1993 Maxum 1900SC with a 5L MerCruiser engine => Time to Plane

[-Jim-]

Hi Team,

Glad to become a member here to help out a Buddy. (I have a Larson at the Lake so please don't mind...) I hope one (or more) of you can chime in with good advice here.

I've been a boater all of my life (now 60 ...dam where's the time go...) so when my friend got a "Family Discount" (a second cousin on his wife's side) on a 1993 Maxum 1900 SC with a 5L Alpha 1 MerCruiser engine, it was decided I'd be his "go to" support. This is his first boat (he's 53) & he bought it without one of his more knowledgeable buddies along for advise - as he didn't want to offend the family. (I advised him to at least get one of us on a test ride, and then pull the boat onto the trailer for a look around. He didn't do it and I hear the Trailer is pretty rough.)

This boat has had a single owner since 1996 and was used almost exclusively by a family to transport them & supplies to their water only accessible Cabin up Indian Arm (off of Burrard Inlet in Metro Vancouver - connected to the Pacific Ocean). It was not used to pull Skiers or Tubes. My first ride in the boat was a week after purchase.

I was amazed how slow it seemed for this hull to get on plane => and how much the Bow rose obstructing the view forward, and was looking for any stock numbers, or good calculated values for reference. I'm assuming there's all kinds of crap on the bottom even thought there is evidence of bottom paint. The boat also seems to not like to plane unless it's going pretty quickly (about 3/4 throttle) - the Speedo doesn't function. (I have an idea how to check this out and will use a GPS until sorted.) The boat also seems a bit snaky if trimmed up to about 3/4 on the dial. There is also a known issue (probably with wiring / connections / limit switches?) about a failure to turn the starter unless the shifter is wiggled prior to turning the key.

My friend knows he's taking a risk on getting such an old boat but the price was right and the 2nd cousin said they'd help out if there was anything major needed in the short term.

Do you have any words of wisdom that would help us out here?

Thanks for the assist.

Regards,

Jim

[mmwjr]

Jim welcome aboard.

Small boat with a heavy engine will give bow rise. Several folks have installed smart tabs and been happy with the results.

Not sure I am following the starting issue but it sounds like the natural safety switch in the shifter, this prevents cranking unless the shifter is in neutral.

[-Jim-]

Thanks for the welcome & input. I too suspect some loose connection, corroded switch, or a surprise, in the shifter assembly causing the intermittent starting issue. I'm a licensed Electrician with Electronics Technician level training (some years ago) so I'm not too worried about this issue.

I do realise the physics involved with the bow rise, but it seems just far too long to me before it comes down and onto a plane. I'd like to have some reference times for other Maxums so I don't go spouting off to my Friend without substantiated data. I think I've read every post I could find on the 1900 (SC or otherwise) and can't see much on this subject. If it was normal I thought I'd hear grumbling of some sort. I have seen posts on various Tabs and Plates to put onto the Leg (Outdrive) and I may suggest we put on something like that after the season as my friend has it at his 1/4 shared dock in Bedwell Bay and doesn't want to take it out with only two months left in the season as he just got it a few weeks back. The plan is to pull it before Halloween and store it in his Father-in-Law's carport nearby.

How many seconds from the time initiating WOT to plane would be normal for a 5.0 L MerCruser pushing a 19 foot boat?

[shrew]

I would be more interested in seeing what the Max. RPM on the boat. Time to plane it somewhat irrelevant. Time to plane can be reduced by dropping pitch in the prop. We don't have the information to determine whether the boat is properly propped at this point.

[mmwjr]

Jim I agree with shrew that knowing WOT for the boat will much more helpful, additionally I am sure other with this size of boat will chime in on their inputs on time to plane.

[-Jim-]

Gents,

I'll ask my friend for the WOT RPMs but it may take a few days until he's out on the water. (It's raining.. )

[CountryME]

-Jim-,
I have a 2000 1900SR with a 4.3 V-6 with a 23P prop, so I may be able to give some perspective. I have smart tabs (added them myself within a year) to control bow rise and lower on plane time. I never timed how long it took to get on plane, but the tabs were needed. You need to ensure the drive is trimmed all the way down, any up will absolutely kill your hole shot in this boat. You do need to "give her some" to get on plane. You may even need to check that the drive is going all the way down. If the drive goes up to 3/4 on the dial without cutting out the trim motor, making you use the trailer button to raise it further, there may be something wrong with the trim limit switch on the drive. This is a safety feature to ensure the boat is operated safely and in control. Also, your startign issue may have less to do with the neutral safety switch and more to do with a slave solenoid in the starting circuit that doesn't work every time you turn the key.

Keep us posted.
-JP

[-Jim-]

Hi Gents,

Thanks again for the posts.

I was away on a Cruise to Alaska for the last week so I'll follow up. My Friend came back with incorrect info (probably by memory) with RPMs far too high while I was away. My understanding is the 5.0L MerCruiser should be about 4200 - 4800 @ WOT.

Also I understand there is a two part Service Manual is #17 90-823225--1 1993-1997 Engines - GM V8 305 & 350 CID (5.0L 93-95) applicable to this boat but I can't seem to find a free download even though it's 20+ years old. Can any of you help out there?

[mmwjr]

http://boatinfo.no/lib/mercruiser/ma...ser41.html#/17

[-Jim-]

mmjr,

Thanks for the link. It's a great site but I was hoping for a downloadable (pdf?) version to take on board when needed. By the way, my friend' Misses had to gointo hospital last week so the Boat is definitely not in his priorities at the moment.

