The Official Tru-Trac [I, II, III] & Falcon Thread

[Timr71 27]

@86SKI So, I've been giving this some thought on how to respond.  Here's my random thoughts: 1. All boats are different, and I'm not just talking about hull and models, I mean each and every boat is different.  Because they're hand made, no two are alike.  So there's some difference between two of the same model that came out of the factory right next to each other.  2. Weight and balance are also a huge issue.  My boat and my cousin's boat are the same hull from the deck down, and they ski differently, but both good.  with regard to weight, we think that my boat has a little less height on the wake due to the weight of the seat structure that we put in the open bow.  What happens there is that slight bit more weight in the nose pivots the boat down a bit and lifts the rear slightly.  3.  weight in the back of the boat is an issue too.  your boat will ski differently with a full tank than with a nearly empty tank.  4. the prop will influence the turbulence on the top of the wake shelf.  And it'll impact the rooster tail too.  Allegedly, the new ACME 541 that I just fitted softens the turbulent area, but I can't say that it does or doesn't because I haven't skied it enough to notice.  Plus I'm trying to come to grips with a new to me ski, so I'm not paying that much attention to what's hitting my legs when I'm crossing the wake.  

 

I would suggest two things: 1. Get your prop sorted out and 2. experiment with some weight in the nose of your boat. Not a lot of weight though, maybe just like 75 lbs or so.  

The Centurion Carbon Pro comes with a small ballast tank on the passenger side that can be filled with just the right amount of water to balance the boat against the weight of the driver.  The only negative to a little weight in the front is that it causes the boat to ride a bit more down in the water so it displaces more.  Everything is a trade off though, you know?  

[Timr71 27]

1 hour ago, ACon977 said:

Thanks @Timr71! I appreciate the links, we were thinking of getting a generic cover (like you pointed out on ebay and Bass Pro Shops) but with the tower it may get tricky. 

Not sure what options there are out there to fit around the tower for an older boat which clearly didn't have the tower. 

I think you'll have to make some cut outs for your tower feet.  You'll need someone who's good with a needle and thread.  Modifying an existing cover will probably be your cheapest route. Otherwise you can have a custom or semi-custom cover made.  

[ACon977 0]

31 minutes ago, Timr71 said:

I think you'll have to make some cut outs for your tower feet.  You'll need someone who's good with a needle and thread.  Modifying an existing cover will probably be your cheapest route. Otherwise you can have a custom or semi-custom cover made.  

Luckily, (Admiral) Kelly is good with all that stuff and is planning on doing the vynil for our seats, engine cover, and sides. Plus rebuilding the Bimini, hopefully she can come up with something! What Im curious about is the tensioner going around the outside. But for now, thats a problem for a different day. 

Edited August 1, 2018 by ACon977

[Timr71 27]

@86SKI take a look at this...for ballast.

https://www.wakegarage.com/projects-archive/ballast-projects/lead-bags-r163/

[86SKI 12]

21 hours ago, Timr71 said:

@86SKI So, I've been giving this some thought on how to respond.  Here's my random thoughts: 1. All boats are different, and I'm not just talking about hull and models, I mean each and every boat is different.  Because they're hand made, no two are alike.  So there's some difference between two of the same model that came out of the factory right next to each other.  2. Weight and balance are also a huge issue.  My boat and my cousin's boat are the same hull from the deck down, and they ski differently, but both good.  with regard to weight, we think that my boat has a little less height on the wake due to the weight of the seat structure that we put in the open bow.  What happens there is that slight bit more weight in the nose pivots the boat down a bit and lifts the rear slightly.  3.  weight in the back of the boat is an issue too.  your boat will ski differently with a full tank than with a nearly empty tank.  4. the prop will influence the turbulence on the top of the wake shelf.  And it'll impact the rooster tail too.  Allegedly, the new ACME 541 that I just fitted softens the turbulent area, but I can't say that it does or doesn't because I haven't skied it enough to notice.  Plus I'm trying to come to grips with a new to me ski, so I'm not paying that much attention to what's hitting my legs when I'm crossing the wake.  

 

I would suggest two things: 1. Get your prop sorted out and 2. experiment with some weight in the nose of your boat. Not a lot of weight though, maybe just like 75 lbs or so.  

The Centurion Carbon Pro comes with a small ballast tank on the passenger side that can be filled with just the right amount of water to balance the boat against the weight of the driver.  The only negative to a little weight in the front is that it causes the boat to ride a bit more down in the water so it displaces more.  Everything is a trade off though, you know?  

Thanks @Timr71, I'll definitely see how it changes after getting the prop refinished. The cheap wheel weight ballast is also a great idea. I'll try to post before and after pics if there's any significant change.

[Timr71 27]

Austin - here's one on iboats that looks like it might work with your tower.  

 

https://www.iboats.com/shop/westland-sharkskin-plus-eta22xs-semi-custom-boat-cover.html

[JimboIA 0]

Anyone have pictures or ideas of how to add speakers in the boat.  I have tower speakers and a sub but I want to add speakers  in the boat (especially  towards the front) but I also want it to look nice too.

[Timr71 27]

There's not a lot of places to choose from.  others on her can chime in.  You can put non-flush mount speakers, small ones on the dash, you can also place speakers into the dash if you can find enough room.  Most just put them behind the driver's and passenger seats on the side.  You'll have to probably make enclosures for them and sacrifice some storage space there.  

