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New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Hello,
This is my first post so i guess its my introduction as well. I am buying a diablo next week put dep. on it on monday. Picked it up for 3500 interior in pretty decent shape few nicks here and there but is without major rips and tears. It has the 4.3 alpha in it. I am pretty much new to boating. My family lived on a river growing up we always had boats but nothing nice usually small aluminums with crappy outboards that never ran worth of crap. My whole family has started into bigger boats the last couple years and we are all addicted. WHile the rest of my family still goes the outboard route, i have gone inboard as i can tinker on cars so this more closely matches. Last year i bought a rough shape bayliner 89 i think with a 302 omc. I had it for a week and some gaskets let go in the carb and being short on money and having buyers remorse sold it pretty quickly for a little less than i paid for it. Ok lesson learned. I could have fixed it cheaply, but after buying i figured i didnt car for the half a(()_ed interior job or the bulky feeling of the over 3000lb boat. Ok so thats some of my history, but onto the diablo. I wasnt going to buy this summer but couldnt pass this up. It will come with a 30 day warranty to allow me time to make sure everything is good. First ? for you mariah guru's. What can i expect for speed out of the 4.3? He is saying he topped it out on gps at 32 mph. This seems horribly low. Keep in mind i would very rarely run over 40 but i bought the v6 for pulling my kids tubing and eventually other watersports. I still want the ability to run fast if i so choose. Is it even possible that someone changed the prop so drastically that it would only run 32? Should i assume there is something wrong? The guy seems to have good knowledge of boats small repair shop that also sells boats and cars. Im also finding mixed information on the weight of the boat. Iboats.com says 1600 i assume with the 3.0 and nada says 2300 i think. 2 more cylinders doesnt equate to 700 lbs. Is there a place with the 93 brochures? that would also tell me top speed. He had a flat spot in the starter so hes replacing that this week. Overall seems very good shape and the quality and fit and finish seem very nice on these boats. I will just start with that ? for now since this post has gone quite long. Thanks in advance |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Welcome aboard.
The 93 brochure boasts 50-52mph from the 4.3L and a couple more from the LX. So the 32 currently is under performing. But I think 45 ish is pretty realistic. The weight is 2200lbs. If you pull tubes and stuff though you are going to want to sacrifice a speed pitched prop for the hole shot prop(which may be whats on there). Hope that helps a bit. |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Welcome to MOC! :)
What elevation are you at? Is your 4.3 a 2bbl or 4bbl carb? If you look at the prop it should have the size on the flange. My Diablo runs 44mph at 5000ft with a Solas stainless steel 4 blade 17p prop. I did install a Edelbrock intake , Comp Cams roller rockers , and aluminum high performance exhaust manifolds. Your boat should weigh in at about 23-2400lbs according to Mariahs Brochure. Top speed in optimum conditions should be 50-56mph depending on which engine(4.3 or 4.3LX) You are going to love the boat! They handle great and ride nice. Larry |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Welcome aboard. I wont make any negative comments about you buying a Bayliner cuz i think that speaks for itself. ;)
Forget about the brochure's performance claims as they were trying to sell boats and boat speedos are always optimistic. :). Realistically, with everything running well and a standard 19" 3 blade prop (Larry has some elevation to deal with) you should be in the 45-47mph range and your WOT rpms should be at or very close to 4800. A top speed of only 32 (even on GPS) would indicate to me a serious problem somewhere. Iboats weight claim of 1600lbs was likely for the outboard model that was made in 1993. The weight, with a few accessories stored on the boat and a full tank of fuel (23 US gals) will be right around 2500-2600lbs plus the weight of your trailer for pulling purposes so you will need a tow vehicle with at least a 3500lb tow rating. Get it on the water & see how it performs! |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
haha yeah The bayliner was well a bayliner. They are all over the place up here for cheap money, but i will say theres alot of mid to late 80's bayliners going strong up here. Not to say that makes them good or anything.
