any 3100 a.o. owners?

[pleasantcat]

need to find someone else out here with these boats to try and get the setup right. i've had lots of problems with this boat since september when i purchased it. i did get all the mechanical issues repaired and now im having handling issues.

[Extreme Marine Az]

got to OSO

[kanedog]

search a guy called merlin540 on OSO. he owned and was obsessed with a 31 ao a while back. beats the crap out of the boat and he sounded very knowledgeable from what i read.

[acatitude]

I second merlin 540 on oso he's the 31 AO man. good luck Did you buy the boat new or used? what year?? just a little curious

[kanedog]

we love merlin540 here at ***boat!!!!even though he isnt on the boards

[WETTE VETTE]

Merlin has been kinda MIA lately. I do know he runs 2" shorties and IMCO boxes. He runs it hard with no handling issues in the mid to high 120's!

[pleasantcat]

well nobody on o.s.o. is giving me real info. just a bunch of guessing and b.s.
one person says move the engines and tab it, another says drive spacers w.t.f. why would a.o. put this thing out rigged like this if it didnt handle safely? i've never heard of a daytona,dcb,skater customer having these issues.i just got thru dumping 15+k into the engines to make them right and now it's unsafe to drive :mad: if anyone has a suggestion im all ears.

[Charley]

well nobody on o.s.o. is giving me real info. just a bunch of guessing and b.s.
one person says move the engines and tab it, another says drive spacers w.t.f. why would a.o. put this thing out rigged like this if it didnt handle safely? i've never heard of a daytona,dcb,skater customer having these issues.i just got thru dumping 15+k into the engines to make them right and now it's unsafe to drive :mad: if anyone has a suggestion im all ears.
not pretending to be an expert on the 3100 but give us some info:
1. do you have standoff boxes?
2. where is your X?
3. Tab?
4. Drives? gear ratio?
5. current props?

[pleasantcat]

hey charlie, well here ya go, blown 600+hp each side mounted on transom,imco extreme drives with imco boxes, "x" is 1" up from bottom (where a.o. want's them) spinning bravo 32p 4blades spinning out. runs up to 70 like a caddy, push on the throttles and it starts to porpous all the way to 100mph. it does it so baddly that the props blow out :cry: not safe at all! i indexed the drives and im anywhere from neutral to out with no change.
now when i had the daytona i never had this issue. the bow would bounce twice about 6" then it was gone.

[Charley]

hey charlie, well here ya go, blown 600+hp each side mounted on transom,imco extreme drives with imco boxes, "x" is 1" up from bottom (where a.o. want's them) spinning bravo 32p 4blades spinning out. runs up to 70 like a caddy, push on the throttles and it starts to porpous all the way to 100mph. it does it so baddly that the props blow out :cry: not safe at all! i indexed the drives and im anywhere from neutral to out with no change.
now when i had the daytona i never had this issue. the bow would bounce twice about 6" then it was gone.
hmmm... does the boat carry the bow high?

[pleasantcat]

no not at all. it feels nice and flat. i did go look at the bottom of the boat and the last 4ft. is not flat. its concave by about 1/8" that's hook right?

[Boatmaster]

Any chance you bought this boat out of northern CA?

[dicudmore]

Any chance you bought this boat out of northern CA?
I think he bought the boat from Cumberland back east

[pleasantcat]

yep i got it back east :mad: west coast guy's wouldnt do this kinda stuff to eachother

[Boatmaster]

Only reason I ask was because a friend of mine up north bought a 31 AO out of Sac that handled so bad he took the guy to court and returned it. I hope you can resolve yours with less headaches than he was put through. He spent alot of money to try and get it right before he threw in the towel.

[Havasu Hangin']

I am no expert...but how does it handle with the props spinning in?

