I was cruising along in my 24ft pontoon boat when I got a real surprise.
Somebody please tell me how and why I could be running wide open throttle at
my normal 5500 rpm and then suddenly the boat took off like a bat out of
hell running at 8000 rpms and 25mph??? I never touched the throttle. It
has never run that fast ever. After about 2 minutes it went back down to
5500 and never did 8000 again. Its a 60hp mercury Bigfoot outboard. It has
never done this before and I don't even know how it could rev that high and
go 25mph. Normal is 5500 and 17mph. What happened??

Mike

"Mike Slater" wrote in message
news:knfZl.742458$yE1.158636@attbi_s21...
I was cruising along in my 24ft pontoon boat when I got a real surprise.
Somebody please tell me how and why I could be running wide open throttle
at my normal 5500 rpm and then suddenly the boat took off like a bat out of
hell running at 8000 rpms and 25mph??? I never touched the throttle. It
has never run that fast ever. After about 2 minutes it went back down to
5500 and never did 8000 again. Its a 60hp mercury Bigfoot outboard. It
has never done this before and I don't even know how it could rev that high
and go 25mph. Normal is 5500 and 17mph. What happened??

Mike


Is it a two stroke? I've often noticed on 2 stroke weed wackers or chain
saws that just as you are about to run out of fuel they speed up. I think
they start running lean due to air in the fuel line.
Is it possible you had a temporary air leak in a line and a similar thing is
happening?

Eisboch

Eisboch wrote:
"Mike Slater" wrote in message
news:knfZl.742458$yE1.158636@attbi_s21...
I was cruising along in my 24ft pontoon boat when I got a real surprise.
Somebody please tell me how and why I could be running wide open throttle
at my normal 5500 rpm and then suddenly the boat took off like a bat out of
hell running at 8000 rpms and 25mph??? I never touched the throttle. It
has never run that fast ever. After about 2 minutes it went back down to
5500 and never did 8000 again. Its a 60hp mercury Bigfoot outboard. It
has never done this before and I don't even know how it could rev that high
and go 25mph. Normal is 5500 and 17mph. What happened??

Mike


Is it a two stroke? I've often noticed on 2 stroke weed wackers or chain
saws that just as you are about to run out of fuel they speed up. I think
they start running lean due to air in the fuel line.
Is it possible you had a temporary air leak in a line and a similar thing is
happening?

Eisboch



For two minutes? I can't believe 8000 rpms didn't blow it up!

"DK" wrote in message
...
Eisboch wrote:
"Mike Slater" wrote in message
news:knfZl.742458$yE1.158636@attbi_s21...
I was cruising along in my 24ft pontoon boat when I got a real surprise.
Somebody please tell me how and why I could be running wide open
throttle at my normal 5500 rpm and then suddenly the boat took off like
a bat out of hell running at 8000 rpms and 25mph??? I never touched the
throttle. It has never run that fast ever. After about 2 minutes it
went back down to 5500 and never did 8000 again. Its a 60hp mercury
Bigfoot outboard. It has never done this before and I don't even know
how it could rev that high and go 25mph. Normal is 5500 and 17mph.
What happened??

Mike


Is it a two stroke? I've often noticed on 2 stroke weed wackers or
chain saws that just as you are about to run out of fuel they speed up.
I think they start running lean due to air in the fuel line.
Is it possible you had a temporary air leak in a line and a similar thing
is happening?

Eisboch

For two minutes? I can't believe 8000 rpms didn't blow it up!

My boat runs comfortably at 10,000 rpm. g

--Mike

mgg wrote:
"DK" wrote in message
...
Eisboch wrote:
"Mike Slater" wrote in message
news:knfZl.742458$yE1.158636@attbi_s21...
I was cruising along in my 24ft pontoon boat when I got a real surprise.
Somebody please tell me how and why I could be running wide open
throttle at my normal 5500 rpm and then suddenly the boat took off like
a bat out of hell running at 8000 rpms and 25mph??? I never touched the
throttle. It has never run that fast ever. After about 2 minutes it
went back down to 5500 and never did 8000 again. Its a 60hp mercury
Bigfoot outboard. It has never done this before and I don't even know
how it could rev that high and go 25mph. Normal is 5500 and 17mph.
What happened??