Elevation is around 400 ft To be 100 percent honest I never even looked to see if it was a 2b or a 4b. I was just assuming a 2b which is ok for me. My paperwork for the boat doesnt say lx or not. I had read on here the gimbal bearing can cause lack of power/speed. thoughts? It seems that if the prop had been changed it would be a drastic change wouldnt it? A lower end prop is good for what i want but didnt want it at wot to cruise at 30 |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
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I have 3 props, a 17p 4 blade for when the boat is maxed out at 9 persons, a 19p 4 blade for half load when I'm going to pull a tube and a 19p 3 blade stainless for when it's just a couple of us on a joy ride. Top speed, hole shot and ride varies greatly with each setup. |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
i spoke with the guy yesterday. He then said his top speed depended on water conditions. He said he had it to 38 on gps one other time. He also stated it was a 19 prop but im unsure if its 4 blade, but i do know it wasnt stainless. He assured me the gimbal bearing was fine. He then stated the motor is orininal and close to 20 years old and thats why it wouldnt push 45-50 mph. Thoughts?
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Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
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Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
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For sure..30 ish mph is not cool.. My 4000 lb Mariah (with a crappy painted hull) still does 50 ish mph in ideal conditions with a 5.7 |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Question... have you tried a 21 p? I will sell my 19p 4 blade, as new.$100
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Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
i actually havent tried any props. I dont have the boat yet should be picking it up monday. I have a deposit on it. I guess we will see
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Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
ok guys bought the boat put it in the water today. It wasnt an awesome experience. Had a hard time starting the boat first off could only start it and keep it running at half throttle. Ok figured boat had sat awhile it will come out of it. Guy i bought it from just had it out on the lake yesterday said it was running out awesome hit 43mph. Said he messed with the carb a bit. Ran the boat for an hour or so, seems rather hard to get on plane motor is surging once on plane cant keep anywhere near a steady speed. Has to be going pretty good to stay on plane so tubing for my 6 year old is very very difficult cause she doesnt want to go fast.
It seems to me the carb is all messed up. The whole time i had it out i had to give it half to 3/4 thrttle to start it. Then when shifting into gear has to be done fast so the motor doesnt stall. Strong gas smell while moving along as well. Makes me think its running rich and idle is screwed up. But i put 70 lb kid on a tube and i was at wide open throttle 2 times rode 2 miles like that maybe going 20mph and never reaching plane. Huh? And yes trim was all the way down for take off. Does this all sound like carb to you guys as well? sorry forgot to mention that this is a 2bbl carb |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
I think you need to find a reputable mechanic to go through it at this point. Its likely simple and someone that knows the correct adjustments can make easy work out of it.
Congradulations on the new boat. Its nice you enjoy it, but I would really have a pro go through that throttle and carb. |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
well that seems the story of my life haha spend all my money just to need to spend more. I would like for this guy to fix the issue as it has a warranty on it
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Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Zac is correct.
You need it diagd by a marine mech. To many things that it can be to just start throwing parts at. Sounds like a fueling issue for sure , but get it checked. The marine tech can save you lots of money and frustration. Larry |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Boats are like the Ex wife.........there is no free ride!! :) :)
Sorry , hang in there we have all been there. I bought mine and had to put a new motor in so I understand your feeling. If the guy will , see if he would be willing to pay for the diag on the boat. It's worth a shot! Larry |
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Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
haha decide if i want to buy the boat i already gave him the rest of the money for it. Im going to call him tomorrow and see what can be done to rectify this. At this point i would probably be happiest to just get a refund. So frustrated and i must say it seems like something is really wrong. Im not sure if its all just the carb or not
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Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
I wouldn't throw in the towel yet(since you may not be able to anyway). Get an independent pro to look it. You will then be able to come to a good decision. If we never had to work on them,,,,, they wouldn't refer to a boat as Break Out Another Thousand.....
It could be simple, you just need a pro that knows for sure. |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Harass the owner to do the right thing. Don't be Mr. Nice Guy. After spending all your money and having a boat that isn't performing well and you aren't happy in the water is not the way to spend the summer. There are a ton of boats out there. "A strong gas smell" is never good!! I think all would agree that there's a good chance it could be a rotted line or tank leak, not a simple carb adjustment. BE CAREFUL BC BOATS CAN GO KABOOM!!!! Harass him to get the boat in top shape. However, at least in NY, once the transaction is made there's no turning back. Buyer Beware!! Best of luck. Hope it works out for you.
