Bozeman Bob

I am going to assume its a inboard and the same cubic inch engine and it has been timed as well since you didn't answer my questions. Just cant see going any less than 15" in pitch on a boat that size . I am leaning towards something engine related like the carb not opening up all the way. Have you checked the linkage vs the movement of the carb linkage ? Really need more specific info

So this a new power plant of the same cubic inch or has that changed. Straight Inboard ? Really shouldn't rev her up to 3gs in neutral. I would assume you have had it timed as well.

You are going the wrong way. That pitch will decrease your RPMs by a couple hundred. Every inch of pitch equals about 200 rpm up or down , in your case I would guess with the bigger diameter and pitch you would lose 300 +rpms The bigger the diameter the slower it will go over a stock unit. In most cases bigger diameter props are for semi displacement hulls. What RPMs are you running and what is the motors advertised maximum rom range ?

www.wellcraftboatowners.com would be a site to research on. I would also google the year make model etc of what your looking at. There seems to be more negative reviews than good ones when you look at the google results.

Pretty sure the first digit is a M not 4 as in MS4a -, MS4b etc.

While walking along the lake on the way to the dock I saw a boat out there.. Did a double take, then saw it was the Niagara Sheriffs Dept rescue boat heading back to port, nothing in tow, must of been practicing or burning gas. Those things are pretty much unsinkable and your moving along at a speed that wont have you rocking and rolling. Yep, it was ugly out there today.

I have never laid eyes on a 48 ft Carolina, you must have deep pockets !

Saw something like that on one of those Extreme Homes TV shows the other day, had about 5 of them joined on various level and angles. Great idea to repurpose the containers and I would guess a lot cheaper than making it out of wood.

If you got some water on one of your fill ups that probably would of ended up in your spin on filter and be the source of your issue. One of my two filters per engine has a drain petcock on the bottom, and since gas floats on water it is easily checked with a clear glass catching it when drained periodically for inspection. Good to hear you got her purring !

And the marina diagnosed the problem or you just told them to change the gimbal bearing ? What kind of noise was it making ?

Besides the inline filter do you have a remote filter that looks like a oil filter ? Many boats will have two or even three filters. When was the carb last overhauled ? You could have some dirt in it, but my first thought is the filters or kinked hose that isn't letting the correct amount of fuel in. I would think if you had water in the gas it would work its way out or not run at any speed, along with you changing the inline filter which is probably close to the carb where the water would end up.

Why was the gimbal bearing replaced ? Cracked bellows and water intrusion ? If so I would agree with the U- joint being wiped out as well. Most marinas would of caught that ,I would take it back if the vibration wasn't there to begin with. Or pull the outdrive and do it yourself or a local auto repair shop can handle it if the marina isn't fair with there pricing.

Besides all the good advice above there are these big boats out there called Lake Freighters, along with the Ocean variety. Since anchoring is near impossible out there if you were to drift into one of the shipping lanes [ fog or no fog ] it could end badly for you, just saying.

Which direction you troll into the waves the majority of the time is also a factor. The boat will push to the opposite side of where it is mounted. If you have a tendency to troll so the waves are hitting your port side then the motor should be mounted on the starboard side. If its 50/50 then you may need a small trolling bag mounted on the same side as the motor to counter the wind and wave action along with the motor wanting to push it to the opposite side of where its mounted., This is more of a issue with a auto pilot set up.

I would talk to the local Fire Dept and see what they have to say. They usually have a lot of pull in those matters.

The big ones from Canada should be coming this way once they learn the border crossing regulations have been changed !

Make sure you swap out the alternator and starter motor to the marine version. No spark = no kaboom..

Sign up sheet indicates cash only which is no problem. The issue is we will be fishing it out of Wilson and do not want to drive to Sandy Creek to pay for the entry. Are there any options for people that do not live close to there ? And I take it we weigh in at the same stations as we do for the LOC ? IF there is something on your sites that I missed in regard to this I apologize in advance. Thanks

Whatever ... A true fisherman will make the most of what's presented to him. And with so many choices close by from the Finger Lakes/ Niagara River/Erie Canal/ St. Lawrence/Chautauqua to the 2 Great Lakes all within a stones throw for most of us they will find a launch ramp open. Its not like owning a snowmobile when there is no snow on the ground for two- three years in a row.. You can fish year round in WNY How many of your friends are actually selling there rigs because of the high water ? If anything not using them for a year will help them pay it off early. They don't have to buy any tackle, gas for towing or on the water , insurance ,maintenance for trailer and boat and the list goes on and on.

^ Hardly, a fisherman isn't going to throw the towel in because the water level is high. Someone looking at a 27' is more than likely not looking at a boat that is launched on a weekly basis. I bet most of the guys with boats had to get the OK from the Mrs and isn't going to give it up because of water levels. Most of the slips that are useable are earmarked for Charter/fisherman boaters. They use more gas, bring people into town or the local eating places/tackle shops on site marina store etc.. I see that in Wilson/Olcott so I imagine its like that lake wide.Just my opinion... HOW MANY GUYS ON HERE ARE THROWING IN THE TOWEL because the ramps are closed ????? I bet zero....

The Tiara ,as all true inboards will have a through hull exhaust and as I noted in my first post the exhaust manifolds will more than likely have to be replaced. I just googled your specific intake manifold for sale and a there is no shortage of them, which has nothing to do with the OPs question, but I thought I would look anyway !

^ Not winterizing a motor properly has nothing to do with salt water. Raw water cooling system rig that you bought tells it all , vs a closed system,cant compare apples to oranges Now a aluminum outdrive sitting in salt would not be my first choice and I would figure that replacement cost right away in the purchase price. Inboards do not have that issue. Also do not think engine and outdrive problems are limited to salt , just look at some post from Fishing the FL and his nightmare fresh water boat and that's just one example. I am sure you will see a ton if you go through the post on this Old Boat Forum.

Crusaders are a chevy block with there bolt on parts ,like maybe the shape of the exhaust manifolds,type of carb / ignition system/ heat exchangers but the basic long block is Chevy. If there high hours but a closed cooling system I would not worry to much. The 350 blocks if properly maintained will go from 3,000 to ,yes I have seen it, 6000 hours. Long blocks [ complete with cylinder heads etc ] go for 2500 -3500 and are pretty much plug and play,not that hard to swap out. Good luck and report back your findings, hopefully it comes with a trailer ,if not there is one on here for sale. Makes it a lot less expensive as far as winter storage and paying some one to haul it here. Pays for itself in a few years along with resale value if it ever comes to that. And a lot easier working in your driveway than driving to a marina and forgetting some tools etc. needed.