Mike

Is it a two stroke? I've often noticed on 2 stroke weed wackers or
chain saws that just as you are about to run out of fuel they speed up.
I think they start running lean due to air in the fuel line.
Is it possible you had a temporary air leak in a line and a similar thing
is happening?

Eisboch
For two minutes? I can't believe 8000 rpms didn't blow it up!

My boat runs comfortably at 10,000 rpm. g

--Mike



Your pontoon with a 60hp Merc Bigfoot? Nice!

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"Mike Slater" wrote in message
news:knfZl.742458$yE1.158636@attbi_s21...
I was cruising along in my 24ft pontoon boat when I got a real surprise.
Somebody please tell me how and why I could be running wide open throttle
at my normal 5500 rpm and then suddenly the boat took off like a bat out
of hell running at 8000 rpms and 25mph??? I never touched the throttle.
It has never run that fast ever. After about 2 minutes it went back down
to 5500 and never did 8000 again. Its a 60hp mercury Bigfoot outboard.
It has never done this before and I don't even know how it could rev that
high and go 25mph. Normal is 5500 and 17mph. What happened??

Mike


Is it a two stroke? I've often noticed on 2 stroke weed wackers or chain
saws that just as you are about to run out of fuel they speed up. I think
they start running lean due to air in the fuel line.
Is it possible you had a temporary air leak in a line and a similar thing
is happening?

Eisboch


Yep. Its a two-stroke. It really caught me by surprise. Next time I will
look at the clear inline gas filter down near the primer bulb to see if its
empty if and when it happens. It was only my second outing this year so who
knows what going on and was too shocked to think about looking at the fuel
situation. You know, it sounded great at 8000 revs.

Mike Slater wrote:

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"Mike Slater" wrote in message
news:knfZl.742458$yE1.158636@attbi_s21...
I was cruising along in my 24ft pontoon boat when I got a real
surprise. Somebody please tell me how and why I could be running wide
open throttle at my normal 5500 rpm and then suddenly the boat took
off like a bat out of hell running at 8000 rpms and 25mph??? I never
touched the throttle. It has never run that fast ever. After about 2
minutes it went back down to 5500 and never did 8000 again. Its a
60hp mercury Bigfoot outboard. It has never done this before and I
don't even know how it could rev that high and go 25mph. Normal is
5500 and 17mph. What happened??

Mike


Is it a two stroke? I've often noticed on 2 stroke weed wackers or
chain saws that just as you are about to run out of fuel they speed
up. I think they start running lean due to air in the fuel line.
Is it possible you had a temporary air leak in a line and a similar
thing is happening?

Eisboch


Yep. Its a two-stroke. It really caught me by surprise. Next time I
will look at the clear inline gas filter down near the primer bulb to
see if its empty if and when it happens. It was only my second outing
this year so who knows what going on and was too shocked to think about
looking at the fuel situation. You know, it sounded great at 8000 revs.

Mike,
You may want to consider dropping back to a "cruising" rpm, instead of
running it WOT. Running the boat at WOT will shorten the life of the
engine considerably and use about 3 times the gas. For most boats, the
best gph or mpg is about 3400-3600 rpm. You shouldn't pick up much
incremental speed at WOT.

--
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq.

This Newsgroup post is a natural product. The slight variations in
spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in
no way are to be considered flaws or defects

Reginald P Smithers III, Esq. wrote:
Mike Slater wrote:

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"Mike Slater" wrote in message
news:knfZl.742458$yE1.158636@attbi_s21...
I was cruising along in my 24ft pontoon boat when I got a real
surprise. Somebody please tell me how and why I could be running
wide open throttle at my normal 5500 rpm and then suddenly the boat
took off like a bat out of hell running at 8000 rpms and 25mph??? I
never touched the throttle. It has never run that fast ever. After
about 2 minutes it went back down to 5500 and never did 8000 again.
Its a 60hp mercury Bigfoot outboard. It has never done this before
and I don't even know how it could rev that high and go 25mph.
Normal is 5500 and 17mph. What happened??

Mike


Is it a two stroke? I've often noticed on 2 stroke weed wackers or
chain saws that just as you are about to run out of fuel they speed
up. I think they start running lean due to air in the fuel line.
Is it possible you had a temporary air leak in a line and a similar
thing is happening?

