TOPIC: Starflite Did a Couple Strange Things Today...

First time I've had the 1966 Starflite 100 on a lake big enough to really let it run. Before now it's run no more than maybe two miles before being shut off. Today I did 12 miles before I shut it down and about 25 total.

First: It does sound better and idle better with the carbon burned out of it.

Second: Gears started slipping. May have been triggered by hitting a stick (although the aluminum prop showed no sign of hitting anything). Forward and reverse would both engage normally but at about 2500 rpm the gears would slip and the boat would slow down until I dropped the throttle back to a fast idle, when the slipping would stop and it sounded like everything was properly engaged.

Shut it off for about 15 minutes, restarted it, all gears then worked normally with no problem for the rest of the day.

Third: Shut off like it ran out of gas, twice. I assume a fuel supply problem. Running pretty fast toward the end of the day and the speed would drop to about 3/4 for a second and then it would die. It started right up both times after that, but it was like the fuel supply was just shut off.

Picture in a minute, it was a beautiful day.
(As promised:)

Sounds like your hub in your prop is slipping.I had one do the same thing.

It sounds like the issue I am having with my Merc 500 and an old prop you will get up on plane try to run it out and all the sudden RPM jumps up and the boat slows down drop the throttle rev back up your fine until you try to push it again. If you don't drop the throttle the boat will drop off plane and act as though your just at idle. No ideas on anything else.

Jim L wrote:

Sounds like your hub in your prop is slipping.I had one do the same thing.

Hadn't thought of that, but that's exactly how it behaved.

Where do I send it to fix it?

I just sent mine to a Local Hudson valley, NY Prop shop to have a new hub installed. www.precision-props.com/ I cant say anything about the service yet as my prop is still in the mail. But so far they have been very pleasant on the phone.

I did a "Goggle search" for prop shop Billings MT and found a few, in case nobody comes up with a recommendation WT;
www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=esqb,ratio&xhr=t&q=prop+shop+billings,+mt&cp=9&pf=p&sclient=psy&source=hp&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=prop+shop+billings,+mt&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=b63080164ac04ca3&biw=1024&bih=578&bs=1

MarkS wrote:

I did a "Goggle search" for prop shop Billings MT and found a few,

Thanks, I'll give them a call.