Pagan

[bootlegger]

Good luck. Have fun.

[rayza1]

After a less than impressive trip to Yarrawonga where I learnt how fickle skiffs (wooden boats in general) can be, I went to Bendigo swap meet. Wasn't bad although not as good as the big one. Came away with some solid copper leads, a Vangaurd distributer (so i can wave it in front of the magneto just to let it know I have OPTIONS) and best of all a perfect steering wheel that is as near as identical to Pagans very cracked one. On arriving home I set about finding the reason for the flameouts suffered at Yarrawonga, it seemed to be fuel or the lack of it. What I have done is run an electric fuel pump as a feed to the mechanical one so i can prime the carbies with the electric then run with the mechanical and so far it seems to be working...is this weird or am i on the right track? The electric one pumps through the mechanical one to prime the carbs and the mechanical one sucks through the electric when the motor is running (with the electric turned off). If i want i can run both together if i get fuel starvation but the mechanical one suplied enough fuel to run before, it was just useless for priming the carbies Stay tuned for further "DAYS OF OUR SKIFFS"

[Doc]

Running Amal carbies like a motorbike the carbies are lower than the petrol tank gravity fed. Fuel pressure directly to the carbies might be the problem. A small lawnmower tank {round cylinder type "Victa"] use as a header tank with a return hose to the main tank. Feed the header tank with the pump.

[rayza1]

I can see how that would work, the carbies dont like too much pressure and will leak fuel with the electric pump if i close off the return line. If i leave the return line open thats when i get the flameouts. Everything was good with the mechanical pump except by the time you primed the carbs the battery was flat! How would the return line work? How would you plumb it?

[Doc]

Would work like a over flow outlet , return outlet exit mid to top of tank and exits to main fuel tank. May be a oil overflow bottle from speedshop [alloy] could be modified.

[bootlegger]

What exactly went wrong with the boat? Did it simply not start in the water.?
Its been sitting a long time. Ask frank with the jet how long it took him to get it running.

[hookster]

Ray it's great to see your sense of humour never dulls, even after last Saturday. I can just see you waving that dizzy with a crazed, desperate look in your eyes

My only regrets from last Saturday are :

(a) I didn't take a before and after shot of you, showing your wearing a pristine CAWPBA T-shirt in the morning, and an oily rag draped over your sagging shoulders in the afternoon!!, and

(b) I didn't see the jet boat deluge - surely that would have pushed you over the edge?!?!?!????? I mean, how much can a man take????

Keep up the good work mate, Jon.

[rayza1]

Dave, boat would start fine on the trailer but each time we put it in the water..no go! I suspect the extra load caused by having to spin the prop in water highlighted a problem that wasn't there on the trailer, eventually the battery gave out. I replaced it and made some tuning adjustments to the carbies and it seemed heaps better, so back into the water. This time made 200m and had a flameout then no start again. Don't think it's electrical, seems more like fuel.
Hey Doc, the only problem I can see with the header tank idea is that the carbies are almost the highest point on the boat so it will be difficult to get gravity feed unless the tank is above deck hight.
Thanks Hookster for your obvious concern at almost getting washed onto the bank from Suffrajets jet wash, it touches me deeply.....and Nick, paybacks going to be a bitch!

[NPeth]

Does this mean no drive of Pagan Sorry Ray, but Steinway had to be saved and look at it this way, it did help clean of the dirt and grime you collected working on Pagan.

[Renojet]

Hi Ray.
You don`t have to have a big tank Just a copper pipe like The Jet has but maybe a larger one. I think 1 inch would do.If you look at the photo you can see the feed from the from the pump comes in at the back of the motor then the two feeds to the carbies take off from the bottom side of the pipe then the return to the tank is in the other end.The pipe needs to run up hill so it is always full so there is always plenty of fuel to feed the carbies. Hope this helps.
Frank.