Classic Australian Wooden Power Boat Association

Good luck with the weather Dave. I would love to see this machine in action and up close......drool material!

Have I mentioned before how much work this boat is?
One full day stuffing around with it. Another full day today getting it ready to go into the water.
Over an hour and half to launch it with three or four helpers and the boat runs like a pig.
Then another fours hours by the time its back in the shed and put to sleep.
I really dont understand what it needs to run right.
Exactly how did we win the war with these tbings?
Since 2008 it has only run well once. I havent changed any of the tune. It just doesnt want to rev.
I think ill just push it back in the shed for another year.

bootlegger wrote:Exactly how did we win the war with these tbings?

Well Dave, for starters:

Low time engines
Plenty of new spares
Plenty of (trained up) people working on them, 24/7
Proper tooling
Etc, etc

You're doing alright Dave. This rig would have beaten many others long before they even had it on the water.

We discussed all those points today Greg.
I'll pull the carb off and rebuild it. The problem is I don't fully understand how it works.
I don't even know if it is the carb.
I wish I could sell it. I've been trying for a while now.
I'll end up giving it to the powerhouse museum. That's where it belongs.

g'day Dave, Do you have the manuals for the engine?. I have them if you need a copy to help you with the mysteries of merlin engines.
you can contact me 0448119749 and I will get your details so I can post a copy to you.
cheers Nathan.

Thanks retro boat. Yeah I've got manuals. Most of them I understand except the one for the carb which is thicker than war and peace.
I have tried to read it but i t all goes straight over my head. The carb is one complicated sucker designed to defy gravity.

Hey Dave, you sure the accelerator pedal isn't binding somewhere!!

Having had my share of British cars The problem is you REALLY want it to go.
If you show total disinterest, giving all indications that you got all the time in the word
and you don't need to get or go anywhere...........It'll run perfectly!

Darren

I like the theory. Just ignore it and it will fix itself. Yep tyoical pommy philosophy. Ha ha

Dave is it worth a trip to or contact with the RAAF Museum at Point Cook.
They have a couple of Mustangs there and would probably have an idea of what it is doing wrong.
Or the museum at Temora. I know they have a Spitfire there. The son of Frank Lowe the Westfield owner owns/runs the museum.

Just a thought. Temora is on the way to nowhere just where you'd like to hang out I'm sure!!! posting.php?mode=edit&f=11&p=13751#

bootlegger wrote:We discussed all those points today Greg.
I'll pull the carb off and rebuild it. The problem is I don't fully understand how it works.
I don't even know if it is the carb.
I wish I could sell it. I've been trying for a while now.
I'll end up giving it to the powerhouse museum. That's where it belongs.

Hi Dave,
this is just a thought and you most likely checked but I was wondering what revs the engine is making?
I know from my experience with the Meteor engines in Centurion tanks that they were rev limited to approx. 2100rpm from memory. This was achieved by a spring loaded button in the magneto rotor that flew out on centrifugal force at the appropriate RPM. I have read that they used to "Sprag" the magneto's in Vietnam to get the tanks to rev harder in top gear so they could push them harder through mud, fords, etc. Dangerous practice though as engines could be easily over revved way too far in the lower gears with the resultant damage.