On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 09:07:07 GMT, "Billgran"
wrote:


"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 03:29:10 GMT, "Billgran"
:
Bill - I heard that the new baffling system on the air intake and some
mechanical changes in the interior surface of the cowling has quieted
the E-TEC engines down a lot. Any truth to that?

It sure would be an improvement over the FICHT - my FICHTs aren't
terribly noisy, but on the Ranger (which is twenty feet long and you
are about 8 feet from the engine) you have to talk louder than normal.
It's better on the Contender because of distance.



The early FICHTS upt thru 1999 had the air intake on the front of the motor
cover and they could be loud at higher speeds, the 2000 had aft side intakes
that were a tad quiter. Finally in 2001, the cover was redesigned with a
baffled aft intake and the motor was very much quieter. When Bombardier took
over for the 2002 and later models, they were even quieter yet with more
silencing and tighter tolerances on the engine components..

The E-TEC without the air silencer and motor cover is a very quiet motor
compared to any other. The nice thing is there are no sound producing parts
like timing belts or alternator belts, ari compressors, or high pressure
belt driven fuel pumps. With it's aft facing air intake manifold for below
15 % power, and a "tuned" Heimholz Resonator style air box for higher
speeds, there is next to no air noise at high rpms. It has a deep quiet tone
at speed, compared some 4-stroke "tinny" noise. The motor cover and the
lower motor pans are lined with acoustic foam. By ear, it is quiter than the
90hp 4-strokes. It does not even have the "water ****ing" sound like the
4-strokes have with their overboard water indicator. E-TEC has a 3/8"
discharge port so the water flows out gently without making the "****ing in
the toilet" sound.

The nice thing about this system is that it is not dependent on a battery
like every other EFI or DFI motor. It has a self contained magneto and
develops enough energy to start the motor within one revolution. The
starting is so quick, it's almost scary, the tach is reading almost the
instant you turn the key to START.

Since it is magneto controlled, it can be built for very small motors,
unlike fuel injected systems. I saw an experimental one that ran a few years
ago that was a single cyl. 3hp.

Thanks for the info Bill - I appreciate it.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
----------
"My rod and my reel - they comfort me."

St. Pete, 12 Lb. Test