It seemed like they just got in a hurry putting it together.All I did is remove it ,finding out 2 of the fingers were crimped in too far not allowing consistant and equal pressure as I tightened it back down.Also the shaft wasn't in quite far enough.Just make sure set screws are in their slots and tightened good with a dab of locktite.Other than that it runs great(so far).If I have any other problems I'll be sure to share the experience.This is only the second boat I've owned,the other was a 48in deep V with a 23cc weedeater engine but it had a standard lower unit and wasn't really that fast.Geared to low,bought it as is.Let me know of any future problems that I hope not to experience!

Hi Guys,
Just a suggestion, check the alignment of the flex cable. When I am servicing my boat, I re-install the flex shaft by making sure that the shaft can be pushed into the boat from the transome all the way to the collet without any obstruction or mis-alignment. It might take a little pressure to push it into the collet, but this should be normal, from my experience. Then check the clearance around the prop shaft for flex shaft contraction.(flex shaft expands when it spins)
On the metal props, just make sure the pitch is about the same as the plastic one you are replacing. That's what I did before I ordered one. The one I bought was Aquacraft GrimRacer 36x55. P.N. AQUB9700 2-blade
Going to try three blade for more speed.[8D]

Definitely check alignment,triple checked when putting back together.Just don't get in a big hurry to get it back on the water.TAKEYOURTIME!! Let me know how the three blade works.

thx for the tips guys.i was careful installing everything,and im going to re do everything tomorrow.im still puzzled by my flywheel problem though,but i'll investigate it when everything is apart.what 3 blade prop you looking at chris?

Hey,
The three blade that I want to try should be about the same millimeter size as the 2 blade I have now.
I am looking at either brass or bronze. The prop, I think, should be the same size because I believe that I might
cause drag if I go to a larger prop, like a 40 mm.
I'm checking aquacraft and others before I order.
I went to a larger prop for my PT-109, a 40mm instead of 38mm, she moves out better and the water cooling works better due to more speed.[8D]

Need to do something with my nitro,maybe electric pump,running a little warm.But it does scoot pretty good.

i was checking out the octura prop m435,balanced and sharpened from offshorelectrics.looks like it would be perfect for what we run.why do u say your boat is running hot catman?

Maybe just need to use different tubing for the water lines,it's trying to melt the rubber. I know it's going to be mighty warm,guess time will tell.

well, i know if its too lean it will run hotter,maybe the pickup in the rudder might be blocked or needs to be opened up

The rudder is my next move.

Hi guys,
Yea, catman. That would be my first move to check the rudder and the lines going to the head and the exit too.
When I run mine, thats the one thing I check. I make sure the water is coming out of the boat like it is "taking a leak".
If I see that, then the water flow is ok.
Good suggestion to check your needle settings to make sure it is not too lean.[sm=punching.gif]

i bit the bullet and ordered a pair of sharpened and balanced props (x435 and m435).hopefully i'll have the bugs figured out b4 i receive them,as im on a 5 week holiday,so i have lots of time to fix the beast.

hey guys,just a little update on what has transpired so far in the past couple days.yesterday i completely removed the flexcable and re installed it ,as i had the problem of the cable spinning inside the collet when the collet was tight.i dont know what caused it but it seems tight now.i still have the problem of the freewheeling flywheel,as i cant seem to find out what the cause of why it isnt tight against the motor,the only alternative is to take the engine out and try to remove the flywheel that way.so last night i thought it would be a good night to try the boat out,as lake ontario was like glass,which doesnt happen too much.i get down there with my better half,try to start it,wont start.tied for an hour,nothing.replaced glow plugs,set the carb back to factory settings,nuttin! i then noticed fuel leaking out of the bottom of the tank,so im thinking its either a leak in the tank or the line,effecting the pressure in the tank.i still thought it should fire irregardless,and tried to the point where i killed the batteries in my tiger drive starter.i packed it up,and brought it home,and when i got the boat out of the trunk,i found that the tank of fuel leaked inside the hull.i checked the cap,it was tight,and i spent an hour cleaning the spilled nitro out of the hull.this morning i took out the tank,removed the fuel lines and checked them both,where i found no cracks or holes.so, im gonna try and ziptie the bottom fuel line to the tank nipple to seal it better (it fit tight anyways) to see if this will cure the problem.anyone else have any other tips? thx

i tried this afternoon to fire it up again,no go.used up a freshly charged starter battery gain.raw fuel is coming out of the exhaust,glow plug is fine,just doesnt want to fire.this thing is really starting to **** me off.any suggestions,running out of ideas. thx[:@]

