Shimmy & vibration @ 1400 rpm

[scoot18]

Need some help and feedback from the rest of you 22 & 24 Ve'ers with marine power engines and hurth transmissions. I am the proud new owner of a new 07 - 22Ve and I am experiencing some what I feel to be excessive driveline vibration or shimmy at slow speeds mostly 1300 to 1400 rpm's. It is most noticeable as you are slowing down from a cruising speed and seem to level out at that rpm. It has done this for me since the first time I drove it off the trailer on delivery day. I am curious if this is just the nature of the beast or might there be a problem. I have asked my delivering dealer about this and they really didn't have a response other than maybe prop hit something. The prop looks perfect and the shaft does as well. As I stated, it has been this way since the first time I drove it. Any of you know if this is characteristic? This is my first V' drive boat and not sure if this is a normal condition. I have spoke to some other people that have had inboards and they seem to think that it might be normal.

Feedback appreciated, Thanks!

[da.bell]

I haven't experience that feeling at all except when the boat is under a strain(example: if the trailer isn't in the lake far enough and I get up onto the trailer but not all the way, I get this shimmering a little bit but I think the shimmering is from the carpet and hull resistence). I would have the dealer look at it. I am sure one of the mechanics would love to get out on the boat and away from the shop for awhile...

Well, except when I distroyed my prop and had to get it back onto the trailer. That drive wasn't a pretty site.....

[chpthril]

Need some help and feedback from the rest of you 22 & 24 Ve'ers with marine power engines and hurth transmissions. I am the proud new owner of a new 07 - 22Ve and I am experiencing some what I feel to be excessive driveline vibration or shimmy at slow speeds mostly 1300 to 1400 rpm's. It is most noticeable as you are slowing down from a cruising speed and seem to level out at that rpm. It has done this for me since the first time I drove it off the trailer on delivery day. I am curious if this is just the nature of the beast or might there be a problem. I have asked my delivering dealer about this and they really didn't have a response other than maybe prop hit something. The prop looks perfect and the shaft does as well. As I stated, it has been this way since the first time I drove it. Any of you know if this is characteristic? This is my first V' drive boat and not sure if this is a normal condition. I have spoke to some other people that have had inboards and they seem to think that it might be normal.

Feedback appreciated, Thanks!

A couple things come to mind:

Under-torqued motor/trans/V-drive mounts.
Small bend in prop or out of balanced prop from manf.
Mis-aligned drivetrain - V-drive, propshaft, strut.
Excessive run out on propshaft.
Loose rudder
Loose tracking fin.

Good luck, let us know what you find

[evil0ne]

Need some help and feedback from the rest of you 22 & 24 Ve'ers with marine power engines and hurth transmissions. I am the proud new owner of a new 07 - 22Ve and I am experiencing some what I feel to be excessive driveline vibration or shimmy at slow speeds mostly 1300 to 1400 rpm's.

Is there any vibration at cruising speed? If something is bent it should get worse as the speed increases.

[scoot18]

No, there is no vibration at cruising speed. It's just around 1300 to 1400 rpm's and the boat I guess would be considered under a load; at that rpm its not enough to get on plane but enough to move fast enough to generate some strain. Really noticeable on deceleration from cruising speed. I have had the boat back to the dealer for a problem; the starter failed at about 9 hrs, fifth time out with the boat. While it was there I mentioned the vibration to the tech to get his opinion. He claimed he checked the engine alignment and mounts, also the prop and prop shaft externaly, he claimed that it all looked ok. He didn't however have time to put it in the water and drive it. The whole boat seems to jiggle at this rpm, tower is jiggling back and forht like jello.

So you guys don't feel any shimmy or vibration? I dont see how it could be the prop or shaft, if it was I would suspect the shimmy to occur all of the time, esp. at speed.

[da.bell]

I would get the mechanic out on the boat to feel the vibration. Having it on dry land and doing a fake-a-lake will not product this vibration (IMO) since the trailer will hinder the boat from doing some of the vibration. However, I do not recall the vibration but I never thought about anything like that either..... Sorry, can't help you more than that.

[lee]

I would think it is the natural harmonic resonance of a 5.7 engine. Most will do it starting at around 1100 rpm up until 1500 rpms. If most people on this board would accelerate slow up to around 1100-1300 rpm they would fill the same thing. The Merc engines were worse.

