• If you log in, the ads disappear in the forum and gallery. If you need help logging in or getting registered, send request to: webmaster@southernairboat.com

Need advice on 220HP

okie

Well-known member
:?: Howdy, I am from Oklahoma and very new to Airboating. I bought an airboat about 2 weeks ago, and I have a number of questions about it.
1. I was told that it was a 220hp Continental Engine with a 4 blade Warp Drive, 14 x 8 Combie hull. It has only had AVGAS used in it. AVgas here at the local airport is $4.60 a gallon, can I use Unleaded 91 octane with booster? Or 87 octane with booster?
2. I was at O'Reilly's Auto Parts and seen some stuff called Lead Substitute, Since AVGAS has lead in it for the Valve lubrication, this suff is supposed to do the same for unleaqded gas. Wonder about using it too?
3. The Oil Cooler measures 3" x7" x 17 1/2" it looks like the original mounted on the side of a PE 150-6 picture in the manual I bought for this type of engine. But it is bolted to motor frame and down below the motor, just in front of the props. Is the Oil Cooler big enough to handle the job. The summer temps here is between 80 and 105 degrees, generally in the 90's.
I would include pictures but haven't figured out how to do that yet.
My name is David Morrow (Okie)
 
okie, does your motor look like this? Well, maybe not as pretty. I copied this photo from Mike Thurman's gallery. He really knows how to spruce them up.

Picture_753.jpg


Last year I bought a 13 foot Laser with the 220 GPU. After getting the magneto fixed it ran great for the last 70 hours. The only problem is blow-by because of bad rings or pitted cylinders. Most cylinders are pitted from being in storage so long after the military put them up for surplus. Tom Jeffords can get you rebuilt chrome cyllinders and you'll be good to go for years.

I run 87 octane corn gas with no problem. If you have the dished out low compression pistons you do not need to run Avgas. Just make sure you have a good magneto and the timing set right. I use 10-40 auto oil instead of Aeroshell. The oil cooler that comes with the PE-150 was fine for temps in the 90's. Just be sure to get at least one CHT (Cylinder Head Temperature) gauge to keep from overheating the cylinders and you should be fine.
 
Des Moines, Thanks for the reply. Yes it looks exactly like your pic. The motor is very clean. I haven't seen corn gas around these parts in along time. I am pretty much stuck with unleaded here. It does have an oil vent tube mounted on the shroud so none gets in the boat or on the prop. I was told it does use oil a little, to check about every hour for the first few times I run it. I went to the airport here, and Avoil is $5.00 a quart. I wasn't planning on being out if the temps reah near a 100 here. and I will order the cylinderhead gauge. So far I have put on AC Tack, it has Oil Pressure, and Amp. gauge. any other gauges you recommend? I will be ordering the CHT gauge. I have another question that has been bugging me. What compression do these engines usualy have? I haven't found anything on that yet.
Thanks for the help.
Okie
 
You can post a picture in your gallery if you want and then copy to the forum. That engine doesn't use a little oil. It uses a lot. The reason is bad cylinders or rings that allows combustion gases into the crankcase which create blow-by out the crankcase vent. Just check the differential compression on the cylinders to determine which cylinders need work.

The other gauge you need is an oil temperature gauge. If you keep your oil temps below 190 and the cylinders temps below 450 that engine will last a long time and give you great performance. You can use aviation gas and oil if you want. I run 87 octane with 10% ethanol which I call corn gas. I use auto oil as well. Usually 10-40 Shell. I put in a can of Lucas oil treatment at each oil change too. I put a pint of Lucas fuel additive with every 30 gallons of fuel which takes care of the valve guides.

With a warm engine you want to see the compression in the mid to high seventies over 80. The closer to 80 the better. Don't use a car compression checker.
 
Thanks again DMI, I will be getting an oil tempature gauge as well. I am going to make an appointment hopefully with a Mechanic at one of the local airports, and see if I can have him check out the cylinders for me. I was told there is an ace mechanic at one of the airports and that he was pretty knowledgeable about piston engines.

I got my boat for running some of the rivers here, have some great big fish in most of them, and enough sandbars, below water props is totally out. But then airboats don't look boring to me, ;as my brothers bass boat is.
Thanks again. The engine picture is the one titled okie in the pictures and wallpaper.[/url]
 
I saw your gallery and that is a nice looking boat and the engine is very clean. What river do you plan on running on in Oklahoma?
 
We have the Arkansas, which is one of my favorites and the Cimmaron, which is probably next. I live near both of them, The Arkansas has about 81 miles between 2 lakes, pretty much a wilderness, not many roads into it. Fishing usually very good. lots of sandies and catfish. also sandbars, large ones.
 
Back
Top