2013, ss owner with ?

Fred

Picking up my 2013 SS 188 IO in a few days. What can I expect for an owners manual? What is procedure for engine break in? After appropriate break in.....how fast will it go? What is a reasonable cruising speed to achieve better fuel economy. Please offer any suggestions to me this is my first "new"boat, first I/O, first Hurricane. Thanks in advance for any help! Fred

nquirk

@Fred, welcome to the Hurricane Owners Forum, becoming a first time 'new' boater and Hurricane owner.  You're obviously a very intelligent man buying a SS188 - that's what I have

The owners manual is a care and overview manual, not great specifics.  You should get some further information from your dealer when you water test your new boat, and do a full inspection and explanation.

 

I'm an OB engine owner however I'll suspect your break in will be similar.  For the first 10 hours, you'll want to do the following:

 

- minimize Wide Open Throttle (WOT).  If you go there, never stay there for more than 5 seconds.  Remember, you're breaking the engine in.

- don't ride at idle speeds for long periods.  Example, my wife and I like to grab a coffee and the dogs and putt up/down the lake for an hour in the early morning.  Not a good idea to be sitting at lowest possible idle for 30+ minutes.

- vary your RPMs.  You don't want to get your engine at 3000 RPMs and cruise for an hour.  You want to vary the RPMs used as you work the engine in.  I suspect you'll float around up/down a few 100 RPMs as you break it in.  Essentially extreme low and extreme high RPMs isn't sometime to do during break in

- tow nothing.  This isn't the time to take the kids tubing or your buddy waterskiing.  It adds extra load. 

- lastly, you'll want the 10 hours to go by so fast and use it differently as mentioned above.  My thought, fill the tank with gas, and go spend the entire weekend circling the lake.  It's pass, and then you'll have your engine ready for 1000s of hours of enjoyment.

How fast will it go?  Tough question.  What engine is in it?  What prop is on it?  These will have variations on what the exact top speed with be but I suspect you'll float somewhere around 50MPH (give or take 2-3 MPH either way)    I hit 52 with a 200HP OB, but I'm propped for watersports, not top end speed so I suspect mid to high 50s is possible with my setup.

Best fuel economy.  Once you're boat is on plane, that RPM range plus a few 100 RPMs will give you probably your best fuel economy (besides idling) 

For comparison.  My engine has a top end of 5600RPMs

At idle:

700-800 RPMs, fuel consumption of 0.6 GPH, speed of 3-4 MPH

At cruise (just above on plane speed of 25MPH)

3200-3500 RPMs, fuel consumption of 6-7 GPH, speed of 27-30MPH

At WOT

5600 RPMs, fuel consumption of 20 GPH, speed of 52 MPH

So getting it on plane and/just above will give the 'best' fuel economy

Hope this helps and enjoy your new Hurricane and be sure to come back and post pictures.  Love to see other Hurricanes.

 

...Nelson

 

Fred

Nelson, Thanks for info. Engine is 4.3, 220 HP. Should the engine and out drive have separate owners manuals? With these new engines having cat converters, I assume they also have O2 sensors and engine computer. I was wondering if the computer will limit my engine rpm during break in?

nquirk

@Fred, yes, you should definitely get an owners manual for the engine.  I have a Mercury OB and the dealer provided it to me.  If you didn't get one for the engine, speak with your dealer to get that manual.

Again, I don't have an I/O but I know on my engine which should have similar electronics and onboard computer (uses the same Smart Monitoring system) doesn't restrict or limit the RPMs but it does record it so if you over run the RPMs during break in, Mercury will know.