1500xs

[switzerbullet]

I have an xs that has the fuel pump disconnected and an electric one added. I dont know why it was changed. The questions are: Do I just plug the crankcase lines running to it or tie them together? At what pressure can an electric fuel pump run without hurting the floats? Thank you.

[Skoontz]

We used to run 6lbs of pressure on a souped up Jeep, but that was with a Holley Carb.

I don't think you will hurt the floats but what will happen is you will stuff the carbs full of fuel and it will run out the overflow. I may be wrong here, but all you are gunna do is force fuel under the needle and seat. So, start at 6, then back down in 1# increments until the fuel stops running out of the overflow. If when the motor is underway, you starve for fuel, you will need to turn the pump pressure up. Nowadays, they have rheostats for fuel pumps, so when you back off the throttle, the pump pressure reduces as necessary. Better yet, just find a stock Merc pump and fix the problem the way it was designed to be.

[Bill Gohr]

If you're gonna run an electric, plug the 2 holes in the intake cover, put an electric pump on it set it at 5 and maybe you'll get 6 without flooding over, those little floats don't hold back much. Or just put the pump back on, the remote mounted pump is just fine for what you are going to do, or, just bring it over.

[switzerbullet]

Hi Bill
I picked up the 14' Allison with the 1500xs and it had the pump on it. I dont know if the origional works or not, so I will try it. I'm going to see if I can check the pressure on it as I don't even know what it is. Its weathered as we both thought, but still a cool looking boat. The hull rating is 60 h.p. Were can I find a 60 h.p. cowl for the 1500xs?????????????

[Bill Gohr]

JUst black out the 1 on the cowl and make it a 500XS, I have the pump parts here to rebuild the fuel pump bring that POS over here so I can see it, look it over..........

[Mark Poole]

Is that a 14 or a 15? A 14 is going to be a hnadful with a 150!

[Bill Gohr]

I guess it's gonna be a handful, that is a 14.

[switzerbullet]

I will know in about a half hour. A 7 A.M. River run. Going to wake up my chase boat now. :eek: :eek:

[jeff55vDSH]

So, any luck? Fill us in...
I know little about the 1500xs motor. But if the fuel system is like all the other inline 6's, the previous owner may have been having low fuel pressure problems @ idle speeds.
Does that or did that motor use TWO horseshoe shape fuel pumps?
I think the lowest HP stock cowls for an inline 6 would be 90hp.
Later, Jeff.

[switzerbullet]

Engine ran great. Driver stinks, but will improve. It has some awsome power but I need to handle the chine walk. The front was rocking hard and I couldn't power through it. It was windy and after a couple passes, some other boats came out and brought wakes with them. (The rocking was enough to handle) I have solid motor mounts to install and I'm looking into the dual cable steering. I think that should help. All I can say is, its going to be fun!

[Skoontz]

I can't beleive someone put that much on that little of a boat and did not have solid mounts or dual ride guide....The ride guide takes away 3/4 of it, the solid mounts take away the rest....But, you really could use 2 more feet of boat!

[MN1]

The 14' Allison was the boat to have in the FE class (75 hp OMC). It handled better and I think the pad was wider than the 13'.
Mark

[Bill Gohr]

I knew I should have came down there...........if you want to make life much easier just put cable steering in it, don't worry about the mounts.

[largecar91]

My 1970 Checkmate Mx14 Was Rated For 150hp. I Ran It With A 140 Merc Short Shaft. There Were A Lot Of "little" Boats With Big Motors Back Then.

[switzerbullet]

I'm going to try the solid mounts as I already had them. Any input on the teleflex twin cable steering system?
Bill, I will let you know in a run or two when I'm going to run it. I need some run time so I dont look like a wus.:D Thanks for the input, the electric fuel pump put out about 5 lbs, so it should be fine.

[TomAprilsSwitzers]

I have an xs that has the fuel pump disconnected and an electric one added. I dont know why it was changed. The questions are: Do I just plug the crankcase lines running to it or tie them together? At what pressure can an electric fuel pump run without hurting the floats? Thank you.

You should contact Tony Sitar J:D :D r at 815 357 9945..He is the top guy in the country when it comes to Merc's...and the "TOWER OF POWER" in line 6's where his big thing...hope that helps.

[Bruster]

I have an xs that has the fuel pump disconnected and an electric one added. I dont know why it was changed. The questions are: Do I just plug the crankcase lines running to it or tie them together? At what pressure can an electric fuel pump run without hurting the floats? Thank you.

Run 3-4 PSIG 6 PSIG will bleed thru. Plug the ports :D

[Smokey]

We set up a 14 Allison with a 150 years ago just because the parts were laying around and we didn't know any better. We put cable steering in it and it worked great. No problem in a straight line but a handful to turn.:eek: But that boat isn't meant to run as fast as the 150 will push it. We were running in the mid 80s. Cable steering eliminates the top mounts so you don't need to worry with them. Bottom line is ditch the mechanical steering. Good Luck!!:D
Smokey

[Bill Gohr]

Tony who???

He's not the "top guy" the top guy is Ralph Kozan, Tony and I both got our "in line training" from Ralph, I met Tony back in the 70's when I worked for Ralph, Tony used to bring his motors there, as did most every guy with an in line 6 in the midwest. Tony did have the gig though, with his top secret test area down on the river, too bad he had to move. I have to call him, I haven't talked to him in a while.