[mmwjr]

Jim call me Mike

Yea I like that site but they do not allow download. You may need to just spen the $40 and buy an aftermarket book.

Hope things go well for your friends Misses.

[-Jim-]

Hi Gents,

I thought I should update you on the Boat. (My Buddy's (Barry) Misses still doesn't know what's ailing her, but she's back home and still going for testing, so the Boat really never made it off the back burner.)

Just before Halloween, another Buddy (Herb) with a great diesel GMS Sierra 4X4 pulled the boat out. They couldn't get the leg to go all the way up to trailer, but the ramp / tide was working in their favor, and nothing touched. I wasn't there as it happened, as I was out of town on business, and no one took photos, so all I got was hearsay.

Herb said the leg was so covered in Mussels it jammed the leg from going all the way up. There were all kinds of marine growth on the hull and leg. They took it to a Boat Works and they said they'd never seen so much growing on a boat like that in ages. They ended up leaving it there for a week or so to get power washed, new bottom paint, cut polished & waxed, and winterized. They also unplugged the Speedo port, so it should be working next time the boat hits the water. It's now got a small thermostatically controlled heater to drive out any moisture as it sits undercover in a carport over the winter. Barry bought an automatic trickle charger to keep the batteries up as well.

The Boat Works said next year it will run like a totally different boat. It's being stored at Barry's father -in-law's so I only got to look at very briefly at night last week as we were headed elsewhere. They did a decent job on what I could see with the limited light (including the flashlight on my iPhone). Barry & I talked about when it should go in next year and agreed in about mid May. (Maybe earlier if he wants to do some Dungeness Crab fishing. I gave him a whole set-up and there's a great spot just off his dock a bit.)

I figure I'll take a look at the interlock, stereo, etc., sometime in the spring. But until then, I'll just watch Boating & Fishing shows all winter.

[mmwjr]

Jim thanks for the update. Hope they get to the rrot of Barry's wifes issues post haste.

I guess next will tell if the boat runs better.

[-Jim-]

Gents,

We had dinner with my Buddy & his wife (she's got a diagnosis for some rare unpronounceable ailment but at least it's not the dreaded "C" that they were worried about. More test to follow), and she pulled me aside to ask if I would go shopping for a suitable inexpensive Depth Sounder for the Boat on Black Friday / Cyber Monday; that she could give him for Christmas.

I haven't looked at these in years so it would be helpful if you could suggest something.

Thanks for the tips.

Regards,

Jim

[mmwjr]

Jim glad to hear it is not the big C and hope it is treatable.

It would help if you can define inexpensive. My last purchase was a GPS fish finder for around $700, but the was several years ago.

Hopefully others will chime in, also Google to see what you can find

[-Jim-]

Hi Mike,

Well she cringed when I said about $300, and then I gave her the classic definition of a Boat around here. (A big hole on the water you dump money into.) But now I see Sounder only units for even cheaper, after I Google them.

I'm thinking maybe some stinking hot Black Friday deal may get them something with a limited GPS features as well. Just for grins I took a look at some iPhone Apps as these folks will probably never get out of Burrard Inlet (there Boat Dock is on Bedwell Bay up Indian Arm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Arm ), at most into Georgia Strait (Salish Sea). There is 100% Cell coverage there.

What do you think I should focus on?

[mmwjr]

Depends on how they use the boat but either a GPS or chart plotter function is a great thing if going into new areas.

Lorance makes some nice units at a reasonable cost.

BTY: B.O.A.T = Break Out Another Thousand

[-Jim-]

Hi Gents,

The call from the wife never occurred so I assumed she went off in a different direction. And I guess I was right. We spent New Year's Eve at their house overlooking Bedwell Bay with another couple. Barry pulled out a, still in the Box, Hummingbird 175 and asked me if it would work, and would I install it for them. I had a quick glance at the manual (it was for multiple units) and said sure (what else could I say, their son had given it to "Dad" for Christmas.)

However in the light of a sober second thought, and a couple of cups of coffee while reading the manual (I downloaded it this morning), the 175 seems to be a bare bones (no GPS) portable unit (I saw a nylon bag in the box) which looks intended for a small fresh water application. It requires an external Transom mount for the Transducer, and not through the hull which I'd certainly prefer. But you guys are the experts. I think this unit cost the son about $175 (CAN $) but getting something more suitable shouldn't break the bank. But maybe I'm all wet and this one is just fine.

Do you have any recommendations? I found quite a few Lowrance Elite-5 HDI Fishfinders / Marine GPS Chartplotters (new) on eBay for $330 - which I'd go for, but maybe there is a non-color version out there that has the same functionality for less?

You input would be appreciated.


Happy new Year to all you Maxim Owners!

[mmwjr]

Yep the 175 is just a fish finder, I like having GPS and chartplotter as well.

Forgot how big the body of water your friend boats on and if he gets into shallows much, if so go for the Lowrance.

[-Jim-]

We were at a dinner party last night and my Buddy said he did take back the Hummingbird 175 and has gotten a different Hummingbird that's supposed to be a better unit (and $75 more.). He has resigned himself to go with a transom mount as the through the Hull transducers are almost the cost of the head unit. (They are on a tight budget as he announced last night he is going to retire at 55 in a couple years - Jan. 31 2017)

He wants me to come over and install it the first Sunny Saturday I have available. He wants to install it while the Boat is on the trailer in dry storage which is a good idea. As soon as I know the Model I'll advise for your input.