Throttle Deadband

[Ddip1125]

Hi All. Hope you are starting to enjoy some of the warm weather out there on your boats. I'm a new jet boat owner and got the boat out yesterday for the break in. I am a little disappointed in the responsiveness of the throttle. It seems like you have to move the throttle quite a bit to get any propulsion. This happens in both forward and reverse. This may be completely normal and I am just not used to it yet but I thought I would check on here to see if that can be adjusted. Sorry if this is common knowledge but coming from a stern drive to a jet boat I'm not sure there is any common knowledge haha. Thanks guys!

 

[OperationROL]

Yes, the size of the impellers and the amount of water that is projected out of the pumps does not provide significant propulsion until the RPM rise a bit. So there is a band between which propulsion is limited. This is normal and you will get use to it.

Also, if your clean out plugs are not seated will, that will limit propulsion as well.

 

[Bruce]

The middle of the throttle range moves the buckets that convert forward movement to reverse. In this range the throttle is at idle. This part of the throttle is very useful for low speed precise manuvers, especially if you engage the no wake mode to bump up the RPM.

 

[Ddip1125]

Thanks guys. It just feels a little odd because I feel like I'm moving the throttle pretty far in both directions before anything happens at all. I'm just used to that immediate response. The good news is once you get to the spot where it responds it goes and it goes quickly!

 

[Bruce]

That part of the throttle range is simply moving the buckets. Try having the steering wheel straight and move one throttle forward to just before the RPMs start to increase (bucket fully open) and the other to reverse just before the RPMs start to increase (bucket fully closed). The boat will slowly spin in place. Play with this and the steering wheel and you can learn to walk the boat sideways.

 

[Ddip1125]

Hey Bruce, I've been wondering how guys do that. In order to walk it sideways do you have to keep switching the throttle levers?

 

[Bruce]

Hey Bruce, I've been wondering how guys do that. In order to walk it sideways do you have to keep switching the throttle levers?

Here is a good thread with a video https://jetboaters.net/threads/maneuvering-question.5504/

It is hard to explain but with practice you will find it easy.