Sorry to hear of your troubles.  First I can tell you that (having left some fuel in the tank overnight in anticipation of running again on the next day) I have seen fuel to leak from then tank (likely at the outlet) if left in.  This doesn't seem to occur during time it takes to run boat so I just don't leave fuel in it (which I know I shouldn't anyways).
As far as your starting problem, you have tried a new glow plug and new battery in the ignitor?  Other than that have you tested for an air leak?  Stick a fuel line on the inlet, open the throttle/carb and then plug the carb and exhaust with fingers while blowing hard.  You should feel pressure on your fingers and not hear/see (if you apply soapy water) bubbles escaping from anywhere.
Good luck.
Personally, my issue has been with keeping the damn pressure nipple on the manifold.  I can only imagine that the boat will run better without a nut half blocking the exhaust and a hole in the manifold!
Fortunately I'm learning how to beach the boat more consistently and not getting stalls in the middle of the pond so often.  No more swimming although I did start stripping down thinking I might have to go in when during my last rescue from a stall in the middle of the pond my boat filled with water and was just a bow bobbing at the surface by the time I got back.  Fortunately only a few drops of water in the radio box (and I didn't have to go in).  Started right up again too!

thx for the kind words.unfortunately,i checked all lines and i also like i previously stated fixed the fuel leak.you are right about leaving fuel in the tank,and it starts to leak.i had the tank out earlier and even filled it with hot water to see if there was a leak.nothing.so i emptied it,dried it and let it air b4 reinstalling it,with a plastic tie around the bottom tank nipple and line.only filled it halfway this afternoon,just wanted to get it running at least.i will try it later tonite as i have charged 2 starter batteries now for the tiger drive.my other problem is the flexcable still slipping in the collet.i have loosened it and tightened it and it still slips.this is after greasing the cable the first time last week,which was a PITA.now my setscrew wont come out,and my 1.5mm hex driver basically rounded the head on the screw.im just wondering if there is anyway to adjust the position of the motor so that i can possibly have more cable in the collet.if not,im going to be ordering some new parts for this boat as the factory ones are not quite up to snuff.if you have anymore ideas,feel free to share.thx

You may have/likely got grease on the end of the cable and into the collet.  I used some alcohol to clean the end of the cable and the inside of the collet out.  Also noticed some flecks of something or other between the prongs in the collet and picked them out.  You can try changing the trim of the prop to give yourself a bit more cable on the engine side (just to see how if it grips better), with that you can (and possibly should) loosen and adjust the engine mount.
In addition to checking the lines, I was suggesting actually checking the engine seals.  If you have a leak somewhere it may be too lean to start (and there would be no way to adjust at the carb).

well, i got it running tonite.....for about 4 mins.sounded terrible,had to keep giving it lots of throttle to keep it running.then,my glowplug battery crapped out,so i'll be charging it tonite.you are right about getting grease on the cable and collet,i didnt think it would make a difference but i was wrong.now i have to get the damned setscrew out somehow......it never ends.......lol.thx for the reply

Congrats on getting the engine to fire & your perservance! What do you mean by it sounding "terrible"? As an FYI, the right needle setting for a boat engine IS when you have to keep blipping the engine to keep it running (and there should be a delay between pulling the trigger and the time when the engine responds). If it revs right up when you pull the trigger, you are too lean, and when you throw it in it'll just die after running a short distance (anywhere from 20ft to 2 laps). I'm guessing from your statements that you have a new boat and are just getting to break it in? If so, a "rich" engine is where you want to be for the first 5-10 tanks - then you can focus on leaning it out 1/8 turn in at a time (and start shortening your pipe). Also during break in, run your boat 1/2 throttle and then full throttle in short bursts to "heat cycle" the engine and get a good piston to sleeve fit. It was suggested to me to run the straights at 1/2 throttle, and then full throttle around the corners. You wont REALLY see what the boat is capable of til 1) you've run many tanks thru it (mine took @20 tanks or @ 1 gal to loosen up to where I could start it w/the plug tightened down and turn the engine over by hand w/the plug in); 2) get the pipe short enough so that it second stages (you'll KNOW when you get there ) and you "find your needle".

