All I can say is WOW!!! Installed this on my 180 at the end of April. Instantly picked up around 150 rpm's!!! Way snappier, better fuel economy and no more hard starting, (HOT OR COLD)!!! Darrin, Thanks for the putting this out!!! Way I see it, If my engine is making more power burning less fuel and running cooler, it's running way more efficient!!! Witch means my engine is going to last me a lot longer! I would recommend this to anyone with an a/c motor!!!
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Pace Maker Electronic Ignition a/c boat
- Thread starter dave1971
- Start date
mojoe
Well-known member
dave1971 said:
X2
Been running mine for a year and a half. Still love it!! Now I can’t compare this to any other electronic ignition for an AC motor, but the improvement over mags is noticeable. I ONLY picked up about 50 rpm WOT. The gas mileage ONLY improved about 10%. The big improvement is how the pedal FEELS mid-range. You know, where I speD 99% of my time!
You just don’t know how sluggish your mags are making your motor until you replace them. Then run dry (2100RPM) and see a sticky patch ahead and stomp it. She feels like a whole new boat!!
To me, the mid range responsiveness is the improvement you can feel.
Also, had a malfunctioning module. Was within first year. Replaced free and took 3 minutes!
Slidin Gator
Well-known member
This is great information! Both of these posts scream that your motors are making more torque over the whole operating range. 50 or 150 RPM's at WOT is a lot of added torque (and Hp). Major mid range response gains makes a lot of sense too since mags don't fire as hot at mid range.
I have been watching E-bay and looking for AV ignition harness's and plugs to get rid of radio interference, but now you guys have me thinking of changing course.
Ya'll just laid out the pro's. What about the cons? I read some previous threads, but did not see any discussion of serviceability. I'm a reliability guy, I've always said I'd rather be stuck than broke down (without options). I've always liked the fact that one can replace an entire HEI ignition system on a buggy in less than 3 (-4) beers standing in ti***e deep water. :drunken:
Mojoe, you noted you had a bad module that took 3 minutes to replace, were you able to trouble shoot it in the field? Is it reasonable to carry spares for everything, trouble shoot and replace the components in the field? I will buy and carry spares as long as trouble shooting and replacement is straight forward.
Also, has anyone had any issues with radio interference, in particular VHF (radio and dog tracking) bands?
Thanks!
I have been watching E-bay and looking for AV ignition harness's and plugs to get rid of radio interference, but now you guys have me thinking of changing course.
Ya'll just laid out the pro's. What about the cons? I read some previous threads, but did not see any discussion of serviceability. I'm a reliability guy, I've always said I'd rather be stuck than broke down (without options). I've always liked the fact that one can replace an entire HEI ignition system on a buggy in less than 3 (-4) beers standing in ti***e deep water. :drunken:
Mojoe, you noted you had a bad module that took 3 minutes to replace, were you able to trouble shoot it in the field? Is it reasonable to carry spares for everything, trouble shoot and replace the components in the field? I will buy and carry spares as long as trouble shooting and replacement is straight forward.
Also, has anyone had any issues with radio interference, in particular VHF (radio and dog tracking) bands?
Thanks!
mojoe
Well-known member
Slidin Gator said:
That was what I was trying to get at, super easy the service, and reliable.
1) it’s an AC motor, redundancy is built in. The only way I knew I had a problem was when I changed the plugs. She still ran good even on the one. Still firing one plug per cyl.
2) if you want, you can bring a spare module. Only makes sense to me if you are racing.
3) I know 2 guys who have broken the cam sensor by having something go through the prop. I keep a spare. $20 part avail at any auto parts store and if you have a wrench, it’s a 2 min fix.
4) I am not the first person who has had a module go bad. When I talked to the guy who installed it, he said EVERY ONE he has seen with that problem has some other issue that led to voltage drop/jump. So after he said that I finally looked into why she had burnt up 2 main power switched and was getting harder to start. Every connection was corroded.
5) I had an alternator go bad. When the battery got low, the ignition defaults to running like a mag. Fixed pre set timing. She ran home with the battery approaching dead!
digginfool
Well-known member
mojoe said:
While I was reading number 4 it made me think of an issue I had on some of our heavy trucks. Kept burning up ECMs and couldn't figure out what was going on (375 hp Cummins N14 engines). Discussed the issue with the supplier of our reman ECMs and they explained that the number one killer of ECMs was low voltage. The circuitry needs a certain amount of power and will get it one way or another (power = voltage x current); if voltage is low, current goes up. Circuitry heats up due to high current then fries. In our case, the trucks would sometimes sit for weeks at a time while on a jobsite or at the yard. Batteries would get soft, driver would jump in and mash the button, voltage dropped due to power demand for the starter, ECMs would fry (obvious solution was to fully charge batteries before attempting to start after sitting for a while). So, as soon as I read 5, I decided I have to ask; which came first? The board going bad or the running of the engine with a low battery?
Slidin Gator
Well-known member
Mojoe, great feedback, thanks! I was wondering if separate modules ran each plug, #1 answered that. No question low voltage heats up ignition modules, it comes down to how well the design dissipates the extra heat.
I was an unlucky test subject for the first generation of the Evinrude fuel injected motors on my old offshore rig (1998 FICHTs, which I assumed must be a German cuss word). Those motors used a 48 volt winding on the alternator to feed the ECU for the hot spark they needed. But at start up all they had available was 12 volts from the cranking battery (more like 9-10 at cranking). Those motors were super sensitive to batteries and connections and they needed to be primed up. I replaced cranking batteries every 2-3 years, which provided a steady supply for other equipment. Normally they fired up instantly. But if there were any problems with fuel prime etc. and you had to lay into the starter they would fry the $1,000 ECU and kill the day.