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Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Im trying to get this rectified. I have adjusted the carb to the point where it will idle now and start without throttle. Its idling at 600 had to back the throttle set screw off to get it back down after carb adjust. I turned the Idle/mix screw out 1 full turn but it is still not running super smooth like i would like it too. It is also still surging out on the water and feels not very powerful. Im sure i need some more adjusting but the motor came up to temp and i was having a hard time adjusting anymore without burning my hands. Not much room to get at that damn thing. The guy will be coming sat to "straighten it out" im willing to give him a chance at it if i dont get it before, but i refuse to have my boat with a warranty run like crap all summer long.
Im kind of on to another thing for a moment i believe this can be straightened out but still worried that this thing stuggles to break 40 on a good day. When its supposedly running right but anyway the boat is slow to plane i have read the 4.3 makes this diablos pretty stern heavy. It creates a pretty good wake but the boat is at this point pretty much for tubing. Without the stern coming up at all the line stays in the wake and i cannot whip anyone. Also the boat wont plane until 3k rpm any lower i lose plane. My daughter has no interest in tubing when im at 3k and i dont blame her shes 6. I dont really know what speed im at at 3k i will bring my gps out tomorrow see what that says i dont believe its much over 25, which most of you will say 3k would be more like high 30's. I looked at the transom to see about the smart tabs sx with 80lb lift. Transom is shaped pretty funny do these tabs fit? With the tabs will it jump the stern enough to tube properly without the rope in the wake spraying my kids? Is there any option for pylons/ski poles for our boats that will hold up to tubes? |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
A small update for you guys
The seller is useless to me and has made it seem he is waiting out the warranty. Blah blah dont really care i bought the boat reasonable enough. I will however bad mouth his company for many years to come, as someone running a small business, word of mouth hurts very much so. I have been speaking with a local boat mechanic and he is going out to the boat with me this evening. I have the utmost confidence in this guy after speaking with him at length. I have found that the carb choke doesnt have any springs in the plate so its staying wide open all the time hence the added throttle to start to the boat. I am unsure if the springs are easily obtainable or not. I have also come to the conclusion the accelerator pump isnt sending any fuel through the top jets at all. When i close up the choke plate by hand to the point where its almost stalling it will add a few drops out of one jet. We are pulling the carb apart enough to check the pump to see if its plugged or in need of new. |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
well we cleaned the carb a bit the accelerator pump is working fine. Found a few ports partially clogged inside the carb and the needle had some junk around it. Set it to 1 and 1/4 turns from seated. The surging is now gone but still not running perfect.
We started then to the ignition system. Pulled the dist cab and it looks like crap, and the boat has car plug wires on it, not that big of a deal. The rotor button also looked pretty shotty. The spark plugs look as they have been there for a long time. Im going to get this stuff today. The mechanic that came out with me is confident that this will be what it needs and should be running out good after. I have my fingers crossed as this will be pretty cheap fix. |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
im not to sure if anyone is following this thread any longer, but im still struggling. Changed plugs and rotor cap today took it out and at wide open throttle could only hit 2500 rpm. It went from idle to 2500 nice and smooth but maxed there.
I went back to dock turned the idle adj to richen it just slighty. Then with no load in neutral it would reve to 2500 and start backfiring through the carb. It would go past 2500 but not with out a pretty steady backfire if held there. Could this be the ignition module on the back of the distributor? I took it off and it looked like it was a relatively new piece still had the white grease all over the back of it. ? Any thoughts ???? |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Did you set the timing?
It sounds like the distributor advance isn't working. Usually when the module goes ...it goes... period. Is it a thunderbolt V Ignition? It could be it is in base mode for timing. If so follow this: http://www.perfprotech.com/store/art...ne-timing.aspx Check top dead center to make sure timing chain didn't jump or has lots of play in it. Larry |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
i have not set timing unfortunately. The mechanic that went out there doesnt have the hookup to get it into base so we can set it to 8 as per the manual.
I believe he knows work arounds for this but it doesnt sound like its quick and simple. This boat is really giving me the run around. Very frustrated |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Read the above and make sure it isn't already in base mode. It sounds to me as though it is.
Larry |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
oh sorry larry im quite flustered by the whole thing and apparently skipped right over that part of your post.
Does that apply to the thunderbolt IV thats what i have |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
No it doesn't. What elevation are you at?