[pleasantcat]

hh that's the only advice everyone agrees on with conviction. turn 'em out only. turning them in makes the boat roll to much in the turns and can rollover easyer.
b.m. thanks for the info but, different boat and i'm in the same situation. this went from a 2004 boat with 49hours to an '04 with 97 engines that were shot. so im out a big chunk to repair the engines,replace blowers etc. and now find the hull or something is all wrong.

[Cole Sanger]

I just had a couple of questions. I am by no means anyone you should listen to. I am really new to this. The first question, was the boat handling good before the motor upgrades? Second question, and this is where I really have no experience, do both drives spin the same direction or is are they counter rotating? I was just thinking that if everything was good before the engine upgrades that maybe something didn't go back in the boat the right way. Now you have my two uneducated guesses. Good luck.

[Charley]

no not at all. it feels nice and flat. i did go look at the bottom of the boat and the last 4ft. is not flat. its concave by about 1/8" that's hook right?
Sounds like some rocker in the bottom... which is good, my suggestion is play with props, it's the cheapest way to tweak on your dial in, 4 blades to 5 and 6 blades all make a boat act very differently, and it varies boat to boat...borrow what you can.... I have some 30" or 32" non labbed 4 blade bravos from my last boat you could try... I'm wondering if Maximus' (5 blade) props might be a good choice though.... if you dont find the answer in the prop you may have to do a TAB :(

[pleasantcat]

thanks charlie for the offer. i'm being told by a.o. to move the engines forward and tab it. they sat that "should" cure the problem....then i get emailed pix of guys boats with engines mounted where mine are and the same drive placement and they drive great? more testing today i'll post results.

[GRUNION]

http://www.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=13135&stc=1 here is his boat at around 90 guessing on the speed I was doing 60 when he flew by me. Good luck today.

[GRUNION]

sorry for the blury pic wife was having a hard time with the camea. hard to keep steady going down the lake.

[pleasantcat]

kevin thanks for posting the pic!
***** update *****
ran today with 100lbs in the nose and it got rid of most of the hop. needs to be balanced! i ran thru the 70-80 mph hop and hit 110mph with it still pulling hard i just ran out of water. so, should i flip out the 6k for a tab or 5k to move the engines? or,,,,what about foaming the bow? or puting my subs up there? its all weight right?

[GRUNION]

stereo is always nice. are you still gonna try those drive spacers?

[GRUNION]

although if you fill the front you wont be able to stuff 7 people under there and watch movies.

[33daytona]

i am a very good friend of merlin540 and he is running his props spinning in the boat handles fine i have been in it at 128 the boat hopps around 95-100 just a few times then it quits he is also running hydromotive props
i have ran the boat that you have at cumberland 2 years ago it ran around 108-110

[33daytona]

this boat runs 114- 118 mph with no proplems it is from the ohio area

[Havasu Hangin']

I just don't know any cats that handle well spinning out? As for rolling in a turn, just don't cut the buoy so close and fast!
In all seriousness, I'd swap the props one day, and run it with the sticks reversed, just to see how it handles. There are lots of top-heavy cats spinning them in.
BTW...here's a little secret I teach in my racing school:
When you are entering a high speed turn (with the props turning in), don't let off the throttles, just trim the outside drive up until the RPMs come up (and the prop starts slipping). The boat will then be hanging on the inside drive...less chance to hook and roll.
Exiting the turn, trim the outside drive back down, and the boat wil accelerate very hard.
I take cash only, sorry.

[Jordy]

kevin thanks for posting the pic!
***** update *****
ran today with 100lbs in the nose and it got rid of most of the hop. needs to be balanced! i ran thru the 70-80 mph hop and hit 110mph with it still pulling hard i just ran out of water. so, should i flip out the 6k for a tab or 5k to move the engines? or,,,,what about foaming the bow? or puting my subs up there? its all weight right?
I still think it's something that can be cured by playing with the props. Seems as though they are creating too much stern lift and working against the tunnel when you start to pack air. The extra weight in the bow is just bandaiding the problem. Just my thoughts on it. :idea:
Hope you get it all figured out and have a great summer with it as it's a great looking boat, and I know what a headache it's been from the get go. ;)

[pleasantcat]

I still think it's something that can be cured by playing with the props. Seems as though they are creating too much stern lift and working against the tunnel when you start to pack air. The extra weight in the bow is just bandaiding the problem. Just my thoughts on it. :idea:
Hope you get it all figured out and have a great summer with it as it's a great looking boat, and I know what a headache it's been from the get go. ;)
well jordy spectra and others use "bandaids" like added weight or "ballast" to make their boats perform correctly.

