OUTLAW EAGLE MANUFACTURING

[Windowlicker]

I have finally after 2 years of going without purchased a 17ft Thunderjet 8deg 3/8 bottom 200 opti. My previous boat was a 12deg 1/4 bottom 200 opti. that we ran for a couple of years in Red Deer area. The one and only time I hit a rock with that boat I was watching a raft of girls and threw my wife right out of her seat and the hull didn't fare too well. So after scaring her, making her mad, and realizing the hull I was running would not stand up to many mistakes SOLD. I have just enough experience to get into trouble so any advice will be put to good use. Put a couple of hrs on the Red Deer from the dam to hwy54 bridge and over all seems ok. The first question is when running 6 - 2 inches of water and the odd gravel bar when am I going to do the most damage to the empeller? The reason I ask is after the 2-3 hrs we ran I had a look at the impeller through the intake grate and I believe I'm seeing what I call excessive "dingage". I had my pasenger step on the stomp grate more than a few times at an idle in 8" of water, several areas only had what seemed to be 2" of water but fast and clear, or is it my trying to get up on step after beaching shallow? I know all of the above can do damage to the impeller but what are some definate DONT'S and can these units run the flowing rocky bottoms in 2"-4" without changing the empeller every week.

[sandman]

Don't have the engine running while stomping on the grate. The rocks that the grate was stopping are now going in to the impeller! If you need to stop, do it in the deepest water you can find. Try to take off in the deepest water too, sometimes it may not be easy to do that but if taking off shallow, try to ease into it rather than gun it from the start. Your forward momentum is critical to getting on plane. Once you push off from shore, shut down and do the Stompin' Tom before tying to take off, rocks can get wedged between the bars while stitting and unloading crew and gear. Sometimes though, you gotta take a few for the team!! Running in 2" is fine but you need speed. High skew impeller and stainless wear ring are excellent additions for a sportjet, better hole shot and quicker on plane. Beware Captain Morgan and his pal Don Givatscit, they can cost you mucho dinero!! Hope it helps!

[Windowlicker]

One more question: I've never had smart gauges before and to my shock it said I was running 14-15 gph at 4500-5000 rpm is that anywhere near normal for a 200 opti break in period?

[Windowlicker]

Thanks Sandman that's a start I thought as much but have to ask as far as Captain Morgan and Don Giuatscit go I'm a little behind the door but always sober as a Judge if that's what you mean (lessons learned at young age)

[sandman]

Sobriety saves dollars for sure! I can't help you with the fuel consumption, I ran a 175 and the best GPH I got was around 6.8 at about 4200 when it was absolutely new. After that it was more like 7.5-8GPH @ 4200 which was at the ragged edge of almost falling off plane. If i wanted the fuel to last all day, I would cut it back, but found the best MPG was more like 4700 rpm according to GPS speed versus GPH. The optimax's are a different cat and are reported to be better but I hven't got much wheel time with them.