Giving a Bezoat a Second Chance

[Albert]

https://youtu.be/jmYmZeveDMM
Short video for those interested.

[larry herman]

Looks like Canada, Ah !

[Albert]

Looks like Canada, Ah !

Sure is!
Can’t wait until it’s legal to invite our cousins in New England to come show us how it’s done.

[Albert]

Lots going on with work this spring but looking to get out next Thursday (Canada Day), just making a few minor adjustments (fin height and carb changes). I figure another dozen laps and the motor should be broken in enough to start seeing what it can do.


We're picking up another 20ssh for my brother later this week, may have it gone through by next week as well. It's exciting times in the Maritimes up here in New Brunswick.

[Albert]

Well the weathers not cooperating, but I headed up to my fathers garage today to do a few little things on my boat and help my father install a water pump on his bow rider and wouldn’t you know it another 20ssh appeared in my absence.

[Carruthers]

a nicely preserved 1986 carruthers 20ssh

[Albert]

My brother is certainly showing himself to be the smarter of the Albert’s. He bought a boat that only needs minor paint work, and a motor that wasn’t pre-blown up. Sometimes I wonder if we’re even related.

[Albert]

Well I had a pretty humbling weekend. We had everything from a boat going under on Saturday (luckily only in 2-3 feet of water and motor was already shut off) to potential motor damage yesterday when a motor inhaled a piece of seaweed. While all this was going on with other boats I was struggling big time with carb issues. Ultimately we did get my carb mostly sorted and on my final test run I also got my coolant passages plugged with seaweed (won't be running at that low tide again). Fortunately I was watching and brought the boat in on lap two (was in and out of the throttle not full speed laps). My 80 got very hot but after cooling down and flushing the coolant passages it started fine and seems to be alright. Unfortunately I think Carruthers has some work to do on his.

Overall the win of the weekend was seeing my brother get more comfortable in his new red boat. He was making huge strides and getting faster every run out! His newly acquired 80 runs well and the boat seems quick and stable.22C6AF64-89E0-4C30-8679-108B6BCD852F.jpeg

[Albert]

I was very concerned at the heat of mine. We backflushed it with a garden hose as you mentioned then forced water up from the foot to make sure it was flowing well. Mine got quite warm but didn’t stick. No tight spots turning it over and once it cooled off it fired first pull again.
I had issues getting my main jet to seat properly then we had to adjust the float (I’d have to check but it’s right around 1” maybe an 1/8 below). We had also shimmed my motor up an 1/8th so it was a bad combo for cooling. Usually if I’m anywhere but full speed I get a good flow of water out.

[ZUL8TR]

The 80 is touchy on cooling if too high. At your 1/8" up what is the depth below bottom of prop shaft rear tip center with level prop shaft? Best height on my 80 on the hydro is level prop shaft with prop shaft end center 1/2" - 5/8" below bottom using a 3 blade 6.6" diameter x 11.5" avg pitch at 2" radius measured from 3 local blade pitches at LE, mid, and TE along the 2" arc(not including cup). Some props do not feed water as well as others to the 2 holes in the exhaust snoot. Start low on the transom and move up gradual, keep the prop shaft level if the boat gets enough lift with out kicking out. I find level the best. Some hydros with too much bow lift need tuck in, not good if you don't need it.

I run my main jet 26 clicks out from full closed, more than that is too rich for my engine. One rev on my 80 main jet is 28 clicks open from full closed, yours may be different because there could be a different taper on the main tip?

Float pin is 1"

[Albert]

I think it was more to due with water conditions than set up. Very low tide combined with lots of floating seaweed and live seaweed seaweed reaching very nearly to the surface.

I think this is what lead Carruthers to overheat his motor and I was the same. I was at 1* of tuck with and 5/8 bellow the bottom.


Carb settings sound about right, I think I started at 1 turn out and we ended up going in a few clicks to lean it up a bit. I did not set my low speed air bleed but I think I will do that and re-set timing before my next run out.

[Albert]

Weather didn’t really cooperate this weekend for testing but I did get my welder dug out today and turned a pile of tubing into something resembling a boat cart. Just need some carpet now. If all goes well I’ll have one more testing before august 21 when I get to go out and play with half a dozen other 20ss boats.

[Albert]

A5986BFA-5596-40D3-BE62-B61C60D8EAA7.jpeg Last weekend was the second annual last blast hydroplane event at Chapel Point in NB. This event was a regular stop for many racers in eastern Canada for many years between the 1950's right up until 1987.
With 15 boats in attendance it was time to see how my junky 80 and revived bezoat held up.


In short I think the numbers speak for themselves. I finished P6 of 9 boats in the 20ssh field (not bad for a rookie) and despite having some set up issues and some tuning challenges I never finished a heat last. I also was given the chance to run 1 heat of CSH where I was able to place P4 of 6 which I was pleased with.
Overall despite having a stomach flu and living off pepto and light food for the day Saturday I was very pleased. As far as I know I didn't cut anyone off, held my lines and had a great time. I think with further tuning on my motor (just need another 1-2mph right?) and some more seat time I will have a very capable set up. I ended up cutting the weekend short due to not feeling well while others ran Sunday. As always there's a huge numbers of people to thank, many Carruthers', k Smith for lending me a cut shirt, and a great group of friends who helped me pit and also helped run the clock when needed.

[ZUL8TR]

That looks like a great place to run, that day the water was what I like, great for air-out running. Do you have a tach and speedo for your rig?

