Starflite speed struggles Evinrude 150 falling short advice

[Ch3ckmateSkipp3r]

I've had my share of Starflites over the years. A while back, I restored one with a Yamaha 225 and a 6 setback, and it ran great at 60 mph. I sold it and ended up missing it.

I recently swapped for another one that's got a 150 Evinrude. I ran into a no-spark problem on the top cylinder. I gave it a go myself, but eventually took it to a shop. They fixed the carbs and ignition, but now it's only hitting about 43–45 mph at 5400–5500 RPM, which seems low. Even with some extra weight upfront, I thought it should get into the mid-50s.

It's still at the shop for now. I plan on repowering when I find a better option, but in the meantime, I'm hoping to find some tips to gain a bit more speed. Has anyone else dealt with this?

 

[onigiri]

That 150 Evinrude's just might not be enough for the Starflite. Fixing carbs and ignition wont make it fly. Maybe try a different prop, but honestly, you'll need to repower to get decent speed.

 

[T0NYT0DD]

I've had my share of Starflites over the years. A while back, I restored one with a Yamaha 225 and a 6 setback, and it ran great at 60 mph. I sold it and ended up missing it.

I recently swapped for another one that's got a 150 Evinrude. I ran into a no-spark problem on the top cylinder. I gave it a go myself, but eventually took it to a shop. They fixed the carbs and ignition, but now it's only hitting about 43–45 mph at 5400–5500 RPM, which seems low. Even with some extra weight upfront, I thought it should get into the mid-50s.

It's still at the shop for now. I plan on repowering when I find a better option, but in the meantime, I'm hoping to find some tips to gain a bit more speed. Has anyone else dealt with this?

Ok you're right, mid-40s with that setup seems like something's still holding it back. I believe it's either the prop or maybe it's not getting full timing advance. Try double-check that setup before doing some big purchases.

 

[JalapenoFire]

Ask the shop to check the compression, you shouldn't be maxing out at 45 mph. Apart from the previous two comments I'm also thinking the reed valves. Does it run rouhg, struggle to start, feel like it's out of breath?

 

[CheapEats]

I've had my share of Starflites over the years. A while back, I restored one with a Yamaha 225 and a 6 setback, and it ran great at 60 mph. I sold it and ended up missing it.

I recently swapped for another one that's got a 150 Evinrude. I ran into a no-spark problem on the top cylinder. I gave it a go myself, but eventually took it to a shop. They fixed the carbs and ignition, but now it's only hitting about 43–45 mph at 5400–5500 RPM, which seems low. Even with some extra weight upfront, I thought it should get into the mid-50s.

It's still at the shop for now. I plan on repowering when I find a better option, but in the meantime, I'm hoping to find some tips to gain a bit more speed. Has anyone else dealt with this?

43-45 at 5500 RPM on a 150? Sounds like it's over propped or has a prop issue. Ask the shop to try a different pitch!

 

[WaterGambit]

I've had my share of Starflites over the years. A while back, I restored one with a Yamaha 225 and a 6 setback, and it ran great at 60 mph. I sold it and ended up missing it.

I recently swapped for another one that's got a 150 Evinrude. I ran into a no-spark problem on the top cylinder. I gave it a go myself, but eventually took it to a shop. They fixed the carbs and ignition, but now it's only hitting about 43–45 mph at 5400–5500 RPM, which seems low. Even with some extra weight upfront, I thought it should get into the mid-50s.

It's still at the shop for now. I plan on repowering when I find a better option, but in the meantime, I'm hoping to find some tips to gain a bit more speed. Has anyone else dealt with this?

I'd ask the shop to re-check the timing and ensure all cylinders are firing optimally and consistently under load.
Sometimes an engine can run fine on the muffs but show issues at higher RPMs on the water.
Also double-check your propeller pitch and condition like the others suggested.
A prop that's too aggressive or damaged can definitely hold back speed, even with a strong engine.

 

[vanilbean50]

I've had my share of Starflites over the years. A while back, I restored one with a Yamaha 225 and a 6 setback, and it ran great at 60 mph. I sold it and ended up missing it.

I recently swapped for another one that's got a 150 Evinrude. I ran into a no-spark problem on the top cylinder. I gave it a go myself, but eventually took it to a shop. They fixed the carbs and ignition, but now it's only hitting about 43–45 mph at 5400–5500 RPM, which seems low. Even with some extra weight upfront, I thought it should get into the mid-50s.

It's still at the shop for now. I plan on repowering when I find a better option, but in the meantime, I'm hoping to find some tips to gain a bit more speed. Has anyone else dealt with this?

Since the shop already tackled the carbs and ignition, my first thought always goes to the propeller.
Even if they 'checked' it, is the pitch right for your engine's WOT RPM range? You're hitting 5400-5500 RPM, but a 150 Evinrude usually wants to be closer to 5500-6000 RPM at wide open throttle.
If you're on the lower end, you might be over propped, meaning the prop is trying to 'bite' too much water, and the engine can't spin it fast enough. A slightly smaller pitch could get those RPMs up and unlock more speed. Also, just a quick visual check for any dings on the prop blades. yeah, even small ones can hurt performance.