Factory settings are 8 deg btdc. Add a degree for every 1000ft in elevation. Time with light with no changes to any vacuum lines(per merc specs) Check the play in the timing chain. I got a sneaky suspension you might have jumped a tooth(stretched chain) Pull the cap , use a socket on the crank , watch the movement of the rotor. If it moves more than say 2-3 deg before the rotor starts to move you have a valve trian issue. Probably chain/ gear related. Larry |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
so forgive me here i really appreciate your help, but if the chain jumped a tooth it would have just severly messed my timing up correct? Doesnt this usually cause bent valve rods as well? If not can it simply have a new chain or tighten old and re-timed.
Captain obvious hasnt jumped out at us yet. So this is my next step timing. I also read a post on iboats a guy was having similar issues and found his alternator to be bad and drawing current from the coil somehow. Ran fine until 3k rpm or so before it was an issue for him. Once again thanks larry |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
It would run weird if it only jumped 1 tooth. This doesn't happen often though. More likely the chain is stretched , if that is the issue. You gotta change the whole timing set or your peeing in the wind.
Ya gotta make sure that the timing is set right. I can't recall....did you already change the fuel filter? Set the timing correctly and try her out. Always attack the simple stuff first. Don't start throwing parts at it. It'll drive you nuts! You can rent a timing light at Autozone , O'riellys, etc. Larry |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
No larry i have not changed the fuel filter as it looks brand new. The guy i bought it from said he found some water in the carb so he drained and cleaned the tank and replaced the filter at that time. Couldnt hurt to change it out i guess not like its a million dollars.
The guy i bought the boat from said he would go good on the parts if it doesnt turn into throwing 20 parts at it to get it right. Sounded more like he would give me 1 shot at it. The local guy tony will come back out to the boat with me. I will ask him to check the timing and chain. We are beginning to wonder if there is an intake leak somewhere. We sprayed carb cleaner around the intake but didnt see anything noticeable. I will do a more thorough check when i stop and get some more carb cleaner. The backfire through carb, from what i understand is a lean condition, so it would make sense if it were a leak and feeding to much air. I also need to check voltage coming from the coil and from the alternator. I still have concerns of the top speed of my boat. The fastest ive seen it run is 35 mph at 4k rpm. It takes 3k rpm to reach plane at 22 mph or so. I have not smelled any rubber burning that would pont to engine coupler, but there is a steady rotating noise coming from the shaft. It seems quite a bit louder than normal. I added some grease to it without any major change. May have quieted it a small small bit. So we will check timing/timing chain, air leak somewhere, possibly distributor itself, voltage from alt to battery and coil. Accerator pump still ??? not sure though. Fuel pump could still be an issue although after carb set it does not surge anymore. I will order a new fuel/water filter. When timing we will have to check the advance make sure its working properly. Such a huge list of possible causes. Wish i had an obd II port hahah would at least give me a system to focus on. Once again thank you so much larry for continueing to follow my story. |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Hang in there!!
You'll get it sooner or later. Hopefully , sooner. I agree with you whole heartedly , it can be very frustrating. Keep us up to date. I'm very interested in the findings. :) Larry |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Well Larry,
The timing was way off! It was at 8 degrees ATDC or there-abouts. All the numbers had been scraped off, but Tony has set so many of these he said i know where 8 BTDC is. HAHA so it may not be perfect but i bet its damn close. The boat hops right up on plane and runs out great. I even reached 4600 rpm tonight with my wife and 2 small kids in the boat with me. I hit 42 mph with the drive almost out of the water riding just as smooth. Best part is i made 4 or 5 laps around the lake at 35 mph and never even moved the fuel gauge. I couldnt keep enough fuel in it before as it was just dumping down the cyliners. I am concerned of how long it had been like this and possible internal engine damage from spark happening while the piston was on its way down. Guess that will be determined later, after my last month before it needs to be put away. Thanks again Larry for following me through this crap, but i can breathe easy and focus on other aspects of the boat now. |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Good Job!!!
She'll be fine! Have a little faith! Seriously though........glad it all worked out. These motors are very strong compared to others. Nowwwww.........go have fun! :):) Larry |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Now that its running good, have been whipping the snot out of my kids last couple days on tubes, i have a few other questions. Now i know Larry you are the only one really responding to this thread at this point, but thats ok because you have a similar boat to mine.