[GRUNION]

did you hook up your lights?

[pleasantcat]

no not yet. i will this week though.

[Jordy]

well jordy spectra and others use "bandaids" like added weight or "ballast" to make their boats perform correctly.
I'm just telling you my thoughts on it. Talked to a guy at Pleasant yesterday with a 3100 A.O. that he's got running in the 125 mph range with no bad behavior issues. Running 4 blade props. Talked with him for a while and he thinks that the props are the issue on your boat as well. ;)
I'm just suggesting that it might be cheaper to play with some props rather than adding weight and moving motors around to cover up an existing problem. ;)

[pleasantcat]

I'm just telling you my thoughts on it. Talked to a guy at Pleasant yesterday with a 3100 A.O. that he's got running in the 125 mph range with no bad behavior issues. Running 4 blade props. Talked with him for a while and he thinks that the props are the issue on your boat as well. ;)
I'm just suggesting that it might be cheaper to play with some props rather than adding weight and moving motors around to cover up an existing problem. ;)
why do you always have to be better than me? looking down your nose at me? i dont get you jordy!!! :D
you clampon guys are all the same.
the props are plain ol'bravo 4blades like all the a.o. guys run so....

[Jordy]

why do you always have to be better than me? looking down your nose at me? i dont get you jordy!!! :D
you clampon guys are all the same.
the props are plain ol'bravo 4blades like all the a.o. guys run so....
Whatever. Us outboard types are the low man on the totem pole of lake life. Second rate boaters. Right there with sailboats and lake lice. It's ok, I can take it. Just because you have a cabin doesn't mean you're better than me. :D :D
I was thinking you were running 5 blades on it. My bad. :(
p.s. I still think it's a prop issue, so there. Now if you want to back up a dumptruck full of sand and fill your cabin up, that's your gig. :p :crossx: :D

[acatitude]

if your boat is a 2004 and you want some info PM me

[pleasantcat]

yeah jordy, i'ld like to see you put seven people in your cabin and watch a movie :yuk:
i called arizona dirt guys and there bringin over a load of sand now. :crossx:

[Jordy]

yeah jordy, i'ld like to see you put seven people in your cabin and watch a movie :yuk:
Hey now, who told you I could watch movies in my cabin??? :idea: :D

[Donnie]

yeah jordy, i'ld like to see you put seven people in your cabin and watch a movie :yuk:
i called arizona dirt guys and there bringin over a load of sand now. :crossx:
The sand will be there in the morning....maybe I ought to bring a backhoe to get it in the cabin :crossx:

[3:30dirty]

Try taking some video of the boat running at different speeds. Go back and watch it or post it and that will help with everyone giving their input. When I was behind you at pleasant it looked like the right drive was out. But then again I went by ya at 100.....just my 2 cents on the video. Jason

[pleasantcat]

jason, you missed the 110mph run on sunday :yuk: but...it's still got more work to complete before it's all the way i like it.

[Reaper1]

Have you talked to Ed? I would think he would be the best one to give you info. on the set up. :)

[pleasantcat]

reaper, yes i spoke to ed. he gave me a list of things as well as some not so good news about this hull.

[carreraboat]

what was the bad news from ed?

[Reaper1]

reaper, yes i spoke to ed. he gave me a list of things as well as some not so good news about this hull.
Hmmm, I know when my bro had his 26' built Ed had his own personal 31' with some blower motors. At least that's what he said. :) Good luck on your quest!