[laserfish]

Sounds like I have the same vibration, it is worse if I have the cutter stainless spare prop on though. Only does it on deceleration. Had my 21V 5 years, and never had a problem caused by the vibration. Being my first inboard, I figured it was just the way they sounded. First weekend on the water this weekend, HOORAY!!!

[R&T Babich]

Our 2000 21V has a similar vibration. We bought the boat last fall with 41 hrs. on it and took it out twice. It had a vibration under load, not steering wheel shaking, but just an annoying vibration. As it went on plane the RPM climbed faster and the vibration disappeared. Compared to our old boat it had plenty of power (302, carb, sterndrive, tri-hull). This winter I ran a compression check and one of the spark plugs had 3 large cracks in the insulator and was black and oily. All the others were brownish and dry. The plugs had black overspray paint on them (factory paint) and I believe this engine was running on 7 cylinders since day one. The compression check was fine and the previous owner didn't know that much about engines. We'll be taking it out in a few weeks so I'm really interested in seeing if there is any difference in the power & ride. Maybe one of your plugs isn't firing properly - cracked cap, bad wire, cracked plug.

[jleger98]

Maybe one of your plugs isn't firing properly - cracked cap, bad wire, cracked plug.

I like this theory. Check your plugs and wires, thats easy to do in the driveway. Next I would ensure that all your fins and rudder line up and don't wiggle at all.

The other thought I had was could it possibly be cavitation? Air running over the prop?? I know when we are surfing and I have too little weight in the front, I will get the same sort of vibration, but its intermittent.

[dogbert]

I would think it is the natural harmonic resonance of a 5.7 engine. Most will do it starting at around 1100 rpm up until 1500 rpms. If most people on this board would accelerate slow up to around 1100-1300 rpm they would fill the same thing. The Merc engines were worse.

Hmm, I've never experienced this issue except when the shaft was out of alignment or the prop was damaged.

[wakeboarder247]

The other thought I had was could it possibly be cavitation? Air running over the prop?? I know when we are surfing and I have too little weight in the front, I will get the same sort of vibration, but its intermittent.

That is a good point Jleger! In our '95 Tige we had 1200lb of ballast in the back (back seat) and occasionally when we would surf when it was kind of rough we would get some air under the hull through to the prop and it would cause vibration, albeit it was intermittent and you can usually also feel a surge in power when the vibration is felt. (since the prop is pushing air and not water)

Scoot- I noticed you said it's when you're slowing down.. does it shimmy and/or vibrate in smooth water and rough water?

[scoot18]

Water conditions don't seem to make any changes, smooth or choppy. Now if it's pretty rough I am sure that the chop would drown out some of the feeling and you might write it off as rough water hitting the hull. The vibration is most noticeable as the deceleration approaches the 1400 - 1300 rpm range. It will do it accelerating as well. You can accelerate up to that rpm, and in most cases it remains constant. It's like a bowl of jello with a constant jiggle! In the beginning I was really accepting it as a normal thing. But since I have posted this thread and been out on the boat several more times I am really starting to tune into it and I'm getting concerned. I just passed 20 hrs this past weekend and it's due for the 20 hr svc. I plan to change the oil my self and take to dealer for the rest of the checks, they claim they will check this while they have it. Hopefully they give it a good conceeded effort.

[scoot18]

I like this theory. Check your plugs and wires, thats easy to do in the driveway. Next I would ensure that all your fins and rudder line up and don't wiggle at all.

The other thought I had was could it possibly be cavitation? Air running over the prop?? I know when we are surfing and I have too little weight in the front, I will get the same sort of vibration, but its intermittent.

This vibration isn't an engine miss, it definately has the feel of out of round or out of balance issue. The strange thing is that its only noticeably at that rpm. any other speed it's smooth as silk. In my past experiences with bent prop blades or shafts, there is no denying it, and it's usually constant. The faster you go the worse it gets and you definately know it. I have even had a prop reworked where one of the blades was reworked at a different pitch than the other two and it created some strange vibration but it took a good amount of boat speed before you could feel it.

I guess it's possible to be some type of hydro dynamic cavitation with the water as it flows under the boat and throught the prop. I would feel much better if I knew. I just don't want it to be anything that will be a durability issue.

[ddmracing05]

Our 21V Does Viberate alittle also. Idk my dad says they are normal because his old nautiques did them.