Eisboch


Yep. Its a two-stroke. It really caught me by surprise. Next time I
will look at the clear inline gas filter down near the primer bulb to
see if its empty if and when it happens. It was only my second outing
this year so who knows what going on and was too shocked to think
about looking at the fuel situation. You know, it sounded great at
8000 revs.

Mike,
You may want to consider dropping back to a "cruising" rpm, instead of
running it WOT. Running the boat at WOT will shorten the life of the
engine considerably and use about 3 times the gas. For most boats, the
best gph or mpg is about 3400-3600 rpm. You shouldn't pick up much
incremental speed at WOT.

Excellent advice especially if it is an older motor drawing it's last
breaths.

On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:50:33 -0400, "Reginald P Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

Mike Slater wrote:

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"Mike Slater" wrote in message
news:knfZl.742458$yE1.158636@attbi_s21...
I was cruising along in my 24ft pontoon boat when I got a real
surprise. Somebody please tell me how and why I could be running wide
open throttle at my normal 5500 rpm and then suddenly the boat took
off like a bat out of hell running at 8000 rpms and 25mph??? I never
touched the throttle. It has never run that fast ever. After about 2
minutes it went back down to 5500 and never did 8000 again. Its a
60hp mercury Bigfoot outboard. It has never done this before and I
don't even know how it could rev that high and go 25mph. Normal is
5500 and 17mph. What happened??

Mike


Is it a two stroke? I've often noticed on 2 stroke weed wackers or
chain saws that just as you are about to run out of fuel they speed
up. I think they start running lean due to air in the fuel line.
Is it possible you had a temporary air leak in a line and a similar
thing is happening?

Eisboch


Yep. Its a two-stroke. It really caught me by surprise. Next time I
will look at the clear inline gas filter down near the primer bulb to
see if its empty if and when it happens. It was only my second outing
this year so who knows what going on and was too shocked to think about
looking at the fuel situation. You know, it sounded great at 8000 revs.

Mike,
You may want to consider dropping back to a "cruising" rpm, instead of
running it WOT. Running the boat at WOT will shorten the life of the
engine considerably and use about 3 times the gas. For most boats, the
best gph or mpg is about 3400-3600 rpm. You shouldn't pick up much
incremental speed at WOT.

I ran mine at WOT yesterday, for the first time. Only did it for about
15 seconds. Man, that little boat is fast!
--
John H

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those
who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
Thomas Jefferson

John H wrote:
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:50:33 -0400, "Reginald P Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

Mike Slater wrote:
"Eisboch" wrote in message
...
"Mike Slater" wrote in message
news:knfZl.742458$yE1.158636@attbi_s21...
I was cruising along in my 24ft pontoon boat when I got a real
surprise. Somebody please tell me how and why I could be running wide
open throttle at my normal 5500 rpm and then suddenly the boat took
off like a bat out of hell running at 8000 rpms and 25mph??? I never
touched the throttle. It has never run that fast ever. After about 2
minutes it went back down to 5500 and never did 8000 again. Its a
60hp mercury Bigfoot outboard. It has never done this before and I
don't even know how it could rev that high and go 25mph. Normal is
5500 and 17mph. What happened??

Mike

Is it a two stroke? I've often noticed on 2 stroke weed wackers or
chain saws that just as you are about to run out of fuel they speed
up. I think they start running lean due to air in the fuel line.
Is it possible you had a temporary air leak in a line and a similar
thing is happening?

Eisboch

Yep. Its a two-stroke. It really caught me by surprise. Next time I
will look at the clear inline gas filter down near the primer bulb to
see if its empty if and when it happens. It was only my second outing
this year so who knows what going on and was too shocked to think about
looking at the fuel situation. You know, it sounded great at 8000 revs.
Mike,
You may want to consider dropping back to a "cruising" rpm, instead of
running it WOT. Running the boat at WOT will shorten the life of the
engine considerably and use about 3 times the gas. For most boats, the
best gph or mpg is about 3400-3600 rpm. You shouldn't pick up much
incremental speed at WOT.

I ran mine at WOT yesterday, for the first time. Only did it for about
15 seconds. Man, that little boat is fast!
--
John H

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those
who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
Thomas Jefferson

That sound of the wind whistling in your ears, was really the sound of
the engine sucking down the gas.

--
Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq.

This Newsgroup post is a natural product. The slight variations in
spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in
no way are to be considered flaws or defects