2006 Etec 300 hour service
 

Well the previous owner estimated 275 hours on an '06 Etec 150, purchased new and still crated in '09, and not installed until '11. I estimated 20 hours and decided to have Gulf Coast OMC, Weeki Wachee, have the engine serviced at the recommendation of Terry and Doug. 290 hours and no major problems on print out. Full 300 hr service and mechanic found a kinked fuel line on engine block. Thank God! Paid to have them remove and reinstall transducer, as well as bring engine up one hole. Also paid to have river tested. 5800 revs and 48 mph. Almost a grand invested, but complete confidence is priceless. Unfortunately I am in SC, possibly until after New Years, but I believe all that I have left is a new Power Tech four blade. Cannot wait to get back and see if the new Garmin will read at speed! Also, 94sv, has come down drastically in price. My neighbor purchased a 74sv and was nice enough to upgrade mine from factory 3.0 to 3.7 update before leaving. Have not seen what that's all about.

For those who visited the Fish Camp last month, not only am I having the driveway widened to 12 feet, the ramp reconstructed, a full 12 feet, and in LINE!, but also upgrading to a new and hopefully LAST!, metal roof installed!
Life is GOOD! Thanks for all the assistance of this site and many new friends!

Vezo

Michael, Every Great Journey begins with the first step. Welcome to the Nature Coast. I think the small block Gen 1 E-tec's are turning out to be great motors, lots of ten year old ones running flawlessly. Ask Skiblet.

Hey Michael,

That was a good investment having a dealer check out your motor and change water pump! Those impeller blades can take a set if motor is not used for 5 years, and I wonder if that was a factor in the overheat problems you had! If it now turns 5800 after fixing the kinked fuel line, that was evidently why you were having problems with it bogging down before at WOT! Do you know if they ran the BRP fuel system test to measure fuel restriction with vacuum gage in fuel line? (Should not exceed 4" Hg at max fuel flow.)

The optimum rpm for your motor is 5300-5500, so you're underpropped! Peak HP on your motor is about 5200 rpm so if you wanted max WOT speed, a 20-21" pitch BRP Viper might put you over 50 mph (and create some chine walk!) However I think a a 4B prop will give you a lot more stern lift and would be a step in the right direction. You'll give up a little WOT speed compared to the bow-lifting Viper you're running now, but you'll be able to plane @ 12 mph and basically be able to run at any speed you want with a better ride. Although my data is with a bracket & jack plate with AV plate on top of solid water, based on my experience with the same motor/hull and much prop testing, I think the fastest and most efficient prop would be the 14.5 x 15P 4B SS BRP Cyclone. Should give you about 42-43 mph & ~ 5400 rpm @ WOT and about 4.0 mpg at ~3700-3800/27-28 mph cruise. The next best would be the PowerTec ELE4 4B SS 15 x 15 prop that's a little easier to turn and will give you about 39mph/5450 rpm @ WOT and about 3.7-3.8 mpg at the same cruise rpm. If you want to run an aluminum prop, I think the 4B Aluminum Michigan Vortex 14.5 x 18P prop would be about right. I have a 14 x 20P 4B Vortex that I had repitched to 14 x 18 that gave me 37 mph/5700 rpm @ WOT, so a little more diameter would probably get your rpm down to about 5500. You're welcome to try it if you want. I'll email you an Excel file with my prop test data if you want it. It got about 3.5 mpg @ ~ 25 mph/3700 rpm cruise; larger diameter props are more efficient, so you might do better with a little more diameter. Although my data is with a bracket and AV plate about 6" above keel, my testing was done with over 450 lbs of ballast, so if you normally run lighter than that, less weight may offset the bracket advantages, so your performance should be similar to mine.

Regarding the new roof work, if you haven't also specified the installation of a waterproof "peal & stick" membrane under the metal, I would highly recommend it! That stuff has a higher bond strength than any wind loads, so even if we have a really bad storm that peals off all the shingles or metal off the roof, your house should stay dry (provided it doesn't take the whole roof off!), plus it's worth a pretty good discount on your windstorm insurance! Denny

Once again, a plethora of information. Thank you Denny! I have priced out the four blade Power Tech at $269 for the OES?, or something in SS. Doug is running SS and not concerned with striking limestone, so I think this will be my choice. I love speed and chine walking from the days of my, now brothers, Jersey Speed Skiff, but realistically, I want to have the ability to plane at 12 mph. Right now, falling off at 28-30 SUCKS!!! And max fuel economy will be critical with a 40 gallon tank. I'd really like to make it to the Bahamas some day, aboard my own boat, with the experience of our members. I can't think of anything more rewarding than crossing with ideal conditions and in a group. I was a FD Captain, not a Boat Captain! Haha. Have to remember that. Great hearing from you and Thanks again.

