Solas Impeller on 2019 AR195?

[dshscarab]

Hello everyone. I have a 2019 AR195 SVHO. Will the Solas YV-CD 13/18 Impeller fit and work on my boat? Even after the Lucky 13 and resealing the pump, I still have some cavitation on my boat. Also only have a top speed of 43 @7550 rpms. When I pulled the pump to reseal, I didn't see any marks on the impeller. I have done the ribbon delete as well. Boat has 46 hours on it. What do you guys think?

 

[jdkaeser]

From what I've been reading on the forum, the newer 195's have a better matched impeller than the older models and some guys have swapped and have seen no gains for the hassle. 43 MPH however is pretty low. I have a 2020 195S and it hit 48 - 50 MPH right out of the box with 3 people and a full tank of gas. My 2 questions would be, 1 are you using 93 octane gas? 2 have you checked your throttle cable to make sure you are getting full range of motion. Also, from what I've been reading the Lucky 13 will drop your overall top speed. A sacrifice that most are okay with to get a better hole shot for watersports. If you used all 3 spacers on the L13 you could try going down to 1 or 2 of the spacers instead of all 3. That should get the top speed higher but you'll get more cavitation. Also, maybe check all the connections on the intake system as well. You said you did the ribbon delete. You could have a air leak and are not getting all the boost. I personally don't plan on doing the ribbon delete because in my opinion the minimal gain does not offset the protection that thing provides. A catastrophic failure in the supercharger or intercooler without the ribbon = new engine. Plus, it is a pain in the butt on the new models with it being integrated into the manifold. If guys were posting 5 MPH gains with it I would consider the risk. PS, that's just my opinion and I don't fault you or anyone else for doing it to their boat. I've spent years chasing performance gains with cars and motorcycles! Now I just pick the safest and largest rewarding mods, the cross I bear as I get older!!

 

[dshscarab]

Thanks for your reply @ jdkaeser. I actually agree with your statement about the Ribbon delete. I only did it due to my low speeds. I could remove a spacer from the L13 as I am running all 3. However, I still have a little cavitation with all 3 spacers in so I hated to create even more by removing a spacer or two. I have double checked the manifold and everything is sealed up good. There are no leaks that I can find. Also, I just recently replaced the plugs with no difference. I forgot to add that I do have the Cobra Jet but that does not affect speed as far as I know. As far as your fuel question, I always use ethanol-free Recreational 90 fuel. I did add some Boostang to bring the octane up twice with no difference that I could tell. I have not used premium unleaded due to the ethanol content.

 

[jdkaeser]

I'd give some good ol 93 a chance. 10% based Ethanol gasoline will actually increase performance in boosted engines. Some street racers will use E85 with boosted engines for added performance. We tend to shy away from them in boats for the whole fear of the water separation. If your using the boat regularly, regular 93 should be fine. If it's going to sit let's say over winter. Topping it off and adding sta-bil will cover your butt. A lot of the octane boosters are garbage from what I've been reading. I'm not familiar with the product you're using but I know the guys on the Engine Power tv show use stuff called Race Gas from www.race-gas.com. I'm sure they get paid for product placements on the show but they also seem to pick the best stuff to get the best results. Also, the can is ugly which makes me think it works! I work in marketing and design so sometimes the slickest looking can has the worst shit in it! I know I'm going to give it a try to see how it works since no marinas I've ever been to have high octane fuel. I'm a day boater anyway, only 2 or 3 trips a year where the boat will be in the water for several days and need to fill up on the lake.

 

[dshscarab]

That sounds like a plan.I will do that just to see if it makes any difference. It may take me a couple weeks as I have a 1/2 of a tank right now and probably won't be able to even go out on it till Thursday. But I will give it a shot. I will let you know. Thanks again.

 

[jdkaeser]

Good Luck! I will say 43 MPH in South Florida all year long still sounds better than NOT getting to do 50 MPH in Cincinnati until Spring!! I'm super jealous!

 

[dshscarab]

I went out this morning, it was 73 degrees with a water temp of 75. (Not to make @jdkaeser jealous lol. I didn't change anything and attempted to run the rest of the fuel out of the boat. I had 45 % according to the fuel gauge. The boat ran the best it ever has. I actually touched 46 mph for a few seconds. It consistently ran 45 MPH @ 7550 to 7610 RPM. Maybe cooler temperatures are a factor. Maybe there is still some heat soak even with the newer boats.

 

[haknslash]

I would take it to the dealer because something is not right. Perhaps they installed the wrong impeller at the factory? You don't have anyone or any gear sitting in the bow when doing those top speed runs do you?

Double check the throttle stop at the APS to make sure you're actually getting full use of the throttle cable. Also check to make sure your clean out plug is actually sealing. I vaguely remember some of the new clean out plug boats had issues with bad sealing.

It's no heat soak because your RPM's would be 7100 RPM or so. Cooler temps actually give better performance for boosted applications so doubt that is it either. Something is not right. Do you wet slip or is there any growth in your hull?

 

[dshscarab]

Thanks for the reply. To answer your questions @haknslash, I don't have anyone sitting forward of me in the boat. During the summer, My top speed was around 41 / 42 at approximately 7100 to 7200 RPM. Only yesterday morning did I ever see the speed hit 45 and the RPMs up to 7550 to 7610. I do not wet slip. Trailer only. I also waxed the bottom of the boat prior to going out yesterday. (Maybe why I got an extra few MPH) I use the Magic Lube on the clean out and have checked the seal. There is always a little water sitting on top which I have read is normal. When I removed the Ribbon, I checked the throttle stop and adjusted it slightly so that it hits full throttle. As far as your theory about the impeller, I have wondered that myself. That is why I was thinking about putting on a Solas.

