Ficht question

[THEFERMANATOR]

If money is tight and you simply want to save a little more fuel, find you a set of 225 carbs for your 200. Jet them stock and set your timing to 18-19 degrees at 5K RPM's. Then get a large diameter prop for her and you will be about as efficient as any carb motor will be. the 225 carbs actually help out in the economy department contrary to what many will lead you to believe. You'll lose a little just off idle, but your 3500-4000 cruise will improve. Unless your dead set on wanting a new engine, I would keep the one you have. You have more history with your current engine and know more about how it's been takin care of. And with a FICHT it's not if it will break down, it's when and how many $K's will it cost.

[evilgli]

well the guy with that ficht thinks he is sitting on a gold mind.. so i'll be passing on it.. hooking up a fuel flow sensor to my lowrance this weekend..so iw ill post real burn number on the 200 ocean pro when i get them and see what you think.. i think if i do go with a ficht..i'm gonna hold out for a 03 or newer.. plus i think i need a 250, because the 200 is having a tough time getting the new boat up..

[THEFERMANATOR]

I didn't realize this was on that big of a boat, that changes things a bit. I would definately say look for an mid year 03+ if you go with a DFI EVINRUDE, just make sure it was one built by BRP and not an OMC leftover. That 200 has got to be working it's tail off to keep that boat up on plane. A set of 225 carbs and a MIRAGE PLUS or APOLLO from MICHIGAN WHEEL will do ALOT of good for that rig. You need to be swingin as big a prop as you can on that boat, and I would think a 15 pitch would be just about ideal for it in a MIRAGE PLUS. And a set of 225 carbs will definately make a noticeable difference. Keep the timing at 18 and no more though for that boat, it's to heavy and will cause detonation if you go even a little over. I persoanlly would look for an 04 250 EVINRUDE if you can find one. And also that 99 wouldn't be a good match to that boat as the heavy boats is what caused most of the failures in the smaller 3.0L FICHT's. In 01 they went to the 3.3L big block for the 200-250 like they had in the late 90's for the 250 carb motors. They have ALOT of torque which is what you want for a boat like that.

Now that I see what boat your working with I would guess your fuel burn numbers to around 15-17 GPH at 4400-4500 RPM's. that is just about the norm for that engine on a heavy hull. 225 carbs will keep you at roughly the same fuel burn but with a slight jump in HP which means you can swing a bigger prop and lower your cruise RPM's. And don't forget your prop. Any engine be it carb, 4 stroke or DFI won't get good milage unless you have the right style prop for the hull.

[evilgli]

thanks for all the knowledge ferm.. and your right, the 200 has a hard time with that boat.. right now the 200 is running a 15x17 omc stainless prop.. i try and cruise around 4000RPM, but seas will vary that and i've had to run up to 4400RPM.. hopefully will get the fuel flow sensor up and working this weekend to get exact numbers.. last time offshore it was 3 to 4 foot seas all the way 40 miles out.. trolled allday.. ran 40 miles back in 2 to 3 foot seas.. burned roughly 90 gallons of fuel..

i agree with you and think the boat needs a 250.. so i'll suck it up and keep feeding my 200 fuel until i find a 250

[THEFERMANATOR]

15X17 is a good prop, but not ideal for that hull. A 15 pitch MIRAGE would help out. Also with the 15X17 you can't be hitting that many RPM's at WOT. I'm spinning a 17 PITCH MIRAGE style prop on my HYDRA and have to trim the crap out of it to get it up to 5600 WOT. You need to be able to hit 5600-5800 with a moderate load or else that 200 is going to absolutely SUCK the fuel down.

[evilgli]

with the 15X17, 3/4 of a tank of fuel, 3 guys on the boat, tackle, ice, no tabs, boat will do 43MPH and engine will turn 6000 RPM WOT.. i will give it to the 200 ocean runner, she likes to scream and suck the fuel..haha

[THEFERMANATOR]

Originally Posted by evilgli

with the 15X17, 3/4 of a tank of fuel, 3 guys on the boat, tackle, ice, no tabs, boat will do 43MPH and engine will turn 6000 RPM WOT.. i will give it to the 200 ocean runner, she likes to scream and suck the fuel..haha

You may want to have your prop and tach checked. Your numbers come out to 17% prop slip which is HUGE for WOT. 8-12% is the normal range, but much more than 10% is pushing it. Something definately isn't right with those numbers. I get roughly 2-3% prop slip with my APOLLO prop which gets me EXCELLENT bite and economy. You may be able to improve your economy noticeably just by re-propping and checking your set-up.

Next time your out check your engine height like in this post and see where your plate is in the water column underway. If it is too high that will cause your excess prop slip.
http://www.propgods.com/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=97

I would suggest you try and find one of these for a prop. A 15 pitch in a MIRAGE PLUS would be just about ideal for your app and speed. You might also want to have your tach checked for accuracy to make sure it's reading right.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-M...item2ea8b29e0b

[evilgli]

Originally Posted by THEFERMANATOR

You may want to have your prop and tach checked. Your numbers come out to 17% prop slip which is HUGE for WOT. 8-12% is the normal range, but much more than 10% is pushing it. Something definately isn't right with those numbers. I get roughly 2-3% prop slip with my APOLLO prop which gets me EXCELLENT bite and economy. You may be able to improve your economy noticeably just by re-propping and checking your set-up.

Next time your out check your engine height like in this post and see where your plate is in the water column underway. If it is too high that will cause your excess prop slip.
http://www.propgods.com/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=97

I would suggest you try and find one of these for a prop. A 15 pitch in a MIRAGE PLUS would be just about ideal for your app and speed. You might also want to have your tach checked for accuracy to make sure it's reading right.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-M...item2ea8b29e0b

just had the prop redone about 2 months ago.. not i say i hit 6000 RPM at WOT..that is with the engine trimmed WAY up.. say if i leave the engine trimmed in the middle of the gauge, the engine will only run about 5600-5700 RPM at WOT.. when the engine was in the shop about a month or so ago when i had stuck open thermostats kicking my *** (i know dumb), the techs said my tach was working fine. don't know if this makes a difference.. i will check the plate next time i'm out.

[evilgli]

will keep my eyes open for a prop.. would like to get my hands on one before i buy and see what it does

[THEFERMANATOR]

5600 RPM's at 43 brings your slip back down to 11-12% which is better, but still high.