Outboard for an Excel Volante 390?

[Fenlander]

What a brilliant day to get on the water. Pain about the OB though. All I can think of is that it must be some muck in the carb and could it be getting shaken about on the trip to the coast to get somewhere troublesome.

It usually takes a whole big tin of carb spray before I'm happy with a carb and of course there are often so many passages in addition to the jets that are crucial.

It is true back pressure exists but over a whole selection of outboards they have always run just as well on the sea as in the bucket.

[TmMorris]

I've tested Pikey's possible suggestion but to no avail. Not all the exhaust is exiting underwater as there is an exit just under the housing. I suspect this eliminates this as a factor but it was interesting reading up on the role it does play so thanks Pikey.

Now, here's an interesting one. I saw a screw down by the bottom of the power head while fettling earlier and I made a decision to pick it out later. Obviously I can't find it now but I'm pretty sure I have found where it has come from:



If this has been letting air in then it could explain the rougher running later in the day and the discovery that a bit of choke made it run smoother!

I'm not yet linking this to the idle issue in salt water as the screw must have come out during yesterday so is a separate issue but will hopefully explain why the general running yesterday hasn't been as smooth as I thought I should be (was about to go and borrow a compression test gauge to rule that out). It would explain why the idle screw seemed very insensitive post stalling in Cowes.

I've also junked all the fuel and will put 5L of premium in later and make my own mix. I've also flushed the tank but that shouldn't have been a cause of muck as it has a filter. That way I will at least know my fuel is correct.

With the air box off and able to see the fuelling butterfly I have proven that the absence of peak revs was due to my limiter. Thought I was being clever fitting a little rubber end cap but that's what was halting the throttle.

So, new fuel, will find and refit that screw and then I'll see how it runs before deciding to remove the carb.

[TmMorris]

Finding that screw was a little difficult but not as difficult as having to look for it twice on the workshop floor!

The remaining screw was also loose and as the engine now runs smoothly again, as it should, I suspect that this was yesterday's main issue. Excess air getting in.

However, I know both screws were in place on the last outing as previously I had had the carb off and taken it apart but on that previous outing it hadn't wanted to idle on the back of the boat but dialling out the mix screw had fixed that and the only engine issue had been the seeming absence of peak rpm which at the time I had worked out was due to my governor.

That outing may have been when the screw started coming loose though and a small amount of air was getting in which may explain why I had trouble setting the idle at Buckler's Hard but did find a medium yet by the time I was in Cowes the screw was fully loose () hence why the idle screw was then doing so little and the engine ran better with the choke slightly out.

So, I think I am back to square one with an engine that runs beautifully in a choice of buckets of fresh water at 300m altitude and at sea level, in saltwater may need the idle mix adjusting to replicate the same smooth running as per the last outing.

[Fenlander]

Finding that top plate issue looks hopeful for a solution. I can't remember... do you have a yellow bucket... by far the best colour for accurate idle settings.

[TmMorris]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Finding that top plate issue looks hopeful for a solution. I can't remember... do you have a yellow bucket... by far the best colour for accurate idle settings.

No. I have a green bucket because I care about the environment.

[Fenlander]

You'll never find that one in the undergrowth in a few years time.

[TmMorris]

That's a good point!

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

You'll never find that one in the undergrowth in a few years time.

He found blue pipes though!

[Fenlander]

Yes that was handy. I re-laid a water service at our last house and kept the coil offcut which has so far served over 10yrs of "a bit of the blue pipe might sort that".

[TmMorris]

Did the grand end of summer tidy up outside this morning which included taking the boat off the trailer and packing it away.

I noticed a couple of things. One very annoyingly my fault. As I was rolling it up I found a 1cm round wear mark



You can see that it's down to the fabric. Luckily it's where there are multiple layers of fabric at the front, below the painter. It can only have been done by the boat rubbing on the front support bracket of the new trailer in transit.

I had some glue left over from fitting the handles so I cut a patch and stuck it on. Annoying.

The other thing I noticed was that the two wooden boards that are part of the air deck don't sit in the joint between the tubes and the floor as I had assumed they would. When looking under the boat you can see that they are pushing the floor below the joint.