Vezo

Oh, and no, he did not measure fuel pressure, nor did he add the additional (fuel?) filter under the cowling. Even talked me out of the expensive addition of the latest Smart Gauge for quick reference, and even water pressure/temperature Guage. I'll get there one day.

Dang Michael, sounds like you're on a roll!!! :)

PowerTech has some nice US-made props and certainly has a big selection! Had not been on their web site in a long time, but didn't see an OES series . . . are you maybe looking at OSS or OFS series? You don't need the expensive Cushion Lock hub system - that's for the 4-strokes that are evidently more sensitive. You want the square hub Universal Hub System that takes either a Michigan or Merc 2-piece hub. I'd use the Michigan XHS hub system as it's better quality and more robust than the Merc Flo Torque hub. However my local prop shop, who sells Michigan props, is very impressed with the new BRP props, and I'm not sure that PT has anything to match the latest props.

Maybe your mechanic is just trying to save you money, but the on-engine spin-on filter is cheap insurance . . . a Racor filter in the boat will only hold so much water and will pass water if it gets full, but the on-engine spin-on filter will catch anything getting past the Racor, plus it has a water sensor that will warn you of any water, IF you have an I-Command gauge! I guess some guys don't like gauges because then they won't worry about stuff, and the E-TEC will protect itself to a certain extent, but I like to know what's going on so I can head off potential problems! The I-Command gauge will provide engine hours, rpm, temp, throttle position, fuel flow, mpg, fuel burned, range on remaining fuel and fault codes/sensor errors, etc. I also like to have a mechanical water pressure gauge to give me an idea of how healthy the water pump is.

When I get my ETEC I will get the ICommand Gauge for sure!

The BRP blinders must be really dark today..... I had a very long and engaging discussion with Steve Powers (Owner of PowerTech) at the IBEX show in Tampa just the other week concerning this and several other topics. The real application for the Cushion Lock system is for big HP motors 300hp and above that swing huge heavy props. The system dampens the engagement of the lower unit gears so that they don't suffer from the shear stresses created by the spinning load that would damage the lower units over time. Some manufacturers also utilize a system that kills selected cylinders for a couple of revolutions during shifting to reduce the stress loading even more. It's not a matter of being sensitive, but an innovative process to keep from overbuilding drives and keeping them more trim and hydrodynamic. I guess that's not an issue with a 2 stroke little kicker. ;)

That makes total sense. I was told by the tech I spoke to at PT that the Cushion Lock was developed for the Yamaha 4 strokes and that it wasn't required for my motor, so I didn't pursue the issue any further. This was over 6 years ago, so perhaps he was talking about the big V-8 Yamaha OB's; I suspect this rationale probably applies to the Zuke's also, since they swing large diameter props because of their extra gear reduction.

Since BRP uses the SAME basic lower unit on all G1 Standard V-6 motors from the small block 2.6L 135-200 hp to the big block 3.4L 200-300HP motors, that lower unit is rather seriously overbuilt for the small block motors, which clearly don't need the fancy hub system! Oh, and yes, the E-TEC's do have a shift interrupter switch like MerCruisers have had for years (which can stick and cause a no-start condition, so something to check if motor cranks but won't start . . . the price of "progress"/added complexity!)

Yes Denny, you are correct, the OFS 15x15 SS was $269. Are you saying that I should be researching newest models of BRP props rather than the Power Tech? I'm excited to have the boat dialed, while the rut is on, shrimp are in the deep holes, and the rivers are full with reds and trout here in SC!!!

Michael.

Who needs an outboard motor when you have a weed eater?:p

Hey Michael, the PT web site says the OFS series is similar to the Merc Mirage +, which is a pretty good prop. However I tried a 3B 15.5 x 17P version, and it wasn't as good as my 4B 14.125x20P Michigan Apollo, but neither one would turn over 5200 rpm. A 4B version of the Mirage + and the 4B OFS would probably be a little better. BTW, PT's web site lists all OFS4 props as 15.25" diameter, so I'm not sure you could turn a 15P version up to at least 5300 rpm.However the $269 is a dynamite price for a 4B SS prop! My 4B Apollo was $360 in 2007. Most 4B SS props are in the $400-500 range nowadays!

