Hey Guys,
I have been playing with an 87 Force 125HP on my 81 Ranger for a couple of years now. It wouldn't have been my choice of power but it is what the guy who restored the boat put on it. After some new plugs/wires, a starter, fixing the tilt trim and doing the basic tuning according to the manual I have it runnign well enough to enjoy.
It now fires up on the first or second turnover even if it has been sitting for a couple of months! So I have tuned it as well as I can and even had a stainless 19 pitch mercury prop machined to fit (works great and is half the price of a force stainless prop). From my estimates though I should be able to hit at least 50-55mph in my less than 17' ranger. I seem to be missing some RPM or power at WOT though but can't confirm the rpm at WOT because of an aftermarket RPM gauge and still have not installed the pole converter so it will read right.
Anyways, the engine runs strong and really well all the way up to WOT but the last maybe 10% of WOT does not seem to create any more RPM but my fuel consumption goes CRAZY. I am getting ready for my first fishing trip in 3 months so I pulled the boat out to run it and made a discovery that might be the answer as to why i can't get past 42MPH on GPS. The engine fired on the first spin and ran smooth at idle (I love this). I let it idle for a little while until the t-stats open a little..then i run it up to about 25% in gear until i start to see the water steaming a little, this also usually long enough to get the oil residue in the carbs cleared out after it has been sitting for a wihle. I have never noticed a difference with the cowl on or off so I had it off and just happened to be watching the carbs. I run it up towards WOT briefly and fuel starts squirting out of the starboard side of both top and bottom carbs!... I cut it back and shutdown.
I start inspecting the carb and it looks like there is a brass plug missing from a fuel galley that has been machined into the side of the carb. The missing plug looks like it is where the galley comes up from maybe the bowl makes makes a 90 degree turn towards a hole at the face of the carb intake where the carb covers would mount. It looks to me like the fuel galleys may be intended to spray fuel into the carb intake at WOT but I could be wrong. If it is it is just squirting out of the side of the carb instead. From the carb intake face, the hole is about 3/16" in diameter and goes in about an inch or so, I can't see a hole all the way through to the vertical galley from the front but looking in the where the plug is missing I think I see a tiny hole going to the horizontal shaft but it may just be my eyes messing with me. I cannot get PB blaster or even a tiny wire to go through from one to the other. so maybe it is just unused on this carb.
Can anyone confirm the missing plug on the starboard side of the carbs and function of this/these fuel galleys at WOT? I know fuel should definately not be squirting out the side of my carbs. This missing fuel to the carb intake or just the missing fuel pressure because the missing plug at WOT seems to make sense for the lack of WOT performance. Maybe the leak is just not letting enough fuel to be forced through the meter rod(tubes, jets or whatever is used on these carbs). So I know about the brass meter hole for the fuel bowl and those look fin and nice and clear but what if the top and side holes for the needle valve looks like they are notcompletely sealed anymore? I know there is a lot in here but if someone can please give me some insight into these things and a good explanation of the fuel galley etc.. that would be GREAT!
I have been playing with an 87 Force 125HP on my 81 Ranger for a couple of years now. It wouldn't have been my choice of power but it is what the guy who restored the boat put on it. After some new plugs/wires, a starter, fixing the tilt trim and doing the basic tuning according to the manual I have it runnign well enough to enjoy.
It now fires up on the first or second turnover even if it has been sitting for a couple of months! So I have tuned it as well as I can and even had a stainless 19 pitch mercury prop machined to fit (works great and is half the price of a force stainless prop). From my estimates though I should be able to hit at least 50-55mph in my less than 17' ranger. I seem to be missing some RPM or power at WOT though but can't confirm the rpm at WOT because of an aftermarket RPM gauge and still have not installed the pole converter so it will read right.
Anyways, the engine runs strong and really well all the way up to WOT but the last maybe 10% of WOT does not seem to create any more RPM but my fuel consumption goes CRAZY. I am getting ready for my first fishing trip in 3 months so I pulled the boat out to run it and made a discovery that might be the answer as to why i can't get past 42MPH on GPS. The engine fired on the first spin and ran smooth at idle (I love this). I let it idle for a little while until the t-stats open a little..then i run it up to about 25% in gear until i start to see the water steaming a little, this also usually long enough to get the oil residue in the carbs cleared out after it has been sitting for a wihle. I have never noticed a difference with the cowl on or off so I had it off and just happened to be watching the carbs. I run it up towards WOT briefly and fuel starts squirting out of the starboard side of both top and bottom carbs!... I cut it back and shutdown.
I start inspecting the carb and it looks like there is a brass plug missing from a fuel galley that has been machined into the side of the carb. The missing plug looks like it is where the galley comes up from maybe the bowl makes makes a 90 degree turn towards a hole at the face of the carb intake where the carb covers would mount. It looks to me like the fuel galleys may be intended to spray fuel into the carb intake at WOT but I could be wrong. If it is it is just squirting out of the side of the carb instead. From the carb intake face, the hole is about 3/16" in diameter and goes in about an inch or so, I can't see a hole all the way through to the vertical galley from the front but looking in the where the plug is missing I think I see a tiny hole going to the horizontal shaft but it may just be my eyes messing with me. I cannot get PB blaster or even a tiny wire to go through from one to the other. so maybe it is just unused on this carb.
Can anyone confirm the missing plug on the starboard side of the carbs and function of this/these fuel galleys at WOT? I know fuel should definately not be squirting out the side of my carbs. This missing fuel to the carb intake or just the missing fuel pressure because the missing plug at WOT seems to make sense for the lack of WOT performance. Maybe the leak is just not letting enough fuel to be forced through the meter rod(tubes, jets or whatever is used on these carbs). So I know about the brass meter hole for the fuel bowl and those look fin and nice and clear but what if the top and side holes for the needle valve looks like they are notcompletely sealed anymore? I know there is a lot in here but if someone can please give me some insight into these things and a good explanation of the fuel galley etc.. that would be GREAT!
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