I second diggin's question, did the bad alternator play into the module failure?
I was an unlucky test subject for the first generation of the Evinrude fuel injected motors on my old offshore rig (1998 FICHTs, which I assumed must be a German cuss word). Those motors used a 48 volt winding on the alternator to feed the ECU for the hot spark they needed. But at start up all they had available was 12 volts from the cranking battery (more like 9-10 at cranking). Those motors were super sensitive to batteries and connections and they needed to be primed up. I replaced cranking batteries every 2-3 years, which provided a steady supply for other equipment. Normally they fired up instantly. But if there were any problems with fuel prime etc. and you had to lay into the starter they would fry the $1,000 ECU and kill the day.
I second diggin's question, did the bad alternator play into the module failure?
mojoe
Well-known member
Slidin Gator said:
I’m sure it didn’t help, but i don’t think that that was the main problem. Only started it 4 or 5 times before fixing the alternator. I think the main problem was bad connections. It has been slow rolling over when starting for a while. I use a key style main power disconnect. Burnt one out a while ago. Replaced it. Burnt out a second one a few months ago and just bypassed it. Still rolled real slow. Always started as soon as it rolled over so I never sweat it until he said something.
EVERY connection was partly corroded. The battery, the switch, the solenoid, the starter. All of them. Cleaned and greased them and she sounded like a new starter. Rolled over hard and fast. I’m sure having to hold the starter switch for a long time to roll it over with low voltage due to the added resistance was what killed it. Not the one ride with a bad alternator.
Interestingly, I hooked the main power shut off switch back up and it still fired right up. Aparently those connections were the worst and the switch was never really burnt up. Makes me wonder about that first switch. :dontknow:
Slidin Gator
Well-known member
dave1971 said:
Dave / Mojoe,mojoe said:
Thanks for starting the post and your honest reviews & input, you guys have me thinking for sure. I am going to contact Pacemaker and do more research. Maybe I can add my WOW story to the thread shortly!
mojoe
Well-known member
You will hear some dramatic improvements in top end and fuel economy from some people. I believe most of those people had malfunctioning mags when they put the Pacemaker on.
WOT a mag is set correctly. It’s everywhere else that it is not and the mid-pedal performance is what you should expect to FEEL if you replace 100% functioning mags.
If you are a performance guy, it’s a no-brainer! If you don’t really care that your boat could run better and your mags are working and you don’t run your boat much, leave them. If you run it a lot, run avgas and your mags need work, even a small fuel improvement will pay the difference for the upgrade vs the mag repair, again, no-brainer!
I am more of an “if it ain’t broke...” kind of guy. I fully understand the benefits of variable timing over fixed timing for an airboat, but I would have never made the change just on performance and theory. Then my prop kicked back at freedom ride 2017 and stripped a gear. Now at this point my mag just ate up a gear and could have broke my crank. That mag was complete garbage and work needed to be done. It was all that that made me get the Pacemaker installed. Looking back, I wish I hadn’t ever spent one penny repairing my mags in the past (which was about an annual affair) amd just made the swap years ago!
WOT a mag is set correctly. It’s everywhere else that it is not and the mid-pedal performance is what you should expect to FEEL if you replace 100% functioning mags.
If you are a performance guy, it’s a no-brainer! If you don’t really care that your boat could run better and your mags are working and you don’t run your boat much, leave them. If you run it a lot, run avgas and your mags need work, even a small fuel improvement will pay the difference for the upgrade vs the mag repair, again, no-brainer!
I am more of an “if it ain’t broke...” kind of guy. I fully understand the benefits of variable timing over fixed timing for an airboat, but I would have never made the change just on performance and theory. Then my prop kicked back at freedom ride 2017 and stripped a gear. Now at this point my mag just ate up a gear and could have broke my crank. That mag was complete garbage and work needed to be done. It was all that that made me get the Pacemaker installed. Looking back, I wish I hadn’t ever spent one penny repairing my mags in the past (which was about an annual affair) amd just made the swap years ago!
Slidin Gator
Well-known member
My primary goal is elimination of radio noise, which is going to cost some money anyway. But, if I can gain performance in the process, all the better. 50 RPM gain for my set up (2,850 vs. 2,800) would be about 4% Torque (and thrust) and 5% Hp gain at WOT, about enough to carry an extra dog, gutted deer or big cooler! As you noted, mid range response makes a huge difference in dry running ability.
As for reliability, everything has a weakness or two, the key is knowing what that is (which your input provides) and maintaining accordingly. As you pointed out, Mags are not perfect either.
Thanks!
As for reliability, everything has a weakness or two, the key is knowing what that is (which your input provides) and maintaining accordingly. As you pointed out, Mags are not perfect either.
Thanks!
diamondback0320
Well-known member
Im having a 180 10:1 motor built for my boat now & the original plan was mags but been thinking about the pacemaker cause I know CPL people that have it & r very happy with it so last week I decided to pull the trigger & go with the pacemaker and try it out!
diamondback0320
Well-known member
all my other boats had mags
mojoe
Well-known member
diamondback0320 said:
I figured you did.
What I mean is that it will be impossible to know how much better your new 10:1 motor feels with the Pacemaker vs that same motor built the same way with mags.
A complete overhaul and 10:1 pistons is gonna feel real good with mags or a Pacemaker.
diamondback0320
Well-known member
I hoping so bud..been off the water now since January..I think I'm having withdrawals lol
diamondback0320
Well-known member
hmm good question lol.. hopefully in next week or 2 tops