My choices if I were picking 4B SS props at this time, would be:
1. 14.5 x 15P BRP Cyclone
2. 14 5/8 x 16P Michigan Apollo
3. PT OFS4 15.25 x 15P
4. PT ELE4 15 x 15P

Both the Cyclone and ELE turn 5400 rpm on my boat with a heavy load but the Cyclone is 2-3 mph faster and at least 10% more efficient. Don't know what the Apollo and OFS would turn. If I were you, before I spent that much $, I guess I'd check with Ken at Prop Gods to see what he recommends. I think he's in the Tampa area near you, and I believe he'll exchange props till you find the best one.

I'll email you my prop test spreadsheets tonight. Denny

Sorry Denny, I misquoted the price. The Power Tech OSF 4 15.25 x 15 is $499 at Prop Gods. I like the idea of exchanging props. In the efficiency category is there a breaking point at which say a 15.25 x 15 turns 5300 revs., but a 15.25 x 16 turns 5500 revs, is the 16 "less efficient" because you're burning more fuel?

If I understand my Seafari, the Viper is a bow lifting prop and seems to take a lot of energy to get on plane, and falls off plane at almost 3000 revs..

What are the chances of number of splines being the same as my 1999 Johnson 175? Maybe for my next trip I will borrow the three blade SS from the MA, and see how that feels, as a comparison. What do you think?

Michael.

Same Same

First of all, I mean MPG when I'm talking efficiency, since RANGE is what really counts when you only have a 34 gallon tank! (Some guys mean prop slippage, actual mph/theoretical mph, when they say efficiency, but that's a theoretical number that doesn't mean much in the real world.)

It's hard to predict the effects of small differences in pitch and diameter on 2 different propellers if they're different brands or styles because there are many other variables that affect speed vs. rpm, WOT rpm, and stern lift, etc. How deep the lower unit is in the water, boat weight and distribution, trim tab settings, blade area, and how high the engine is trimmed are just a few of the variables that can make a big difference. The number of blades and amount and location of blade cupping, and blade rake all determine if the prop is a "bow or stern lifter", and as you've noticed, those characteristics determine min planing speed, which can be MUCH more important than pure WOT speed or MPG! Although very experienced guys like Prop Gods can usually get pretty close, the only way to find the best prop is to test several different ones under similar load and wind conditions! I like to test with full fuel and max weight, simulated with coolers and life well full of sea water, bimini top up, and trim tabs fully retracted.

For example, before I tried Capt. Terry's 14.5 x 15p Cyclone on my boat, we used a length of string on both it and my 15 x 15p PT ELE prop to measure the circumference of a single blade to get a rough idea of how the blade area compared. Turns out that the blade circumference/area was exactly the same, so the Cyclone has pretty large blades, even though it's a half inch smaller in diameter than the PT prop. Now since the blade areas and pitch are the same, you'd expect the smaller Cyclone to spin faster than the PT prop, right? WRONG!! The smaller prop was actually harder to turn, only turning about 5250-5300 @ WOT vs 5400 for the bigger PT prop, AND it was 2-3 mph faster than the PT, so the Cyclone acted like it had more pitch! A closer look at the Cyclone blades revealed a VERY heavy cup on the trailing edge, which was over 1/8" thick, compared to ~ 1/16" on the PT prop, so I think the heavy cup is why it's "effective" pitch was higher than advertised! Since the mpg on the digital gage was noticeably higher with the Cyclone than PT, I decided to add a small jack plate and raise the motor almost 3" to get the AV plate up above solid water! Although I can't trim the motor past 40% with the jack plate (used to be ~50%), the Cyclone now turns up to 5400-5450 @ WOT with max load and I picked up a couple more mph, so after about 10 years, I'm finally dialed in about right!

Since ALL OB SeaCrafts were designed/balanced for motors of about 300 lbs, when you hang a modern motor that's over 100 lbs heavier (your 20" 150 weighs 419 lbs), you would expect it to behave better with a stern lifting prop, which is why I recommend 4B props when heavier motors are installed, as the extra blade will add stern lift if it's designed right. I went from a 300 lb motor on the transom to a 427 lb motor mounted 30" further aft on a bracket, and the difference was dramatic! Min planing speed with a 3B prop went from 12 mph to 22-23 mph! Switching to a 4B prop got it down to ~ 15 mph, and adding a fin to the AV plate got it down to 12 mph. Since the Viper has less blade area, it won't have as much low speed thrust, and with less stern lift, it'll definitely take longer to plane. Either of my 4B props will jump on plane quickly at only ~ 45% throttle . . . you'd better warn folks to hang on when you nail the throttle!

Your E-TEC is identical to the 99. We've run my props on Sandy's boat, and it's an older motor, maybe a '94 or 95? What size and brand/model prop do you have on the MA? I'd definitely try in on the Seafari . . . the more you test, the more you'll learn! Too bad we didn't have time to try a couple of my props on your boat when I was over there chasing scallops!