265 first ocean run

[Sea Shift]

Owned a 265 from 2006 - 2020. All good advice re tilt and trim. As for the stalling engine. Replace the fuel lines. I had a similar issues when the boat was about 10 years old. I planned on changing them anyways but started having the same issue. Easy to change and no issues after that. Sold the boat in 2020 and moved up to a Marlin.

Each Engine has its own dedicated line to each tank. So it can easily be the line to the Aux tank from the Port motor. It runs independent from the Starboard motor line. I had that exact problem so I replaced all 4 lines.

 

[Saltyone]

I unscrewed the tab from the actuators, then retracted the tabs and they didn't come up any higher. I'm starting to think the previous owner maybe replaced them with the Bennett "short" actuators and not the super short ones that are specific to grady.

 

[Saltyone]

Well I fixed it. The upper hinge has a tube the comes down and seems to be more of a stop for the piston when its fully retracted. I cut the tube about a 1/2" shorter, and now they fully retract. The picture of the tube is before I cut it.

 

[Saltyone]

Well took it out today on the Columbia River, not quite like an ocean run, but it felt like it out there today. 20-25 knot winds, with gust to 30, short duration 3-4 ft ground swells, with white caps on tap of that. Was hoping to catch some shad today, but just wasn't happening.

But it was a good run to see the difference with fixing the trim tabs. It was night and day difference. Boat ran flat.

Hoping the ocean lays down again soon to see how it handles out there.

 

[SkunkBoat]

OH! been meaning to say this... The DF200APs start with buttons. You only need to touch the button and let it start. Don't hold it. Holding it can have the effect of shutting it off and starting again.

 

[Saltyone]

Got it out for it's 2nd ocean trip on Saturday. Completely different boat now with the tabs fixed. Coming in on a following sea, and it drove straight! Wasn't fighting it with the listing and the random left and right it was doing. Even my buddies were saying it was so much better.

The one thing that I forgot to mention in the first post was the odd as I would call it cavitation type sound from the engines when turning. It almost sounds like the props are slipping or losing bite when trimmed up slightly and making turns. Reading some other post, I'm starting to think it might have to do with motor alignment. I remember when the installer set it up, I want to say it was 25" on center from the prop shaft. Looking at the prop wash on the way in, I didn't see any real convergence. They were pretty much side by side all the way back. So that will be the next item to address.

 

[Ekea]

Got it out for it's 2nd ocean trip on Saturday. Completely different boat now with the tabs fixed. Coming in on a following sea, and it drove straight! Wasn't fighting it with the listing and the random left and right it was doing. Even my buddies were saying it was so much better.

The one thing that I forgot to mention in the first post was the odd as I would call it cavitation type sound from the engines when turning. It almost sounds like the props are slipping or losing bite when trimmed up slightly and making turns. Reading some other post, I'm starting to think it might have to do with motor alignment. I remember when the installer set it up, I want to say it was 25" on center from the prop shaft. Looking at the prop wash on the way in, I didn't see any real convergence. They were pretty much side by side all the way back. So that will be the next item to address.

can you post a pic of the prop wash?

glad you got it feeling more stable in the trough

 

[seasick]

Depending on a bunch of variables; Motor trim, motor mounting hole, position of trim tabs and the like, it is possible that you are hearing blowout of the prop. As the boat turns and leans into the turn, the hull on the opposite side of the turn can lift up and lose bite.
On MyOtherBoat, this situation is easy to create just by having a bit too much trim up of tabs and/or too much motor trim up.

 

[Saltyone]

Depending on a bunch of variables; Motor trim, motor mounting hole, position of trim tabs and the like, it is possible that you are hearing blowout of the prop. As the boat turns and leans into the turn, the hull on the opposite side of the turn can lift up and lose bite.
On MyOtherBoat, this situation is easy to create just by having a bit too much trim up of tabs and/or too much motor trim up.

Motors are mounted as low as they can go, wasn't using any trim tabs, and motors weren't up very much. But yes, I'm pretty sure thats what I was hearing.

 

[SkunkBoat]

remind me...you have the 4 x 15.25x22 zuke props like me?

The motors are prbably 28" on center but its as simple as measuring from bolt to same bolt on other motor.
Then measure the tiller centers. If they are 28" then the motors are straight.
Adjusting toe-out is as simple as lengthening the tie bar by 1/2" to maybe 3/4". You may be limited by how much thread you have available on the tie bar.

