Hey guys.....I just bought a 1977 18' Eliminator bubbledeck with a freshly rebuilt ford 460 and berkeley pump. Took it out for the first time this weekend and had just about everything happen to me.....fire on the headers (towel caught in them), ran out of gas...all in all a good learning experience.
As a beginner, I have a few questions:
1) How do I adjust the water intake and waste valves to both get a good water temp and push a right amount of water to the headers?
2) My headers seem to glow (right before where the water is injected) at night - is this a normal range of heat?
3) How do I know if the motor is running right (timing, a/f ratio)?
4) Why do I get styrofoam particles coming out of the stern after a day of boating?
5) Finally, the motor tops out at about 4800 rpm and somewhere from about 60-65 mph - what is the easiest (and most inexpensive) way to get a good 10 mph out of the boat? I have a standard 460 ford and a stock Berkely pump with no droop, no diverter, etc.....
Sorry for all the questions, but you guys seem to know your shiznit!
The foam particals are probally the floation aids under the bow. Some have foam chunks, some have air bags, some have bags filled with foam balls, like a bean bag chair.
My headers get red hot, I do not run water through them. I will on the new ones.
The gas issue, I have only done that once or twice.
Take a reading on your spark plugs. They should not be white.
I would put a diverter on it 1st. You can trim out the boat, and make a good looking roost.
Welcome
you can do what I do. Drop it off at a real pro and pic it up with a pocket wod of $$$. If you do that you will have good days and no money like me.
Where abouts in LA are you????
I live in West Los Angeles......thanks for the replies guys - keep 'em coming!
You have a PM
By no means am I an expert, but with regards to your cooling and water temperature issues, I would recommend installing a banderlog valve. This has been talked about numerous times on the board, and from what I have read, the valve is the best way to go.
The issues you need to address are two fold........water temp. and water pressure. To much pressure and your oil gets water in it. Not enough, and your block/headers get hot. It is hard to regulate just right. I believe the valve is around $250 and will be well worth it.
With the styro foam balls........you need to see where they are coming from. My guess is what Danhercules said. Check out the situation and fix it because that stuff can become a mess especially when water seeps in.
As far as performance goes, I would work on the pump. Your motor was just rebuilt, and even if you throw more power at it, it won't do much good until your pump/set-up are right.
Your best bet is to take it to a competent shop (Papp, MPD, GS Marine), etc. and have them go through the pump and install a place diverter, ride plate, and shoe. A droop may help in your instance as well.
Good Luck
I did a search on the water intake and found a pressure reg on the intake side and a gate valve on the exit side can be used......do these pressure regulators get clogged easily?
Also, I just repainted the block and the paint bubbled off on top of the exhaust ports in 2 days.....is that normal?
Also, I just repainted the block and the paint bubbled off on top of the exhaust ports in 2 days.....is that normal?
Depends..did you use high heat paint
sounds like it may be a little lean what type/size carb are you running?
Big Block Fords really need a lot of carb.They will run on a 650 but really need a good 750 or larger.
:jawdrop:
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