Ficht question

well i finally got the boat out today and was able to see how my newly installed fuel flow sensor worked.. had me, wife and the 2 kids on the boat. 50 gallons of fuel in the boat and almost calm flat river conditions

the ol 200 johnson ocean pro was using 2 GPH at idle in neutral

cruising at 4000RPM produced 28.6 MPH using 11.4 GPH

cruising at 4500RPM produced 33.7 MPH using 14.2 GPH

trolling at 1800RPM produced 6.51 MPH using 3.4 GPH

and drumroll....wideopen trimmed up at 5800RPM produced 44.4 MPH using 24.5 GPH (OUCH)

and i also checked the cavitation plate running wideopen and the engine trimmed in the middle and i could see it just below the water line, so i think the engine is mounted properly..

whatca think ferm??
 

Attachments

  • trolling.jpg
    trolling.jpg
    24.2 KB · Views: 7
  • 4000.jpg
    4000.jpg
    24.9 KB · Views: 6
  • 4500.jpg
    4500.jpg
    21.9 KB · Views: 7
  • wideopen.jpg
    wideopen.jpg
    24.1 KB · Views: 8
  • tach.jpg
    tach.jpg
    46.1 KB · Views: 7
Providing your fuel flow sensor is reading correctly, then those numbers are not that bad at all. Those numbers are actually pretty close to what I burn in my HYDRA-SPORTS, and it's only a 20 footer(but it's a HEAVY 20 footer). Your WOT is a little high, but not horrible. I would have expected to have seen 21-23 GPH at WOT as my 225 that is putting out a bit more than 225 at the prop is burning about 27 GPH at hammer time. I hate to tell you this but you won't see a big improvement in those numbers with a FICHT or ETEC at the cruise speed. Trolling will improve greatly and the WOT will come down, but at cruise I would only expect to see a 15-20% improvement over those numbers. The only upside to going to a modern engine would be you could go to a bigger HP and keep your fuel burn where you are or a touch lower at cruise.
 
THEFERMANATOR said:
Providing your fuel flow sensor is reading correctly, then those numbers are not that bad at all. Those numbers are actually pretty close to what I burn in my HYDRA-SPORTS, and it's only a 20 footer(but it's a HEAVY 20 footer). Your WOT is a little high, but not horrible. I would have expected to have seen 21-23 GPH at WOT as my 225 that is putting out a bit more than 225 at the prop is burning about 27 GPH at hammer time. I hate to tell you this but you won't see a big improvement in those numbers with a FICHT or ETEC at the cruise speed. Trolling will improve greatly and the WOT will come down, but at cruise I would only expect to see a 15-20% improvement over those numbers. The only upside to going to a modern engine would be you could go to a bigger HP and keep your fuel burn where you are or a touch lower at cruise.
Click to expand...

i hope my fuel flow sensor is reading correctly.. it's new (not that if that means anything), and i followed lowrance's setup instructions to a T.. i'm atleast going to keep the ocean pro until spring of next year and make some more trips offshore with it and see now if i can control some fuel burn now that i can watch it.. but i know a late model FICHT will cut my trolling fuel burn down ALOT and i could also like you said step up to a 250 and still get better fuel burn and not work the engine so hard..it all depends on what i find when i'm looking and how my money plays out come that time.
 
Just to make this all more confusing--
V-20 200HO E-Tec

At 43mph I am burning 14gph and wide open at 53+ I am burning 23gph
but at normal 35 mph I burn around 9gph and at troll speed around .9gph. These fuel burns are with my full top up as well.

I do not have all the rpms off the top of my head for these speeds, but I am spinning a 15 x 19 SS Rebel OMC.
 
evilgli said:
well i finally got the boat out today and was able to see how my newly installed fuel flow sensor worked.. had me, wife and the 2 kids on the boat. 50 gallons of fuel in the boat and almost calm flat river conditions

the ol 200 johnson ocean pro was using 2 GPH at idle in neutral

cruising at 4000RPM produced 28.6 MPH using 11.4 GPH

cruising at 4500RPM produced 33.7 MPH using 14.2 GPH

trolling at 1800RPM produced 6.51 MPH using 3.4 GPH

and drumroll....wideopen trimmed up at 5800RPM produced 44.4 MPH using 24.5 GPH (OUCH)

and i also checked the cavitation plate running wideopen and the engine trimmed in the middle and i could see it just below the water line, so i think the engine is mounted properly..

whatca think ferm??
Click to expand...


175 2.4L Merc Blackmax will put you right at 9gph @ 4000rpm with the same speed
 
That 175 2.4 is my motor, what a great motor on gas, and that was on a 3000 pound dry weight, Sea Ox!

I just moved up to a 225 4 stroke , with weight and HP I am guessing I not going to do any better on gas then the 175?? But it will be nice and quiet and more power when needed.
 
Don't think you will save any $$$ that ficht. What you save in fuel . . . will cost you in Special Oil, Plugs, and Repairs. The difference in fuel price for a 80 mile trip with gas at $2.50 2.5mpg = $80 3.5mpg = $57 . . . That's a whopping $25 per trip savings ;)

10 Trips = $250 savings
20 trips = $500 savings

Unless you are commercial . . . it's very very hard to make the new motor fuel cost benefit equation argument (especially when you have a good reliable motor now).
 
Last edited:
guys i have decided as of now i'm gonna stick with the ol johnson.. might play around with some props, but i don't think the little fuel saving is worth dropping money on a new engine at this time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top