REVENGE 22 W-T, E-TEC G2 225-HP

Optimizing the performance of Boston Whaler boats
jimh
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REVENGE 22 W-T, E-TEC G2 225-HP

Postby jimh » Tue May 23, 2017 4:43 pm

I just had a chance to go along on the initial sea trial of Pat's fine Boston Whaler REVENGE 22 W-T, Home Aside, now re-powered with a new Evinrude E-TEC G2 engine.

LOCKEMAN'S HARDWARE AND BOAT, our highly favored, extremely skilled, local Evinrude dealer just re-rigged Home Aside with an new (just built in May, 2017) Evinrude E-TEC G2 225-HP E225XAGF engine, replacing a c.1985 Yamaha 225-HP outboard. In addition to the engine, Lockeman's also installed a new SeaStar hydraulic steering helm, new ICON Pro RPM, Speedometer, and Trim gauges, a GNSS receiver, a NMEA-2000 instrumentation network, and an ICON II PREMIUM EST (electronic shift and throttle) top-mounting remote control and network. (Pat's boat had been rigged with a dual mechanical cable steering system, and the G2 engine must have hydraulic steering to make use of its rather very cool integral hydraulic steering actuator.) As usual, the rigging work was expertly done. We hauled the boat the few short blocks from the store to the launch ramp on the Detroit river, and dropped her in for a seal trial.

The boat was fitted with the new Evinrude RX4 18-pitch four-blade propeller with Variable Vent Porting (VVP). The RX4 propellers were designed specifically to complement the power and torque curve of the new E-TEC G2 74-degree V6 engines. The RX4 Variable Vent Porting has a very simple to adjust variable vent port (VVP) system. VVP allows some of the exhaust gas to escape from the through-hub exhaust path, aerating the water around the propeller at lower speeds. For the sea trial, the VVP vents were set to half-open. More information on the RX4 propellers can be found in a prior article at

Evinrude New E-TEC G2 Propellers
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/008083.html

The engine was mounted two-holes-up from the lowest position. The existing transom mounting holes were re-used. The E-TEC G2 mounting bracket has a total of five holes, so it is possible to raise the engine even higher, as high as four-holes-up. I regret to say I did not crawl back and lean over the rather open transom to report on the position of the antiv-ventilation (A-V) plate relative to the water surface. I'll leave that investigation to Pat or one of his fine sons. Also, the E-TEC G2 engine mount incorporates its own small set-back bracket, moving the engine several inches farther off the transom than conventional engine mounts.

The weather for the sea trial was excellent. It was sunny, but not too hot. The water temperature was 59-degrees-F; air temperature was 72-degrees-F. The river was relatively calm, giving the boat a chance to make some high speed runs. There was a full tank of fuel and three adults aboard--Pat, me, and Steve, the E-TEC master technician who did the rigging. The Flying Top frame was up but the canvas was stowed.

We did not have an infinite amount of time to run every possible speed and course, but we did get some impressive numbers. First of all, we checked engine speed at maximum throttle. With the engine operating with the iTrim automatic trim feature, all that the helmsman has to do is push the electronic single-lever throttle forward; the E-TEC G2 with iTrim handles the engine trim. With very strong acceleration, the REVENGE 22 was able to hit a top engine speed of 5,450-RPM and a boat speed of just over 50-MPH. (Most of the speed figures were made heading downstream in the center of the Detroit River, so there is perhaps a boost to speed over ground due to current of 2-MPH in the readings. The speeds are all speed-over-ground from a dedicated GNSS receiver.) The iTrim limits engine trim to about the middle of the trim range, and we did not try trimming out the engine farther, but it is anticipated that if the engine is trimmed out a bit more the engine speed may increase a few hundred RPM, perhaps to the 5,700-RPM range. I don't think Pat's boat had ever run anywhere close to those speeds. With the old engine, speeds around 42-MPH were the best obtained.

After Pat made a few test runs, I got a chance to drive. I was most impressed with how the Evinrude E-TEC 225 G2 engine could get the boat onto plane and maintain plane at engine speeds below 4,000-RPM. The E-TEC G2 had plenty of torque to keep the boat on plane at 3,800-RPM with the boat hitting an impressive 30 to 31-MPH. Pushing the throttle a bit more gave 4,000-RPM and 36-MPH. To be able to loaf along at over 30-MPH cruising speed with the engine only turning 3,800-RPM was delightful.

