Little Help, Please

[dwna1a]

Two part question that I need help understanding

First, I run both engines pretty much all the time yet I have a 19hr difference in the meters. Both meters are working just fine. Could the difference be due to the GenSet?

Second, since April and until now we have used 387.5 gallons of fuel, and put 57hrs on the meters (if they are right) 57 seems to be more along the line of correct. So my gallon per hour would be 6.79gph?
Does that sound about right for my old boat? P.S......I hate math!

 

[bahamabreisus]

25 yrs starting one engine first, could add up. Wish we could burn 6.79 gph

 

[rondds]

When you got the boat were the meters off by 19 hours? If they were dead even but now they're off than one is not ticking time off correctly OR maybe you accidentally left the ignition on for 19 hours on one engine.

Gen won't effect engine hours but will effect how much fuel you burn for the season.

That's pretty thrifty consumption numbers. Possible if you have a lot of no wakes and cruise around at low speeds frequently.

This boat has LCD hour meters built in to the tachs. One day, suddenly, the port showed 43 hours more than the stbd (they had been 1 hour apart when I bought the boat). I thought maybe I left the ignition switch in the first position but not the case. I intentionally left the swtich in the first position and watched it for an hour. No time ticked off. I have no idea how that happened but it's annoying.

 

[dwna1a]

When you got the boat were the meters off by 19 hours? If they were dead even but now they're off than one is not ticking time off correctly OR maybe you accidentally left the ignition on for 19 hours on one engine.

Gen won't effect engine hours but will effect how much fuel you burn for the season.

That's pretty thrifty consumption numbers. Possible if you have a lot of no wakes and cruise around at low speeds frequently.

This boat has LCD hour meters built in to the tachs. One day, suddenly, the port showed 43 hours more than the stbd (they had been 1 hour apart when I bought the boat). I thought maybe I left the ignition switch in the first position but not the case. I intentionally left the swtich in the first position and watched it for an hour. No time ticked off. I have no idea how that happened
but it's annoying.

I started keeping track of the hours in April. Every time I got fuel or had any work done I wrote down the hours. They have been 19hrs off since I started and are the old style meters. Even if I take the high numbers it comes to 5.9 gph, if I'm doing my math right. Gallons divided by hours...is that correct?

Also, yes the river has been pretty smooth. Only got rough once or twice and I hate beating the old girl so I slow down during those conditions. Any other time she loves to cruise right around 3100 to 3400rpms, she settles nicely at that speed. I also keep 1/2 tank of water all the time, but I like to keep my tanks full of fuel. (old FD habit, keep you engines fueled and ready)

 

[pchanson8]

gallons per hour = Gallons/hour. Yes that is correct.

 

[spikedaddy99]

What do you have, 1200 hours or more on those? If I remember correctly, the port motor had the higher number, and it is from always starting that side 1st over 25 years.
Mike

 

[play dough]

I started keeping track of the hours in April. Every time I got fuel or had any work done I wrote down the hours. They have been 19hrs off since I started and are the old style meters. Even if I take the high numbers it comes to 5.9 gph, if I'm doing my math right. Gallons divided by hours...is that correct?

Also, yes the river has been pretty smooth. Only got rough once or twice and I hate beating the old girl so I slow down during those conditions. Any other time she loves to cruise right around 3100 to 3400rpms, she settles nicely at that speed. I also keep 1/2 tank of water all the time, but I like to keep my tanks full of fuel. (old FD habit, keep you engines fueled and ready)

Based on my '89 Sundancer numbers, at those cruise RPMs I'd expect about an 18-20 gph burn rate. I have sterndrives so the performance will differ but the fuel usage per hour would be similar. Because I troll on one motor quite a bit, my actual usage per hour for the season averages at about 5 gph.

 

[dwna1a]

What do you have, 1200 hours or more on those? If I remember correctly, the port motor had the higher number, and it is from always starting that side 1st over 25 years.
Mike

Port 1529
STBD 1387
Difference of 142 total on the meters
19hrs from April till today

 

[rondds]

On my prior boat ('89 340 DB), I would burn 31gph at 3300 RPM. But between the idling and no-wakes I would consistently average btwn 20-22gph for the season. I put the boat away with full tanks each season and saved every gas receipt so I had precise measure of the total gallons used. The hour meters told me the running time. I think you got a number wrong in your calculations.

Also, on my 24yo boat the hour meters (analog, like yours) showed a 0.8 hour difference. No way you'd log a 142 (or even 19) hour difference just by starting one engine first.

My first boat was a 1988 Regal cuddy. I left the key "on" for one week - I put 50 hours on the engine before the battery died. Turn on a key and watch and see if it clicks off hours.

 

[dwna1a]

I will try this tomorrow. I really want to get this solved

 

[chpsk8]

My hours are off by 8 on my 1990. I attributed it to running the starboard motor occasionally to charge the batteries since that one has the alternator to feed the house battery. Could be wrong, but that was my theory.

 

[dwna1a]

Could the meters not be working correctly? What happens if I need to replace them for any future owners?

 

[rondds]

If the meters are shot you could always buy new ones and connect them to a car battery at home and let them run up the to the true time on the engines. THEN install them.