When we timed it the boat was left a little rich on mixture. Burned quite a bit of gas yesterday, so i leaned it out about 1/4 or a turn. Less gas smell from the exhaust but still there at times. The guy told me to lean it out based on fuel use but i really dont know what is normal. Yesterday i was out around 2 hrs or so and burned roughly 7 gallons maybe a bit more. Today about 3 hrs of tubing and went from 3/4 of a tank to 1/2 tank. My fuel gauge is all over the place so i hardly ever know where its at. It seems where i set it today is a reasonable amount of fuel usuage for 3 hrs of pulling 2 tubes wouldnt you think? I also wonder if pulling 3 tubes is to much for this boat/motor combo. I think it will do it easy enough, but may be difficult to get on plane. Once there i dont think it will be bad. Is it safe to pull 3 tubes smaller kids off the ski hook? Or should i move the outside tubes to the stern hooks? |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Gas usage doesn't seem to bad to me. I run at anywhere from 4500-7500ft altitude though , and use about the same as you do , so maybe a tad rich but be careful. Running the motor to lean will kill it. You might play with the jets a bit but I think your close by the sounds of it. If you idle the boat for a long time it will load up and you will smell fuel too. Tubing sucks the fuel also.
As far as towing 3 kids on seperate tubes , the hook will handle them easy. Mariah boats have some of the best backing designs in the business for their ski rings , grab handles , and cleats. I have pulled 2 large tubes with adult men on them with bungee tow lines with no issues. 3 in the water too me is a little scarey , but I hate tangled lines with a passion. Does she come up on plane quickly? What is your WOT at now? What pitch is the prop? Is it a 3 blade or 4 blade or do you have a high 5 prop(5 blades)? Larry |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
I dont truely know what pitch the prop is. I am assuming it is whatever came stock on these boats. 19 would be a safe bet i guess. Need to throw some goggles on and check it out. It is a 3 blade prop with 400lbs in the boat and 3/4 tank fuel i hit 4500 at wot which was 41-42 mph by the speedo i didnt have my phone with me that night as i have a gps speedo app on it.
Yesterday pulling 2 tubes it came up on plane pretty decent didnt snap right up but i didnt hammer it either with the kids on the tubes. It was difficult to plane at times based on where the weight was in the boat. If i had 2 adults towards the back it wouldnt plane for obvious reasons. If 1 of the other adults went to the front she would come right down. I agree if i were thrashing them around pretty good on the tubes 3 would be scary, but the tubes i currently have all have holes in the middle with a floor so my kids sit down in the hole. The tubes are pretty stable and they only fall out when the bump and tip going over the wake, which isnt really all that often. I dont even have 3 good tubes to pull right now anyway i was just wondering your thoughts. I have one double tube and 2 singles but i dont think the mix would be all that great. |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
Pull your prop if you have too , and it should be stamped something like this on the nut side of the prop usually. WOT on your motor is 4400-4800rpm , so your in range with your current prop.
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/j...ss/prop001.jpg If you want to get more speed go up 2" in pitch , if you want more holeshot go down 2" in pitch. You can also go to a 4 blade and that will get you outta the hole faster. Or you could put these on and it will make you think your on rails and have a drag boat coming out of the water. They work awesome. Smart Tabs SX Trim Tabs Larry |
Re: New to me Mariah 1993 diablo few ?'s
I have the smart tabs in my garage right now. Not in any rush to put them on, it may end up being done beginning of next season at this point.
Larry the boat has done something weird to me again. I went out the other day pulled tubes for an hour or so everything was fine and dandy then all the sudden at 20mph or so it just quit. Without spuddering or anything almost as if you were watching tv and someone unplugged it. No noises just a rapid cut of everything. Its been sitting out there for 3 days and i havent even gone to look at it. Frustrated figured i would take a break from it. I had work to do on my truck so i just did that to forget the boat for a bit. I restarted the boat 2 or 3 times but it would not stay running. I started and quickly put into gear and same thing cut right out before hardly and forward movement. So im leading to believe this is electrical and possible water in my fuel. Is there any switches that would cause this I just need a direction to start in. Neutral safety switch oil pressure switch? I did have the boat at 1/4 tank of fuel so i suppose something could have been sucked up, but i dont think this is likely with the way it cut out and restarted. |
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