Low Speed Control

Discussion in 'Drivers Corner' started by markbano, Jun 30, 2010.

  1. markbano

    markbano Hydrodyne 18 Specialist

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2005
    Messages:
    854
    Boat Model and Year:
    1973 Hydrodyne Tournament Skiier
    Hi folks

    Just back from three great days of waterskiing in Northern WI. The Dyne ran great, and the weather was perfect.

    One of the things that has always troubled me is the difficulty I have in getting the boat to move very slowly in the water while manuevering to pick up a ski or get a rope to a skiier. The boat idles at about 560 RPM. When it is in gear at this RPM, the boat moves too fast to get a skiier set up in the water and therefore I have to bring the boat in and out of nuetral - sometimes repeatedly - in order to not jerk the rope out of the skiier's hands when the line is all played out.

    Do the Livorsi controls allow better low speed management for manuevering or am I just stuck with the 560 RPM and therefore anytime I'm in gear will I have this problem - regardless of what kind of throttle system I have? Can anyone help? I really wish I could leave the boat in gear but go slower while manuevering around a skiier in the water.

    Thanks!

    Markbano
     
  2. dynebob1

    dynebob1 Boat of the Month

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2006
    Messages:
    557
    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, Illinois
    Boat Model and Year:
    1998 18 OB RUA- 250XS.and 1997 Twin Rig /225 optis
    Mark,

    Mine idles at about 500 R.P.M. and I still have to use neutral to pick up a downed skier with the Livorsi controls. **(If the skier is experianced, I've had them grab a slow moving rope and I never pulled it out of gear.) Where the Livorsi controls shine is in the speed contol. You have much more contol and keeping a constant speed is much easier with just a slight twitch of your wrist.

    Bob
     
  3. markbano

    markbano Hydrodyne 18 Specialist

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2005
    Messages:
    854
    Boat Model and Year:
    1973 Hydrodyne Tournament Skiier
    Thanks Bob. That makes sense. I guess the motor has so much torque and the boat is so light that even at 500 RPM it scoots along pretty good in the water. I hate the "clunk" of having to go in and out of gear to keep from pulling the rope out of peoples' hands. I've got little kids back there a lot and they simply can't hang on if I don't coast in nuetral.

    In other news, we attended the waterski show in Minocqua on Sunday evening. If I haven't said it before, I must say again how incredibly ugly their black Dyna-Ski is. Can't imagine why on earth they would want the boat made in dull black. They did a nice Dyne walk, however. I will go back and film it during a show later this summer and will post it.
     
  4. Must-Ski Motors

    Must-Ski Motors Hydrodyne 20 Specialist

    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2006
    Messages:
    515
    Location:
    Beaver Dam
    Boat Model and Year:
    87 20 single; 93 MC Barefoot 200; Nautique 196
    Ski Team:
    Beaverland Must-Skis
    Mark,

    Do you kind of go in an arc when the rope is tight so you are not directly pulling them in a straight line?

    Also with little kids I typically get the handle to them and hold the rope slightly tight with my hand as I am idling away from them until it is tight to keep them in their ready chair position. A little tension on the rope helps them alot and then if you use the arc away from them it may not jerk them as much.
     
  5. markbano

    markbano Hydrodyne 18 Specialist

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2005
    Messages:
    854
    Boat Model and Year:
    1973 Hydrodyne Tournament Skiier
    Well, my rope guard is just a bit too high and it makes it hard for me to do anything with the rope myself. I want to lower my rope guard but haven't done so yet. I could have a spotter put some tension on the rope. I'm not sure if I know what you mean by "arc." As I pull away from the dock, with the skiier in the water, I have to put the boat in and out of gear at least 2 or 3 times to keep from yanking the rope hard as it goes taught. I hate having to "clunk" the thing in and out of gear all the time. I have little room to manuever because I have a swim raft directly out from the dock so I more or less have to pull straight out at an angle to avoid the raft.

    I also hate having to run the trim up and down every time but we are shallow so I have no choice there....

    I've also noticed with my throttle control that it is easy to accidentally put the engine in reverse when brining it back to nuetral, which has caused a few of my other drivers (my brothers and my dad) to accidentally slam it in reverse while slowing down. Yikes.....
     
  6. DanielC

    DanielC Established Hydrodyner

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2006
    Messages:
    118
    Location:
    West Linn, Oregon
    Boat Model and Year:
    1987 Hydrodyne
    Ski Team:
    PDX Water Spectacula
    The idle speed is set in the engine, and is does not matter if you have a Livsori, Mercury, or a tiller handle. In gear is in gear. The engine idle RPM is the same.
    Have you tried to just use one engine in gear for slow speed maneuvers?
    Can you adjust the idle on your engine? If you can get a reliable idle at a lower RPM, that might help. Go too low, and the engine might stall when going into gear. A lower idle would be easier on the lower unit, also.
    A third option is to go to a lower pitch propeller, or propellers, but that could easily cost over a grand, if you have to get two stainless props.

    Where a better control would help is the feel of the boat going into gear, without bumping the throttle. I was given two sets of Yamaha controls for our ski teams twin rig, to replace the Mercury controls, and I like them much better than the Mercury controls.
     
  7. jim

    jim Hydrodyne 18 Specialist

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2006
    Messages:
    2,321
    Location:
    FL
    Boat Model and Year:
    77 Dyne 18 I/O converted to Outboard
    Mark,

    For a given rpm a lower pitch prop will slow the boat slightly.

    An aluminum prop weighs about 1/3 of the steel prop weight. It will reduce the clunk somewhat.

    With a little practice you should be able to slip the motor in neutral at the optimum point and have the boat glide to a stop with the handle near the skier.

    The shift lever should be eased into neutral and not snapped back. This will eliminate the reverse problem.

    jim
     
  8. ghind

    ghind Established Hydrodyner

    Joined:
    May 17, 2007
    Messages:
    122
    Boat Model and Year:
    2007 Matrix Sorrento Outboard/225HO E-TEC
    I had a Yamaha TRP 150. A "duoprop" outboard. It used to clunk into gear pretty hard so I wound the idle back as far as I could without it stalling as I changed gear. Using a very accurate tacho, the lowest reliable idle was 430rpm. From memory it was rated at 650rpm idle.

    If you do alter the idle you are liable to foul plugs especially if you warm the engine up at idle. I used to fast idle warm mine at 1000rpm to avoid this.

    Otherwise there were no drawbacks.

    My E-TEC 225HO idles at about 450rpm and with a big heavy 4 blade stainless steel cyclone 21" pitch prop goes into gear BEAUTIFULLY and moves slowly.

    Mark what engine do you have?

    Greg
     
  9. markbano

    markbano Hydrodyne 18 Specialist

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2005
    Messages:
    854
    Boat Model and Year:
    1973 Hydrodyne Tournament Skiier
    Greg

    I have a 225 Optimax. I'm sure the clunk is OK but I hate hearing it....
     
  10. ghind

    ghind Established Hydrodyner

    Joined:
    May 17, 2007
    Messages:
    122
    Boat Model and Year:
    2007 Matrix Sorrento Outboard/225HO E-TEC
    Mark, it would be worth looking for a way to adjust the idle RPM down. I'm surprised it clunks hard at 560rpm and pulls fast at that. Do you have a rubber hub in your prop or is it a solid hub?
     

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