Boat gas usage per set

[rwskier]

allright, the gas bill has landed for the year. 2009 196 had 206 sets with 379 gallons of gas which makes it 1.83 gal/set. 2010 200 had 201 sets with 414 gallons which makes it 2.05 gla/set. this is an 11% increase for the 200 over the 196. Not what I would call a huge difference but certainly noteable. The bigger problem is the price of the gas which has gone up 16% in the same time period.

With maintainence and fuel it has taken our per set costs to $8.96/set from $6.26 last year....painful.

Russell

[6balls]

Roughly the same speed mix for sets between these boats over the season ie) 34 mph vs 36 mph? 

[Andre]

Which engine in both boats?

That's quite an increase in price per set...  :(

[ForrestGump]

I looked at one month of ours.  With the 200 in comparison to the 196. The difference is we used the same prop(422) on both boats and our fuel usage was almost identical.

[Kelvin]

Shane, that's nice to hear.  I switched to the 422 as well.

[rwskier]

the engines both were the 343 hp excalibur, the props had changed just slightly. they went from a 12.5 x 14.5 to a 12.5 x 14.25 for the 200. We had esentially the same speed mix for the year, mostly all 34 mph. We did pull a lot of tournaments this year but those calcuations don't fit into our fuel useage since tournament use there own fuel.

R

[Marco]

Useful data Russell.  Thanks for sharing.  Does anyone have a gas usage per set for the 200 with the 409?

[SM]

rwskier, How many passes is a typical set for you guys?

[eyepeeler]

Great info, rw.  Thank you.

[Guest]

My RLXI burns way less than 1 gallon per set at 55K. ( A set is max 6 passes, or 2 falls). Monsoon.

[Jody_Seal]

11% that is far less than the 30% that many claimed. Russell why did you run the 14.25 and not go to a prop that would have better diminished the higher rpms down to something around 3800 at 36 and 3600 at 34?. As far as the 6 liter I ran for the most part a prop that kept the rpms way down from what the boat came stock with and seat of the pants it seemed about the same as my 09 with the same motor. it is real hard to calulate fuel usage but when it warms up i plan running diacom and reading fuel consumption while in the slalom course with a skier.

Thanks Russell for the report.

[rwskier]

We typically do take at least 8 passes in a set, a little more than the norm I guess, but we are not usually pressured with skiers behind us.

I run that Prop because it is a promo boat and that is the approved prop for that engine configuration. I probably could run something different and no one would know the difference, but I found no need to experiment.

 

Russell

[rwskier]

Btw, I am real confident in our calcuations. We keep a daily log of all sets on the boat and our fuel usage is monitered with individual metering system

[skiinxs]

So you were running a 12.5 X 14.5 on your 196 instead of the stock 12.5X15.5?

[lkb]

rwskier, i've been running 196's for last 8 yrs(6 different ones) and i use more like 1 to 1.25 gallons for a 6-8 pass set at 34 mph. My metering system = 5 gallon jug, though...

[rwskier]

Skiinxs. I am 90 % sure that is what was used on the 196. I have my spare at the lake and willcheck when I'm there next. I could not find history of what was approved for the 196,but now I'm curious.

Russell

[ForrestGump]

Russell, the 422 was used on the 196. 12.5x15.5. It is such a better prop for a 200 unless you're jumping. It lowers the rpm at 34 by 550.  Jody has also had good experiences with it as well as an OJ. 

 fwiw......The chief driver at nationals as well as our rvp told us they don't even have the prop on the list of things to check on the boats at regionals or nationals.

[RichardDoane]

shane -as long as no one complains, or makes a stink about different size/pitch/rpm

[LeonL]

I would think that whether or not its on a check list, the CJ at Nats or Regs would check for correct prop as tested as a matter of course.  BTW my '08 196 consumes about 1.2 gallons per set.  Usually 6 but sometimes up to 8 passes. We log sets skied and fill up out a bulk tank with a meter, so it's pretty accurate.

[bmiller3536]

We had similar results with 196, about 4 sets per 5 gallon tank.

[rwskier]

Our boat was used at the Western Regionals this last year and I recall that the boat did get checked for the proper prop during the check in process.  I would personally hope that the chief drivers are checking those kind of details.

