Took boat in for normal service appointment this week and...........

[lowbidder]

Sorry to hear about the engine troubles Red. How long did it take for you to put 700 hours on?

I just turned my first 100 on my optimax and I'm taking it in to Wiegel's the end of this month. I can't believe it took 4 years to rack up 100 hours. At that pace, I've got 24 more years until my powerhead goes!

[Red Childress]

740.1 hours in 6 years which translates to about 9 months of running per year which equals 54 months of actual running time. I used the big engine to troll with for the first year and a half until I purchased my kicker. That fact alone put a ton of hours on the big engine.

After all those hours, things vibrate loose and need adjusting on a timely basis. I had never really realized just how important yearly servicing (if done the right way)is in preventing mechanical issues. They re-seated my head gasket, tightened up my shifter/bucket head, and changed alternator belts just to name a few. They had never seen an engine get so many hours in such a short period of time.

Now, it feels like a brand new boat. I had forgotten how the "new" feel felt.

[lowbidder]

Any idea if they checked your impeller and sleeve? I know I have a few gouges in mine from sucking up gravel on shallow starts. I've lost about 5 mph off the top end and it doesn't load quite as fast when I hit the throttle. I have to feather it a little now. It really doesn't affect my performance or the way I fish, but it would be nice to get that "new" feeling back like you described.

[Red Childress]

All impeller related items were in great shape. 'Surprisingly unblemished' was the quote used actually. My shifter had really loosened up which was allowing the bucket to hang down and interfere with forward thrust.