[Bruster]

Tony who???

He's not the "top guy" the top guy is Ralph Kozan, Tony and I both got our "in line training" from Ralph, I met Tony back in the 70's when I worked for Ralph, Tony used to bring his motors there, as did most every guy with an in line 6 in the midwest. Tony did have the gig though, with his top secret test area down on the river, too bad he had to move. I have to call him, I haven't talked to him in a while.

Bill,
Seems as if I remember you saying some time back something about there is something "special" about the '73 model year 150 Merc that made it desirable over the other years. Remember anything? :confused:

[Droll-l6]

something "special" about the '73 model year 150 Merc that made it desirable over the other years. Remember anything? :confused:

Didn't the short shafted 73 1500 blocks have a more aggressive porting than the long shaft engines, also known as the "J" block, same ( or close ) porting as the later 1500XS ??.

Arne Kjetil

[Bill Gohr]

Just the opposite, the 73' long shaft motors were what we called square ports. Back in the SJ, JP days that was the motor to have, the exhaust ports were squared from the factory and if you had one of those by serial number it was legal to race. If you see one it looks madified. Most people believed it made more power than a J block, it was definately quicker than the J block.

[switzerbullet]

Was it only the long shaft or the early 73 motors? My other 1500 short shaft is a 1973. Maybe I should check the exhaust ports.

[Bruster]

Just the opposite, the 73' long shaft motors were what we called square ports. Back in the SJ, JP days that was the motor to have, the exhaust ports were squared from the factory and if you had one of those by serial number it was legal to race. If you see one it looks madified. Most people believed it made more power than a J block, it was definately quicker than the J block.

Then I guess I had a good weekend. I picked up a long '73 150 remembering something like this.:D

[Bill Gohr]

Well I don't remember if the block was marked in any way, but what I do know is if it was an early production 73' 1500 long, it had the 2 fuel pumps mounted on the block and the exhaust cover was smooth, not ribbed, it was a square port.

[Bill Gohr]

The best way to tell is just look in the cylinder with a bendo light. The exhaust ports are squared. The middle one is the easiest to see, it looks like when they cut the ports, they went in with a smaller tool and did the corners.

[Bruster]

Thanks for the info.:D :D

[TomAprilsSwitzers]

Believe me even Ralph will ask Tony how to do certain things nowadays when it comes to Mercs Tony is the man...and i am an OMC guy saying this.:D

[Bill Gohr]

Nope Ralph is still the I6 man, the only problem is the "man" is getting old and so is his memory.................LOL

[yamonster]

Switzer, Hows the lil Alli doing now?, give us some progress.

[TomAprilsSwitzers]

:)What's a Little Alli?:confused::confused:

[switzerbullet]

Hi Tom
Its page 1 post #4 my 14' Allison. Update is: I found that is has solid lower mounts already, so I installed the dual steering, rewired it, put in a center gas tank and new extended steering hub so I ran reach the wheel. Then the river was flooded for 5 or 6 weeks. I took it to my dads in Wisconsin and got the speed a little higher before it started chine walking. Now I'm sure that I just need some drive time behind the wheel. I did find out that the screws in the transom handles are too short. Another boat came out and when I launched over the wake the rope to hold the motor down ripped them both off. Good thing the transom has rods to tie it to the stringers. I think I'm also going to add a skid plate under the jack plate so water flows past it.

[Smokey]

Switzer, if you are going to continue to run the engine tied down, install a bow eye in the transom a little above the cav plate and tie the motor down with 6 or 8 wraps of 1/4" nylon line. This is how we raced them before power trim was legal.

[switzerbullet]

I think I have enough parts to put the trim and tilt on the motor. The jack plate is a 5" setback manual plate that was on the boat so I dont know how it ran without one. I have a 1 1/2 setback hydraulic plate that I might try also.

[Smokey]

If you are talking about the stock trim with the vertical cylinders I feel you will be disasitisfied with it. Too much play. Try and find the horizontal racing cylinders such as used on the Twisters, or a set of turnaround brackets like those made by Bill Petty in the 70s. Try a search on here or Screamandfly for some.
I would also loose the set-back. A 14 is tail heavy enough without it. Set the motor on the transom or raise it 1/2 to 3/4" to start. Hydraulic plate will also be unnecessary, once the height is right you won't need to move it. If you have the orig 1500XS unit with low water pickups you can go higher but watch the water pressure. Cleavers work better than round ear props, both over the hub exhaust. Not trying to sound like a know-it-all, but I set up boat just like it years ago. Lots of fun but a handful. Ran mid 80s.

[switzerbullet]

Thanks for the input, I can sure use it. I should have said trim unit. I do have both and was going to put the short horizontal race trim cylinders. The jack plate I have is hydraulic and very low profile at 1 1/2". My thought was to use that and mount the trim rams to it so it all moves together when I play with the adjustment. Its a tight fitting plate so it shouldnt move around.

[yamonster]

A lil alli? Anything under the 21'. As I was comming up in the boating world the only allison ever built was a 21' drag boat. So I refer to my 14' as a lil alli.