New Owner '04 Utopia - Couple questions -

[MKITGO2]

Hi,
Just took delivery of my new (to me) '04 Utopia. Had a great weekend with the kids, learning the boat etc... Have a couple questions for those with more experience with these.

250 Optimax runs well, starts without issues. But in neutral, I get a slight 'walk' or pull forward... I tried putting it into reverse just a hair to see if getting the bucket down just a bit more would help it stay more neutral. Maybe I am being to particular, but in Neutral should or can the boat actually remain stationary? Or am I expecting too much? I understand that the jet pump is always spinning.

If the above is normal, how do you let the boat warm up at the dock? any tricks.

The Second question, related to the above, is what is your normal idling RPM? I am sitting about 1,000 to 1,100 which seems a bit high... for no real reason, I expected 600-750 would be normal. If it is too high, I would bet that it will help resolve my neutral concerns. Can you advise on the best way to adjust the idle on these boats? Is it electronic through engine management or can it be done mechanically through the cable?

Thanks in advance for your help. Hoping that as I learn more about the new toy I can return the favor back and contribute in future.

Cheers,
MK

 

[AirSniper]

You may be expecting too much. You can put it slightly in reverse to help; you may need adjustment, but you will easily learn to manage the forward pull.
I think 1000 rpm seems high after the eng is warm, would need to look though - plenty of folks here may know.

 

[Dr Honda]

Welcome and congrats on the new boat. So... let's dive into it....


1) Jet boats don't have "Neutral". With a normal outboard, or IO... there is a gear box, and they physically shift the propeller to go forward and back... and... in neutral, it's not spinning at all. With a jet drive... the impeller is always spinning. The bucket on the rear just diverts the water. Because of that... the water is always sucking in the bottom (causing a forward motion) and water going out the back. because of that... you will always be moving to some extent if your engine is running.


OK... in your mind (a new jet boat owner) you are seeing this as a negative. BUT, you can use it to your advantage while docking and loading back on the trailer. You have steering thrust to shift you around when in "neutral". Not to mention... you can play with how much forward or reverse you apply in slow speed situations. The more you drive it... the more you will like it's benefits.


2) There is a simple answer to this question... we don't warm up at the dock. It's dumb. NEVER walk away from the helm with the engine running. (Even tied up) Besides... it wastes fuel... stirs up the sand under the docks... and since it's a 2-stroke... smokes out the other people. So... get people on the boat... start it... and head out.


3) It's a 2-stroke... not an old car engine. (like with an IO) It's going to idle higher than you are accustomed to. 1000 rpm is normal. As I recall... the spec is 950 to 1100 rpm on the 250 Opti engine.

 

[MKITGO2]

Thanks for the great info. I am familiar with 2-strokes but not in a v6 so wasn't sure about the rpms. Large 4 cylinder s we've had were in the 700 to 800 range , Glad to know it's in spec though.

With the steering at low speed, I'm getting the hang of it (still a ways to go) but I already like it better than stern drive in a few ways especially with the 1/2 turn lock-to-lock steering. Being able to slide forward then reverse, without a transmission to worry about is great, already managed to figure out a bit of balancing in place pretty easily.

I do need to purge the oil system before I go out next... The light and beeper came on as I headed in on Sunday, but I had just added oil after a 1/2 tank gas top up the previous evening. I'm hoping it's that simple to balance there system again is all that's needed.

This is also why I was asking about the idle at the dock, as I need to run the engine to purge the air from the engine side tank.

Thanks again for the advice and info!

 

[Dr Honda]

You don't really need to purge the air from the tank. Take the cap off, top it with oil, and replace the cap... and you are good to go. But I do understand why you asked about the dock now.


The other benefits to a jet drive is... you can really slide the boat sideways, stop it, and continue to rotate. It's great for docking in tight places. Also... go out to a quiet place, and practice spinning without moving forward or back. (Can't do that with an IO) basically, keep the wheel turned, and work the shifter to keep from moving forward or back. This will come in handy, getting out of a tight dock.

 

[MKITGO2]

BTW - On the Oil can anyone share some intel on often you need to top up the oil tank vs. Hours or filling the gas tank... Does it run through the full oil resevoir on 1 tank of gas (give or take of course) or 1/2 tank??

Want to make sure I have enough on hand at the cottage for when we need it (we are boat to access only, so I can't hop in the car to grab more if I run low)

Cheers,
MK

 

[Dr Honda]

The Opti should use less oil than mine. It took me 2 years to burn the 3 gallon tank of oil.


Well... if you do the math... you are burning about 40:1 at full power. SO... that would be about 120 gal of fuel to the 3 gallon oil tank. But that's at full power. The opti can go as lean as 120:1 at idle. And is variable in between. I'm guessing you will find that you will burn closer to 200 gal fuel between oil tank fill ups.