I still cant find the approved prop for the 2009 196 but I am pretty certain that it was a 12.5 x 14.5, which would account for  some difference in fuel consuption over a 12.5 x 15.5.

Russell

[Jody_Seal]

Russell that is correct you should make sure your boat has the "approved" equipment when participating in tournaments. I install the "apporved" prop on my boat when it goes to tournaments but install the prefered prop for my needs as soon as it gets pulled out and goes back to the site we ski on day to day. Besides it is the tournaments gas and not mine that is getting used.

The "approved" equipment is not always the best for the tournament. Keep in mind the the only reason all the manufacturers run the props they run is for the drag race test (power and acceleration) that the tow boat committee decided was representing how a boat gets into a course or pulls a jumper. If you all could see how some of these boats are presented to the test you would see stripped down interrior, no tower no bimini top and they still can not make the time. Is it time for towboat criteria to change? yes it is! Will they AWSA implement a change? No they wont!! I am just glad they dont tell me what kind of tires to run on my trailer!!

RANT? 

[ForrestGump]

Russell, at least on the 343 the approved prop for the 196 was the Acme 422(12.5x15.5).

[Ed_Johnson]

Jody,

I would like to ask you, from your experience, what prop you prefer on the 200 with the 409, and what changes it makes?

Mine has the stock prop, with way more power than is needed for slalom. I could care less about any difference in fuel consumption, since one 5.5 gal can lasts for 3 10 pass sets. I am more concerned with wake and the hardness of the pull.

Thanks,   ED

[Jody_Seal]

Ed, just my experiances with the 2 200's that I have had I prefer the 2011 CB with the 13X15.5 4 blade OJ over the stock 654 ACME. I really can not tell any difference at the wake but the OJ brings the RPMS down substancially back into a range that I feel comfortable with. I have had it over at Cory's with the OJ and just about everyone that has skied the boat think it is a great feeling boat to slalom with. I also dont mind running a 422 ACME as it runs very similar on the boat as the OJ again cant find any perceved issues at the wake, Now if you want to talk tricks my son Stephen feels that the OJ has less table turbulance then the ACME, But this is BOS and we could get warned for talking tricks!LOL!!!

When things warm up I will be more than happy to lend out the OJ for your own evaluation just pick up the shipping tab.

Jody

[Ed_Johnson]

Jody,

Thanks for the offer, I may take you up on that. How much RPM difference is there at 34MPH?

Thanks, ED

[RichardDoane]

Russell - most chief drivers that check boats into tournaments are just checking "prop condition", that way the LOC isn't held responsible for any previous dings/damage.

[rwskier]

Hey guys,

After getting to the lake I realized that our spare prop is a #422 12.5 x 15.5. I now recall that our 200 was delivered with 12.5 x 14.5 and then shortly after they sent out a 12.5 x 14.25 which is the approved prop for a 2010 200 with a 343hp engine.

With that being said I may have to try running the 422 on our boat and see what becomes. I am also suprised after some of your comments that we did not experience better fuel economy with the 196 in years past.

I obviously would not run the 422 during tournaments but I am curious what it would do to fuel economy for practice.

Thanks for the comments....

Russell

[skiinxs]

200's were initially delivered with 12.5 x 15's, then 12.5 x 14.25's were sent out.  In my opinion the 12.5x15 is a much better choice for the 343.  Much lower rpm's, all of the power out of the hole you could ever want.

Dave

[Guest]

Did you use the same cruise control on both boats ?

 When I run Perfect Pass in rpm mode I get about 7-8% better economy that in Star Gazer mode.  

[ral]

Jody,

no difference for the ZO software with the 13X15.5 4 blade OJ? What is the difference in fuel consumption? With the 800 hours/year we put in our boats, we could pay it pretty soon I guess...

[Jody_Seal]

provided you are not at altitude over 2500' and you are only utilizing it for slalom and general waterski activites you should get real close to a similar equipped 196 fuel wise. As the earlier report around 11% increase over a 196with a stock set up. Skiability I find no noticable diference with my set up as far as how it feels behind the boat. I skied with Cory's 08 197 MC last week and it felt horriable in comparison.

[ral]

Jody,

 

2500' is a close call for Santiago...