Is this normal or are the boards a bit too short?

The front board has also developed a bend from the sausage keel. Will be interesting to see if this straightens out over winter.

[Fenlander]

Rub mark a bit annoying but at least an easy place to patch. Re the boards I've seen others where these boards are forced onto the outer floor fabric making quite a stress shape in the fabric which looked wrong.

[TmMorris]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Rub mark a bit annoying but at least an easy place to patch. Re the boards I've seen others where these boards are forced onto the outer floor fabric making quite a stress shape in the fabric which looked wrong.

Yup. The wear mark was very annoying. Lesson learnt It didn't really warrant a patch but as the glue was left over it was a quick job.

I think the boards have to protrude as the air deck sits in the corners but I'm not sure and as you say, it looks a little odd so want to check that they aren't too short.

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Rub mark a bit annoying but at least an easy place to patch. Re the boards I've seen others where these boards are forced onto the outer floor fabric making quite a stress shape in the fabric which looked wrong.

Don't happen to be referring to the pics of my SD360 do you David?

https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/inflated-at-last-get-wet-soon-84238.html

As Fenlander says wear patch annoying but not major.

The boards are IMO, an annual or biannual replacement part depending upon the hours used and how you use the SIB.
I've replaced the midboard twice. The original carbon fibre board was useless and I changed it before I ever used Redneck, it was as though it was cutting through the "hull" PVC.
I replaced it with 18mm ply which lasted approx 40 hours of mixed use before it bowed too much. I'm now using 22mm ply, which appears to be withstanding what I put Redneck through.

[TmMorris]

Thanks Steve. The curve in the forward board is clearly a result of me leaving the boat inflated on the trailer. Next season I'll flip it over if still curved but also not leave it with the sausage inflated any more than just enough to support the floor.

It was your earlier thread where I had seen the same thing. I notice that you thought your boards were too long? Did Terry get back to you re this?

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by TmMorris

Did Terry get back to you re this?

What do you think?

I wanted to use Redneck during 2020 and I got fed up of sending emails and leaving voice msgs that never had a reply.
In the end it was easier and quicker to find my own solution.

[TmMorris]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

What do you think?

I wanted to use Redneck during 2020 and I got fed up of sending emails and leaving voice msgs that never had a reply.
In the end it was easier and quicker to find my own solution.

He could definitely do with his mum to help him.

Did you fabricate shorter or longer boards in the end?

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by TmMorris

He could definitely do with his mum to help him.

Did you fabricate shorter or longer boards in the end?

Longer, but with a very sharp taper at either end.
When I pack the SIB away on Wednesday I'll take a pic if I remember.

As an aside, summer hasn't ended!! it was 22° here today and I was out on Redneck.

[TmMorris]

Thanks. Much appreciated.

[Dydigital]

Originally Posted by TmMorris

Did the grand end of summer tidy up outside this morning which included taking the boat off the trailer and packing it away.

I noticed a couple of things. One very annoyingly my fault. As I was rolling it up I found a 1cm round wear mark



You can see that it's down to the fabric. Luckily it's where there are multiple layers of fabric at the front, below the painter. It can only have been done by the boat rubbing on the front support bracket of the new trailer in transit.

I had some glue left over from fitting the handles so I cut a patch and stuck it on. Annoying.

The other thing I noticed was that the two wooden boards that are part of the air deck don't sit in the joint between the tubes and the floor as I had assumed they would. When looking under the boat you can see that they are pushing the floor below the joint.

Is this normal or are the boards a bit too short?

The front board has also developed a bend from the sausage keel. Will be interesting to see if this straightens out over winter.

If the board sat to far into the gap you could break the end off when inflating the floor. There roll is to support the keel (referred to as keel boards).


The multi layer fabic is a life saver, scuffed mine too.. the white of the material is the hytex laminate.

[TmMorris]

Thanks for that. So the boards could actually be shorter as their only role is to form a rigid barrier against the keel and to spread that force, rather than to locate the floor, which self located by inflation into the join between the tubes and the 'hull'?