 

[haknslash]

Hmm yea sounds like you've checked all the places I would look into. When you sealed did you seal just the ride plate or the tunnel as well? If you have removed the rear pump it also might be worth sealing as I've read that can cause issues as well if not sealed. I would for sure pull the pump and check the P/N on the impeller if it has any stamping on it. It could be the correct impeller p/n but just a bad Impeller I suppose.

7100 rpm is in the heat soak range. However the way you can tell if your intercooler is efficient is if you drop RPM's but speed stays the same. Some RPM flu toon is normal as humidity and air quality is always changing. The big thing that shouldn't deviate is the speed more than the rpm.

 

[dshscarab]

When I pulled the pump a few months prior, I really didn't look for any part number markings on the impeller. I was paying more attention to dings or scratches on the impeller. I didn't see any concerns either. I did seal around the tunnel, ride plate, and pump housing as there really wasn't much sealant on the housing. I, of course, put some grease on the end of the driveshaft splines. I am really at a loss unless like you suggested that they (factory) put on the wrong impeller or something I didn't notice with the impeller. I currently have 49 hours on the boat. Purchased brand new.

 

[haknslash]

Yea sounds like you covered all the bases. Really makes you wonder if the incorrect impeller got installed at the factory. I would use premium as the engine calls for. It's possible it is detecting lower octane and pulling timing accordingly to prevent detonation or knock. I would just run stabil every other tank or so during the season and of course when you store for winter. I use normal pump gas and don't worry about it,

 

[dshscarab]

That what I am planing on doing. I really appreciate all of your help. I will keep your posted. Thanks

 

[dshscarab]

Just an update to this post. I put premium (93) fuel in the boat. It had 18% non ethanol Rec 90 prior to this fill up. I also treated the fuel with 4 oz of Sta-bil 360. I went out this morning for another canal run. Air temp 79 degrees, 10 to 17 mph wind. water temp about 74 degrees. I really can't say that I experienced anything different. Speeds were about 45 MPH (46.3 GPS). Full tank of Premium 93 fuel and just me only.
I really think I am going to order the Solas YV-CD-13/18 and see what that does.

 

[jdkaeser]

Most of the 195's top out around 48-49 mph. When I hit 50 mph it was on a pretty cold day and a water temp in the high 50's so I would guess I had zero heat soak. So at 45 mph you are only off by 3 mph. If I had to guess, it is probably the L13 that is causing that minimal reduction as many have posted losing some off the top speed after installing. That being said, if you do swap to a Solas and use the L13 and get 50 or over, I definitely want to know as I will do the same in my boat!

 

[jacoviii]

Unless I missed it. Check that you have good water flow thought the inter cooler. Also check that the spark plugs are gaped to spec. also might try smaller gap. Might look to see that your CJ fins are aligned properly. You never know they may have gotten out of wack seeing how you southern guy like to hang out on the sandbars. They could be causing drag.

 

[dshscarab]

Only 49 hours on the boat and I have changed the plugs twice already. 1st Time at 10 hours and put the gap right at the extreme specs. 2nd Time at approximately 45 hours and put the gap at minimum specs. Easier starting when cold at minimum other then that, no performance difference that I could tell. Believe it or not, I have not beached or hung out at the sand bar as of yet. I haven't even dropped anchor yet. The CJ Fins look true and move easy.
I just ordered the Impeller. It is suppose to come by Thursday. Friday morning, I may tackle the job. Testing would be Saturday morning with my son. I hate to pull the pump again but I am excited to see the difference if any. (Hopefully for the better).

 

[dshscarab]

Update as promised. On Friday morning, I installed the Solas YV-CD-13/18 impeller. It wasn't that hard to get the factory one off though I did use a lot of heat before trying. After installing the Solas, it appeared (by looks only) that it may have been less clearance between the blades and the wear ring. I did not see any concerns with the original (factory) impeller. (I uploaded the pictures of the factory one). Today, (Saturday) I took the boat to the same canal as last time. Very close to similar conditions. Definitely almost zero cavitation at take off. Smoother and better performance throughout the rpm range. Absolutely no cavitation when hammering it at mid throttle unlike before. I ran consistently at 47 mph. Definitely better than with the factory impeller but I will admit, I am a little disappointed that it wasn't at or close to 50 mph. I am not sure if the expense and work justifies the improvement made. I do believe that I was bouncing off the rev limiter as the digital tachometer was reading at 7688 rpms. I would really like to do the Map X Tunner but can't justify the $1014.00 expense. Plus, I actually like being married to this wife.

 

[dshscarab]

Well, I can't believe I just did this but I ordered the Maptuner X. Lets see what happens now (Both with the boat and my wife. lol)

 

[dshscarab]

Got that Maptuner X and uploaded the AR195 Stage 1 Plus Tune. I got to 50 MPH once. Most runs were 49 MPH. The hole shot and mid range are very impressive. However, even with the Lucky 13 and all 3 washers on, I am experiencing bad cavitation especially on hole shot. I have previously sealed the intake tunnel. The only thing I have never done is removed the intake grate and seal that. I attempted to remove the hex heads bolts and of course, one head stripped. Now the PITA begins to extract the bolt.
Do you think my cavitation could be from around the intake grate? I really can't see where it would be anywhere else.