thx for the kind words TCH.unfortunately,i tried firing it up this evening to no avail.this after removing the engine completely today,and checking the o-ring under the carb to see if it was broken. when i try and start it,it just sputters and when i hold the throttle wide open for a few seconds,it fires intermittently.only once did it run for about 5 seconds.then i couldnt start it anymore.wore out the batteries again in the electric starter.i did notice how hot the engine was afterwards from prolonged starting,you could barely touch it.i also noticed that im leaking oil at the rear of the engine by the flywheel.i know its getting fuel because of the raw fuel coming out the exhaust.glow plugs are good as well,i checked b4 starting.this is really ticking me off because i only have approx 3 tanks threw it,so i know the engine is still tight,and ive checked the low and high needles to see if they are where they are supposed to be. i also removed the flexshaft again(i finally got the setscrew out) and cleaned the collet and shaft with alcohol,then i made sure there was no grease in or around the collet and shaft.it still slips in the collet.so, if anyone has any ideas on what to do,please feel free to give me a holler,as im on holidays,the weather has been good as of late,and im itching to get this boat back in the water. i also have ordered 2 new balanced and sharpened props for it, and they should be here next week.

I can offer a few things for you to try/think about. But first, know that starters arent designed to be continously turned over (I really had to struggle w/my .12 when it was new too) and you can burn them out (you can feel the starter heating up). Short bursts is better.

As for starting a difficult engine (Try these steps in order when you first go out to start it):
1) loosen the glow plug about 1/2 turn.
2) Put your finger over the carb and tur over the engine (n bursts ) til you see fuel going into the carb thru the fuel line (if you have see-thru lines) OR till fuel comes out around the loosened glow plug.
3) Once you KNOW the carb is getting fuel, pinch the fuel line going into the carb (this will require a 2nd person or a hemostat etc) and turn over til the engine fires up and then let go of the fuel line. (The engine should stay running if you keep blipping it - assuming the needle is somewhere close and there isnt something else going on).
4) If it does die, take out the glow plug and spin the fuel out of the engine (careful not to spray yourself).... take the fuel line off the carb and while pinching it, pick you boat up and point the nose to the sky to let any excess fuel in the pipe/header flow out (this can build up and cause and engine to be flooded).

These are the steps I was shown when I was fighting w/my new engine.

I'm still a little confused/having a hard time visualizing what you mean when you say that when the engine does fire up and run, it splutters. Are you blipping the throttle or not once running?

For what it is worth, the starting will get easier and easier as the engine gets broken in. I really had a hard time to get mine to fire and had to turn it over a lot (but I learned that once it fired up even for a few seconds it would soon fire up and run - seemed to need the heat). It wasnt til probably 15 tanks before it got easy to start (now it fire "cold" in about 1 minute - once its been run for the day, it starts in @10-15 seconds).... so dont let it beat you!

thx for the response TCH.everything that you have mentioned i tried.the thing that gets me is it has always started very easy the first 3 times i have actually ran the boat.i had to wait a couple weeks since the last time, (i was waiting for a new grimracer prop,and the weather was bad),and ever since then,it has been a real pain.im thinking there might be a carb issue(blockage in low speed needle).as i was firing it up last night with the throttle closed,it wouldnt fire at all.as i started it with the throttle open,it seemed to fire intermittently (pop......pop.......pop...),so im thinking its not metering the fuel properly.any like i said previous,i removed the carb previous just to investigate the o-ring to see if it was not broken, it was ok,and i made sure the needles were set at factory recommendations.just wondering what to use for cleaning the carb,cuz you never know what could of got sucked in when running it.

I've been dwelling on your reply since last night (even checked out the boat & specs etc - interesting starter - I ASSumed you had the ole' belt & 12 volt starter).

As for carb cleaning WD-40! However you can just leave some tubing on the carb and blow thru the needle to see if it is blocked.... my opinion is that isnt the problem (but go ahead and see, it will rule out 1 possibility).

As the boat ran well before you put it up for 2 weeks, you're right to start thinking some thing has changed/broken. And given it wont start now, I'm guessing it is lean .... cracked fuel line or not attached or sealing; header coupler (same things); fuel tank (same things) plus possible bad seal on tank's cap (if you have a plastic tank) or even one of the pick up tubes in the tank has come loose).

thx for responding.i didnt know wd-40 could be used to clean carbs. i checked all the lines,fittings etc. and all are fine.i have a can of compressed air (for blowing out crap from keyboards) with a small tube attachment.im going to remove the needles,grab some wd-40 ,and clean them,then blow them out to see if that makes a difference.the starting system is the tiger drive that comes with the boat.

after removing the needles and blowing the carb out with compressd air,finally got it running great today.unfortunately,my flexcable is still slipping in the collet,even after soldering the end.i guess a new collet and flexcable are on the list of to-do's.its always sumthin.......