The E-TEC G2 integrated Dynamic Power Steering (DPS) was very nice to have. You can adjust the amount of power boost via the ICON Pro RPM gauge, so the user can tweak the setting to his preference. For the test run, the DPS was set to maximum boost. It gave the wheel quite a light feel. I suspect with the amount of torque produced by the engine and the four-blade propeller, the DPS was eliminating lots of steering torque for the helmsman.

Regarding the maximum engine speed, the recommended optimum engine speed range at full throttle for the E-TEC 225 G2 engine is 5,400 to 6,000-RPM. With this propeller the engine is coming in just at the lower end of the optimum speed range. The RX4 propeller is also available in 16-pitch, however one might speculate that dropping to a 16-pitch might add too much engine speed.

To view a short recording of the engine running and the boat on plane around 30-MPH click on the hyperlink below. You should see the recording in a new window. The recording will also give you a sense of the engine noise signature. It is quite easy to have a conversation aboard the boat while the engine is running at 4,000-RPM at cruising speed. The engine sound has a nice tonal quality, in my opinion.

LINK to recording: http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/images/ETEC225G2_REVENGE22/ETEC225G2_Revenge22-desktop.m4v

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A new E-TEC 225 G2 engine on the transom of a c.1985 Boston Whaler REVENGE 22 W-T

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The single rigging tube (which does not move as the engine turns) makes the transom rigging very clean.

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Before casting off from the dock, master tech Steve goes over some of the new features of the ICON II PREMIUM EST controls.

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Pat at the helm. On the dash panel the ICON Pro RPM, Speedometer, and Trim gauges have replaced the previous instrumentation. The GNSS receiver is seen above the instrument panel.

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Underway at a comfortable cruising speed around 30 to 32-MPH. The engine does not look particularly large or excessively tall in this perspective. The boat wake is reasonably narrow, which to me indicates the propeller is giving some stern lift.

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This oblique view of the speedometer, RPM, and trim gauges shows boat speed-over-ground above 50-MPH, engine speed over 5,400-RPM, and trim at the "50" (half way) point (the limit for the iTrim automatic adjustment). Your author was driving when this shot was taken.

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Pat selected the Orbital Blue premium side panels with Rochelle Red/Swift Silver accent stripes. The engine trim limit has already been programmed so that nice cowling won't get scratched on the several rod holders ahead of the engine.

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The engine as seen from astern with the boat on the trailer. The RX4 four-blade propeller gave good performance.

ConB
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Re: REVENGE 22 W-T, E-TEC G2 225-HP

Postby ConB » Tue May 23, 2017 8:20 pm

Looks great Pat! I'm curious if you considered the electric power steering instead of the Seastar Hydraulic steering?--Con
!987 Outrage 18 / 2011 Yamaha F150
1969 13 / 30hp Johnson tiller

jimh
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Re: REVENGE 22 W-T, E-TEC G2 225-HP

Postby jimh » Tue May 23, 2017 8:25 pm

Hi CON--good question about the Dynamic Power Steering. I added some further explanation to the original article above.

Pat's E-TEC G2 has the power steering feature. You just need to have an hydraulic helm pump to use it. The basic steering is hydraulic, and there is an electrically-operated integral boost pump in the E-TEC G2 mount and steering system.

Pat's old engine was rigged with mechanical cable steering. He had to upgrade to hydraulic steering to rig the E-TEC G2, with or without the power-steering boost. By the way, the electric-boost power steering is quite nice to have, from my somewhat limited time at the helm of Pat's boat and one other G2 I ran about a year ago. You get quite accustomed to having it in no time.

I think all the 74-degree V6 3.4-liter E-TEC G2 engines get the hydraulic steering and DPS. If I recall, the only G2 engines that don't are certain models of the smaller displacement 150-HP range V6 models that came out later.

jimh
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Re: REVENGE 22 W-T, E-TEC G2 225-HP

Postby jimh » Tue May 23, 2017 8:56 pm

Regarding the sound signature of the E-TEC 225 G2 engine, I uploaded the audio track of my recording (see above) to an on-line audio frequency analyzer website. Most of the audio energy is in a band around 350-Hz and 175-Hz.

