time.

Re: 1988 V20 with 225 Honda
 

Jackman, I'm at a loss, it just doesn't make sense. I trust your Speed numbers are GPS? 5400 RPM's spinning a 17" pitch prop through the 1.86 : 1 gears gives that 41 mph number on my boat. I still stand by what I said earlier, that motor should be able to spin 21p easy. The only other thing that I can think of is the throttle hitting the dash. I have a local buddy with a 150 honda on his V-20 fisherman and he's turning a 17'p ss prop to 6100 rpm. The Honda's are great motors, no doubt. As for your 2.5 MPG number, thats not bad at WOT for a 225. What does she cruise at? Got any numbers around 4000 rpm's?

Airslot

Re: 1988 V20 with 225 Honda
 

As I remember, at 4000 rpm, she does 30 mph. How do you define cruising speed? I usually go as fast as I can go - depending on conditions.
Speed is by GPS.
I agree - it just doesn't make sense. I was thinking about taking the rig to the scales, and weighing it - just to see what it weighs.
I just have 100 hours on the motor - it is ready for a checkup. Is there any test that the dealer can perform to see if everything is right with it? Is there anything I can do? Maybe check compression or something? I still can not verify that the throttle plate is wide open - don't know what to take off the motor to see inside the throttle body.

Re: 1988 V20 with 225 Honda
 

They can hook you up to the computer at the shop when you go for your 100 hour service. They should be able to tell you if all sensors are funtioning and how much time is spent in each rpm range. As far as determining if you are reaching WOT, try this. Take the cowling off in the driveway. Find where the throttle cable attactches to the linkage on the motor. Advance the throttle to WOT. Make a mark where the linkage is at this point. Return the throttle to neatral. Now, remove the throttle cable from the linkage and rotate the linage by hand. If it turns further by hand, you found your problem. You should be able to do this pretty easy in a hlf hour or less. Keep us in the loop.

Airslot

Re: 1988 V20 with 225 Honda
 

I checked out the throttle today. Removed the cowl and had a friend move the throttle level on the center console. I observed the action at the throttle body near the end of the engine. With the throttle pushed to wide open (at the center console), the lever on the throttle body was bottoming out on the throttle body stop. This verified to me that the throttle movement could go no further and should be wide open.
The dealer I go to here in Florida is a very small one. They do not have a computer that hooks up to the motor. The 100 hour check is changing oil and lower unit fluid and stuff like that.
Do you think I should find a larger dealer that has more equipment?

Re: 1988 V20 with 225 Honda
 

Is it possible your hull is waterlogged? Can you take it to a truck scale and get it weighed?

Re: 1988 V20 with 225 Honda
 

I have no idea - right now, anything is possible. I'll go to the weight station and "GIT 'R DONE".
Just had another thought. I have a hell of a time getting the boat all the way up on the trailer.
I back the trailer down into the water and position it so the fenders are just above the water. Then I drive the boat onto the trailer. Once it stops, I have my buddy see if it is far enought up on the trailer - it never is and he signals to me to come forward a foot and a hlf or so. I rev the engine - the boat goes forward some - then won't go any further (and I have the engine really revved up. I have to have him back up the trailer (slowly) - at the same time, I rev the engine and get it further up on the trailer. This process is repeated until my buddy lets me know that the boat hit the front roller. He then pulls the unit out of the water. Upon checking everything (on shore), the boat is 2" away from the front roller. We try and crank it up - it is a ball busting job - that boat just does not want to move on the trailer !!! Just can't get it cranked up all the way to the roller. I thought maybe I had to spray some sort of lubricant on the 2 sliders. They look like 2x6's with a carpet covering.
What happens is when the rig is pulled out of the water, the boat settles on the trailer, and comes to rest 2" from the front roller (which it was hitting before the boat was pulled out).
I will persue the boat being TOO HEAVY aspect of my problem.
thanks God.