[Albert]

No gps (should have one by next practice) and I’m looking into tach options.
That photo was Friday hence fewer boats and more wind. This photo shows Saturdays water conditions. Sunday was like glass but I was not in attendance. 36B4A35C-6E1F-467B-827C-1CBC7961B528.jpeg

[ZUL8TR]

Looking good!

Do you have a locked mag plate? Where do you have the high speed jet set? For reference my Y80 on the hydro 0.220" timing high speed jet on my carb at 26 clicks open - 28 clicks is 1 full turn open from dead closed. Running NGK B10EGV (#5927) plugs and 16:1 oil fuel ratio with 87 E free. Runs perfect on the plugs and zip carbon on the heads (Pennzoil XLF oil). I have the 18mm plug heads and use inserts and Rick Montoya recommends one step colder on the plugs due to not as good heat transfer. With the 14mm heads ( wish I had and your engine has) I would use the B9EGV (#5827).

Note too much oil in these engines will cause a lot of oil build up on in the tuned megaphone and also in the mid tower that will affect performance.

EGV plugs are special fine wire race plugs center gold palladium electrode available on the I net and some auto stores. Do not use a resister plug on the Y80.

My set up runs in the mid 60's at 7200 rpm with 3 blade at 1/2" on level prop shaft.

[Albert]

Pete,
I’ll answer what I can.
Mag plate locked.
high speed is almost exactly where yours If I remember right it was 1 complete turn on the nose. Possibly one click out from there.
I was running autolite non resistor plugs in the equivalent heat range to an ngk 10 in a 14mm head.
91 octane pump gas that’s supposedly ethanol free.
Boat set up was similar to test days 1.5* of tuck . It seemed like if we approach the legal hight limit my motor just stops flowing water.

What surprised me most in your statement is the rpm you are turning at 65~mph. I would have guessed it would be higher.

[ZUL8TR]

Luc
On that plug what is the number and reach length. Is the reach such that no plug threads protrude into the combustion chamber? Should not. My HS jet is set 26 clicks open, 28 clicks is one turn open.

Is your surprise that rpm is to low for the speed or the speed too low for the rpm? With the prop I use the mid 60's speed at 7200 rpm at 1/2" deep is in the 5% slip area which is about right for a light race boat. All props have some slip depending on a lot of things, zero slip not physically possible. The 3 blade prop I use has a 6.56" diameter and 11.5" average pitch based on 3 measurements along a 2" radius arc at the lead edge, mid way and trail edge. Prop cupped and not included in the trail edge measurement.

I suppose I could get more out of it but at 79 on Sept 4 it is fast enough ;-) plus these days only have 2 props to fool with on the Y80 and the one noted above is used the most.
Pete

[Albert]

I would have expected higher rpm.

The plug is autolite 4051 .

Plug specs:


Shell
Thread Diameter
14mm
Thread Pitch
1.25mm
Seat Type
Gasket
Reach
19mm (3/4")
Hex Size
13/16" (21mm)
Terminal Type
Removable Nut
Gap
.024" (0.6mm)
Center Electrode
Material
Nickel
Type
Standard
Size
2.5mm
Projection
Non-Projected
Ground Electrode
Material
Nickel
Type
Standard
Quantity
1
Specifications
Resistor
No
Heat Range
1

[ZUL8TR]

Luc
The Y80 is rated to 8000 but I would prefer to stay away from that limit. The mod guys go beyond that but I have been told they mod the top crank caged ball bearing that was designed to be loose so some oil could migrate there into a blind end. This is a shortfall of the Y80, 102, 302 design. My Merc 25ss has a pressure-vacuum design to feed the top crank bearings - great simple system.

Does that 3/4" reach AUTOLITE when installed have plug threads that are protruding into the combustion chamber? If yes not good. The NGK B10EGV plug I use is 3/4" reach and when I fit them to the 18 x 14mm adapter for my 18mm head they were shimmed to fit with no protruding threads into the chamber. That would create hot spots and interfere with combustion gas flow. The plug shimming was also done to index the plugs so the ground electrode tend was pointing toward the intake ports in the 2 to 4 o'clock range. It does help with cleaning and some rpm, every little bit counts, from my race days.

Pete

[Albert]

22FBAD78-7257-419D-8AAE-9EFCA22D3CA5.jpeg The plugs are dimensionally identical to a br9es . But it seems ngk is no longer producing most of their non resistor plugs unless you go to a racing plug which I can’t buy direct through Napa here in Canada.

[DeanFHobart]

22FBAD78-7257-419D-8AAE-9EFCA22D3CA5.jpeg The plugs are dimensionally identical to a br9es . But it seems ngk is no longer producing most of their non resistor plugs unless you go to a racing plug which I can’t buy direct through Napa here in Canada.

Just a suggestion….. Have you tried to by them online? Spark plugs.com……. 888-800-9629 is their phone number.

[Albert]

Dean,
You can get just about anything online. I'm sure racing plugs are readily available and regular b9es and b10es are still around just not available through NAPA at least in Canada. Full disclosure, I'm part owner of the NAPA store I manage, so I also want to support myself if at all possible.
I've never been a big Autolite fan...but it's a plug that still in production, is inexpensive and seems to be very similar to what the motor would have come with originally.
In the end I wanted something cheap and easy to get because I know I'm going to burn through a lot of plugs while learning to tune and It's a heck of a lot easier to just start each session or sometimes each test run on fresh plugs.