 

[Saltyone]

remind me...you have the 4 x 15.25x22 zuke props like me?

The motors are prbably 28" on center but its as simple as measuring from bolt to same bolt on other motor.
Then measure the tiller centers. If they are 28" then the motors are straight.
Adjusting toe-out is as simple as lengthening the tie bar by 1/2" to maybe 3/4". You may be limited by how much thread you have available on the tie bar.

Yeah, same props. I'll have to measure it and see.

 

[SkunkBoat]

I can't imagine that your boat is any different than mine except for mine is set toe-out. The 4 blades really improved over the 3 blades for ventilation in turns and in sloppy seas.
The 15.25 are farther from the surface than 16" and you have 3 of 4 blades down and biting vs 2 of 3 blades

You say "in a turn" you mean a big turn like a 180 or a sharp 90 at speed? I only ever do that while in the river doing test runs or "boating like an idiot". I would say that if I'm trimmed up well for a straight run, a 90 or 180 will ventilate a little. It does track really well. The boat is a 22deg V. It will lay over pretty well which lifts the outside motor up (and pushes the inside motor down). You could bump the outside motor down if its a sweeping turn.

In typical fishing trips I never experience any ventilation unless I forget to trim down when stopping and then trying to take off with motors up.

 

[Saltyone]

Not really sharp turns, probably a 45 or less off the top of my head. But I even noticed it when running straight and the boat was rocking over chop/swells. My first boat with twins, so I know there is a bit of an adjustment for that as well, since the motors dont sit dead center like a single does.

 

[seasick]

When you say the motor is mounted in the first hole, do you mean the top or the bottom?
If you mean top, the motor would be lower in the water and would be less probable for blow out on turns.
So assuming the motors are the correct shaft length, you may just have the motors trimmed up a bit too much. Like Skunk said, some blowout quite possible if the hull lists enough at speed

 

[Saltyone]

When you say the motor is mounted in the first hole, do you mean the top or the bottom?
If you mean top, the motor would be lower in the water and would be less probable for blow out on turns.
So assuming the motors are the correct shaft length, you may just have the motors trimmed up a bit too much. Like Skunk said, some blowout quite possible if the hull lists enough at speed

Its mounted one hole down from the top hole, unfortunately cant go to the top hole or it hits the bang cap. Unless I put some sort of spacer between the motors and transom, or a jack plate.

 

[grady_22]

Saw you fixed your trim tab issue DIY. If you end up deciding to get the actual actuators I dealt with this exact issue. See the second page of my thread here. https://www.greatgrady.com/threads/quick-question-on-265-recessed-trim-tabs.32070/page-2

 

[Saltyone]

Saw you fixed your trim tab issue DIY. If you end up deciding to get the actual actuators I dealt with this exact issue. See the second page of my thread here. https://www.greatgrady.com/threads/quick-question-on-265-recessed-trim-tabs.32070/page-2

I actually had seen that thread. I'm thinking one of the previous owners must have replaced them at some point with the "off the shelf" short ones. I honestly think the only difference is the that pipe/stop. Looking at the ones you posted, the bodies look identical. Mine seem to be working OK so far since cutting the pipe.

 

[Saltyone]

remind me...you have the 4 x 15.25x22 zuke props like me?

The motors are prbably 28" on center but its as simple as measuring from bolt to same bolt on other motor.
Then measure the tiller centers. If they are 28" then the motors are straight.
Adjusting toe-out is as simple as lengthening the tie bar by 1/2" to maybe 3/4". You may be limited by how much thread you have available on the tie bar.

So I got around to measuring, at the tiller bar it's 27.5" and at the prop shaft it's 28.5". I think he set it up backwards being "toe-in".

 

[seasick]

If the motors are angled OUT from each other as would be the case with your measurements, it is relatively easy to verify. Trim the motors to straight , get on plane as comfortable cruise speed and look behind the boat at the wakes. If they don't converge somewhere between 25 and 50 feet ( approximate distances) the motors are toed in (or maybe parallel to each other.)

 

[Saltyone]

If the motors are angled OUT from each other as would be the case with your measurements, it is relatively easy to verify. Trim the motors to straight , get on plane as comfortable cruise speed and look behind the boat at the wakes. If they don't converge somewhere between 25 and 50 feet ( approximate distances) the motors are toed in (or maybe parallel to each other.)

Yeah, I had mentioned earlier that I dont see any real convergence of the prop wash. Looks like they run parallel all the way out when on plane