'91 90hp Johnson Help - First boat

[kyudizky]

Just bought my first boat. Its a 1991 Stratos 274 f/s 17.5ft all original factory rigged with a 90hp Johnson V4 w/ VRO, 20" pitch Raker SS prop. Currently, EVERYTHING on the boat works (knocking on wood). Took out on its maiden voyage yesterday and she ran great.

I know a lot about car motors, but now boat motors------

My question(s)??? The boat will be run in saltwater here in Perdio Key FL for the next 3 months then I will be going back home to dallas and it will then be a freshwater boat.
-What should I expect the top speed to be around and at what rpm's?
-What should I do/check/replace to make sure she keep running good.About the only thing I know to do is flush it with ear muffs after I take it out and thats about it.
-How long does it need to run with the muffs on?
-Do i need to run up the rpm's at all while flushing. I have read on hear to let the motor heat up to open up the t-stat, but just running it at idle the temp gauge never moves and the water coming out of the tell-tale always seems cool.
-Do i turn the water hose on full blast or turn it down?
-Is there anything that i should go ahead and replace as a precaution?
-Anything to the hull or trailer (steel-painted). I hosed both off and wipe the hull and gunwale with 1 part water/1 part vinegar.
-How does it need to sit to justify running the engine out of gas? Until the winter, it will be in the left in water and run almost every weekend and put back on the trailer during the week.
-When in the water overnight, to i need to lift the engine out of the water and flush or leave in the water and just fluch when it gets put back on the trailer sunday evenings.

Any and all help/suggestions will be appreciated. I am very particular about maintaining things, causing me to be very paranoid at all times thinging I made be screwing something up, and this feeling is worse b/c this is my first boat. Been on and around boats alot, but they weren't mine so i wasn't responisble for keeping them up.

This forum is great, I have been reading on it not stop since I decided to get a boat trying to educate myself.

I appreciate everyones help!!!

Kyle

 

[countvlad]

Re: '91 90hp Johnson Help - First boat

Just bought my first boat. Its a 1991 Stratos 274 f/s 17.5ft all original factory rigged with a 90hp Johnson V4 w/ VRO, 20" pitch Raker SS prop. Currently, EVERYTHING on the boat works (knocking on wood). Took out on its maiden voyage yesterday and she ran great.

I know a lot about car motors, but now boat motors------

My question(s)??? The boat will be run in saltwater here in Perdio Key FL for the next 3 months then I will be going back home to dallas and it will then be a freshwater boat.
-What should I expect the top speed to be around and at what rpm's?
-What should I do/check/replace to make sure she keep running good.About the only thing I know to do is flush it with ear muffs after I take it out and thats about it.
-How long does it need to run with the muffs on?
-Do i need to run up the rpm's at all while flushing. I have read on hear to let the motor heat up to open up the t-stat, but just running it at idle the temp gauge never moves and the water coming out of the tell-tale always seems cool.
-Do i turn the water hose on full blast or turn it down?
-Is there anything that i should go ahead and replace as a precaution?
-Anything to the hull or trailer (steel-painted). I hosed both off and wipe the hull and gunwale with 1 part water/1 part vinegar.
-How does it need to sit to justify running the engine out of gas? Until the winter, it will be in the left in water and run almost every weekend and put back on the trailer during the week.
-When in the water overnight, to i need to lift the engine out of the water and flush or leave in the water and just fluch when it gets put back on the trailer sunday evenings.

Any and all help/suggestions will be appreciated. I am very particular about maintaining things, causing me to be very paranoid at all times thinging I made be screwing something up, and this feeling is worse b/c this is my first boat. Been on and around boats alot, but they weren't mine so i wasn't responisble for keeping them up.

This forum is great, I have been reading on it not stop since I decided to get a boat trying to educate myself.

I appreciate everyones help!!!

Kyle

1. same speed same rpms..... if your currect rpms at WOT are between 5000-6000 you are good... idealy the closest to 6000 the better
2.i always start the boat before and after i take it out.. before to make sure theres no problems beofre i take it out and after because you wanna flush the motor of salt, impurities dirt ETC... do decarb at the end of the season before winterizing and at the begining of the season... change spark plugs everyseason or every other season... new water pump every season, lower unit oil change every season...
3. you can run on the muffs for about 10 mins until motor warmed up....
4.u can give it a little gas but never above 2000 rpms....
5.water well i dont know whats your inlet water pressure but you dont want too much pressure but you dont want less pressure either.... at idle the impeller pushes out water at 3-5 PSI
6. look #2
7. i always rinse/ flush trailer and motor after every use... if you have time wiping down is probably an over kill... i do a wax every year and thats probably enough.... marine paint/gelcoat should last over 10 years with just waxing....
8.im not sure whats your question... dont use gas 2-3 months old
9.if you have a lift i would use it... depending on the water barnicles build on the bottom of the boat... the more its out of the water the better... flush the motor if you can even on the lift...
10.see 9. if not possible while on the lift then when ever you can... im not saying you cant leave the boat oin the water or not flush the motor..what im trying to say is that by doing all these things you'll prolong the life of the motor/boat...

good luck

 

[kyudizky]

Re: '91 90hp Johnson Help - First boat

1. same speed same rpms..... if your currect rpms at WOT are between 5000-6000 you are good... idealy the closest to 6000 the better

8.im not sure whats your question... dont use gas 2-3 months old
9.if you have a lift i would use it... depending on the water barnicles build on the bottom of the boat... the more its out of the water the better... flush the motor if you can even on the lift...

good luck

So by "same speed same rpms" you mean that if top speed is around 45mp, i should be at 4500rpm, and that if 6000 is best, i should be able to run this boat to around 60 mph???

So to have the boat sit for 2-3 weeks doesn't justify runing the carbs dry ( i think that what you mean by decarb)

I don't have a lift, just a slip at our condo. I planned putting her in the water friday evening, leaving it in the slip (in the water) for till sunday evenin g then back on the trailer thill the next friday. So when its in the water, should i tilt the motor out of the water and flush it with the muffs??? I wasn't sure if it was good to run the motor tilted that much.


I really appreciate the help, this sight is invaluable.

Kyle

 

[countvlad]

Re: '91 90hp Johnson Help - First boat

So by "same speed same rpms" you mean that if top speed is around 45mp, i should be at 4500rpm, and that if 6000 is best, i should be able to run this boat to around 60 mph???

So to have the boat sit for 2-3 weeks doesn't justify runing the carbs dry ( i think that what you mean by decarb)

I don't have a lift, just a slip at our condo. I planned putting her in the water friday evening, leaving it in the slip (in the water) for till sunday evenin g then back on the trailer thill the next friday. So when its in the water, should i tilt the motor out of the water and flush it with the muffs??? I wasn't sure if it was good to run the motor tilted that much.


I really appreciate the help, this sight is invaluable.

Kyle

by same speed same rpms i meant nothing should chage when you go from salt water to fresh water... the speed and the rpms should stay the same...

no.. if you have the boat sitting for 2-3 weeks your fine.... if you have the boat sitting for more than 2-3 months you wanna change the gas and do a decarb... while the boat sits for months the gas evaporates leaving the oil and or other impurities to build onto the carburator jets plugging them...

if you're going to have the boat in the water then i would just store the motor up.. i wouldnt bother flush the motor while in the water...

good luck