New owner of a 1986 Sea Ray Weekender 24ft...have a couple questions

[jrich58]

Thank you for the information, exactly what i was looking for. I am not sure what you mean by "tucked in", im guessing drive all the way up?

Physically verify that your drive and tabs go all the way down.

Let's talk sans tabs for now. But using them will help TREMENDOUSLY. Always start with your drive all the way tucked in. Then apply the throttle fully, but smoothly. You may not always need to apply full throttle, but don't hesitate to do it, either. Smoothly... put it in gear, then take about 3 seconds (this is not an exact science, though) to go to full throttle. As the bow starts to come back down, smoothly pull back on the throttle to about half-ish while at the same time trimming up a second or two.... again, not an exact science, but this should help you get close and then you can fine tune from there.

If you're still having issues, you're either expecting too much from a 31 year old boat, or there is an issue with getting full engine power to the water in some way or another.

 

[LiquidWrench]

By "tucked in" he means fully down. Never run the engine with the drive all the way up, it will damage the u joints. A few things can cause your problems. Is the drive really going all the way down? Is the engine running correctly? With the throttle lever all the way forward is the throttle plate on the carb really fully open? Is the prop in good shape or are the blades dinged and chipped? Is it the correct prop for the boat/engine combo? When is the last time the engine was tuned up and carb rebuilt? When you do get on plane what is your wide open throttle (wot) rpm? If the prop blades are dinged and chipped that can seriously degrade performance. If you can get us some more information, especially the WOT rpm we can probably help you more. Bear in mind that you have a 30 year old boat that has probably gone through a few DPO's (dreaded previous owners) that may or may not have known what they were doing.

 

[LiquidWrench]

Another thing to wonder, is the out drive the correct ratio for the engine? Not as likely an issue but still worth considering.

 

[NorCal Boater]

agreed dvx. i don't 'need' the tabs to get on plane but when i have 5 or so people i use them to help. when its just me and my wife i just leave them fully up and adjust as needed once on plane

and on a 1986 merc 260 i believe the max RPM range is 4200-4600 if i remember correctly. i max out about 4000 with a full tank of fuel, 1/2 tank fresh water and 2 of us but i think a new prop would help but again, my boat is likelier a bit heavier than the OP's

4000 RPMs is too low for the conditions you stated. Your engine is down on power, you are over weight or over-propped. You are hurting your motor.