If we assume the E-TEC was running at about 3,500-RPM, has six cylinders, and each one fires once each revolution, then the fundamental frequency would be

(3500-cycles/1-minute) x (1-minute/60-seconds) x 6 = 350-Hz

There also seems to be a sub-harmonic at half that frequency, around 175. Here is a display of frequency energy distribution v. time. Yellow bands are the highest energy level.

frequencyDomainAnalysis.png
frequencyDomainAnalysis.png (79.54 KiB) Viewed 7515 times

jimh
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Re: REVENGE 22 W-T, E-TEC G2 225-HP

Postby jimh » Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 am

I also noticed an interesting feature of the E-TEC G2 74-degree V6 engine mount: the trailer lock lever for stowing the engine in a tilted-up position for trailering. There is a very easy-to-access lever mechanism that is moved up or down to engage the trailer lock. With the lever in the up position, the engine is tilted down and the lever fits into a receiver socket on the mount, giving mechanical support for the tilt position and preventing it from going any lower. If the trailer lever is rotated downward, a flexible latch holds it in that position, and the lever no longer fits into the mounting bracket receiver socket, allowing the engine to be tilted down. This is a very simple implementation of a trailer lock mechanism. The image below shows the engine with the trailer lock lever engaged:

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Also of note: the sacrificial anode protecting the steel shafts of the trim actuator from galvanic corrosion.

jimh
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Re: REVENGE 22 W-T, E-TEC G2 225-HP

Postby jimh » Wed May 24, 2017 1:32 pm

With Pat driving, I made this recording from the back of the cockpit, as the boat accelerated from a standing start onto plane at full throttle. The acceleration was impressive, and, as you can see in the recording, I started sliding back toward the transom and had to recover. I was sitting on the cockpit deck to shoot this--no way would I stand up near the transom when trying this to record full-throttle acceleration of the E-TEC G2:

Click the link below to open the recording in a new window:

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/images/ETEC225G2_REVENGE22/ETEC225G2_AccelerateStandingStart.m4v

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jimp
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Re: REVENGE 22 W-T, E-TEC G2 225-HP

Postby jimp » Wed May 24, 2017 4:53 pm

Good report. Very similar to my old 1990 Revenge 22 W.T. with a 2003 225 Mercury Optimax. Hate to say it, I never broke 50 mph. Could get to a solid 43 knots (49.45 mph) and no more (canvas down, 3/4 fuel). Usually ran a 17" MiragePlus. But the Revenge is gone, replaced by a comfortable v-berth, 3-burner stove with oven, hot & cold running water, shower, etc. that cruises at 12-knots and tops at 18 (1989 Wilbur 34 Weekender with 375-hp CAT 3208TA) . Everything is a compromise. But as I get "older" I might not need to go really fast and absorb pounding into it.

I was most impressed with how the Evinrude E-TEC 225 G2 engine could get the boat onto plane and maintain plane at engine speeds below 4,000-RPM. The E-TEC G2 had plenty of torque to keep the boat on plane at 3,800-RPM with the boat hitting an impressive 30 to 31-MPH. Pushing the throttle a bit more gave 4,000-RPM and 36-MPH. To be able to loaf along at over 30-MPH cruising speed with the engine only turning 3,800-RPM was delightful.


Comments on planning speed are interesting. With tabs in the full "down" position and the engine down all the way (tucked all the way in), I could plane at 1,800 RPM and about 9-knots (10.3 mph). My cruising speed was 29.3 knots (33.7 mph) at 3,750 RPM and a bit over 3.0 nautical mpg. Curious as to what the E-TEC would get.

Regardless, the Revenge 22 W.T. with a 225 is a fantastic combination. I enjoyed mine for 19-seasons.

JimP

jimh
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Re: REVENGE 22 W-T, E-TEC G2 225-HP

Postby jimh » Wed May 24, 2017 5:42 pm

Hi Jim--we didn't really explore the low-speed planing capability. I was just curious to see what sort of moderate cruising speeds would be possible and what the engine speeds would be. Our Boston Whaler Great Lakes Cruising Club fleet speed is usually somewhere around 27 to 30-MPH. Pat's rig will be loafing along at that pace.

For really low-speed planing, trim tabs would be a big help in keeping the bow down. The E-TEC G2 seems to have plenty of torque at lower engine speeds, and I would expect it would give a good account of itself.

The "G2" or second-generation seems like a very good description, as this 74-degree starboard-starboard V6 block is a completely new design: the mid-section is new, the gear case is new, the cowling is new, the mount is new, the integral steering is new, the all-electronic controls are new, the propeller is new--that's a lot of "new". They kept the E-TEC family name, but this G2 74-degree V6 engine is really an all-new machine.

This was the first chance I had to drive a Boston Whaler boat with a hull that I was familiar with and had E-TEC G2 power. (The only other time I've been able to take the helm of a boat with an E-TEC G2 was two years ago; it was a fancy pontoon boat.) This test was much more interesting because I was familiar with the hull and how it would run.