[ACon977 0]

On 8/10/2018 at 1:00 PM, JimboIA said:

Anyone have pictures or ideas of how to add speakers in the boat.  I have tower speakers and a sub but I want to add speakers  in the boat (especially  towards the front) but I also want it to look nice too.

Our boat has them built into the cap. The wires are run under the bottom of the cap where someone glassed in some old paper rolls (no idea what they actually are, they have rotted out, but the glass is still there lol) 

The wires can be just run back to the same receiver. You can cut holes in the cap and upholstry with a jig saw I would assume. Not sure a hole saw is big enough to fit std size round speakers. In our boat there is one in the front and one in the back on each side. This is a pretty standard way to do it which wouldnt involve much. 

[slvrbulit 6]

Hey Timr71,  beautiful boat I see it around on other fourms that we both belong to.

 

I have a 98 ski centurion elite with the 350MPI motor.  It has been a great boat and I have no complaints.

 

Wish I could post some pictures.

[Timr71 27]

On 8/14/2018 at 3:29 PM, ACon977 said:

Our boat has them built into the cap. The wires are run under the bottom of the cap where someone glassed in some old paper rolls (no idea what they actually are, they have rotted out, but the glass is still there lol) 

The wires can be just run back to the same receiver. You can cut holes in the cap and upholstry with a jig saw I would assume. Not sure a hole saw is big enough to fit std size round speakers. In our boat there is one in the front and one in the back on each side. This is a pretty standard way to do it which wouldnt involve much. 

That Bolster should be removable from the cap, but I would imagine that the fiberglass behind it has a half moon cut to allow the speaker to have clearance. When you lifted the cap, did you lave the bolster attached? I'm assuming that you'll remove it to get them reupholstered. Are you going to keep the spartan head logo on the new upholstery? When I did my boat, I lost all of the centurion logos and graphics. 

[HuD91gt 2]

Hey guys,

 

Heres my Falcon I bought last fall. After a summer of mechanical issues (self imposed) and a lack of tow rig we got all of 1 day on the boat. Refinished the swim grid (spent upwards of 20 hours on it), to only get mouldy again.   Spring tuneup, and I ended up having two plug wires backwards. It stumped us for ages as it actually ran quite well, just idled slightly off (my father was a career mechanic, and I have rebuilt a few cars myself). Due to this we never ran it as poor idle was caused the transmission to make noise (perhaps flywheel spring system, I forget the name). Once I figured out the plug wires she ran like a champ.

Finally bought a vehicle which can get it in and out of the water (stays on the dock all summer), but after more investigation I may have under estimated the weight. I was hopeful the boat didn’t weight more then 2500lb. I’ve seen a source for 2800lb.  We have a single axle trailer. Does anyone have a confirmed weight for a 1991 Centurion Falcon (perhaps with trailer). My new tow rig is maxed out at 3500lb.

 

But on to the pictures!  

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2019 by HuD91gt

[Timr71 27]

Hi Hud,

Nice looking Falcon. Glad you got it running good again. 

As to your question the NADA boat guide says that a 1991 Falcon weighs 2500 lbs. Your single axle trailer doesn't weigh 1000 lbs for sure. Maybe 750ish. Keep in mind that your boat has about a 25 gallon gas tank and so that'll add another 175 lbs when it's full. I think you'll be fine, just don't overload the boat (or the vehicle) with other heavy stuff.  

Enjoy the boat, looks great! I see some classic wood skis in there.  

 

-Tim

 

 

[HuD91gt 2]

Thanks. Yes, wood skiis found in the back of the shed. Having spent many summers on skiis and other sports I had nevwe tried slalom skiis. I failed. I tried dropping a ski over and over. Couldn’t do it. So I tried a water start. Popped right up.ha.

I am quite concerned about the tongue weight when the boat is on the trailer. I’m fairly use to moving 300lbs around at the gym, and despite some awkward handling of the tongue, I can’t budge the trailer up.  The vehicle has a limit of 350lb for tongue weight.  Anyone have any experience with moving the position of a boat on that style trailer? Everything seems to be welded in place without adjustability.

i hope to get a more accurate tongue the next time I see the boat (it’s about 5 hours away).

Edited February 8, 2019 by HuD91gt

[Timr71 27]

Proof of 25 gallon tank:

[HuD91gt 2]

Hey Guys,

Just popped my ‘91 Falcon in the water for the year after a summer full of troubles last year.  Running like a champ so far.

 

A few questions for experienced Falcon owners.

1) What was the factory top speed and rpm of the Falcon?  When I purchased the boat, the previous owner said it “lost 10HP” when he swapped out the carb.   Obviously inaccurate but it does make me believe the carb could use a calibration (would love to hook up a wideband 02). The boat seems to top out at 37MPH according to one of the speedos. The other doesn’t work. (Why is there 2?)

 

2) How big is the factory prop?

 

since everyone loves photos.. polished up and ready to go in.

[HuD91gt 2]

To add, I have an Edelbrock Performer intake ready to be bolted in at some point. I also have a spare Megasquirt ECU I’ve tossed around putting into to get theboat fuel injected. I’d most likely use a TBI setup of some sort for simplicity.  A MSD Blaster Coil on the sidelines as well. I love having spare parts around.

I’m on the search for some GT40p heads.

[Timr71 27]

That is a nice looking boat!  Let me see if I can sorta answer some of your questions:

1. Best guess on factory top speed would be in the 43-44 mph range, maybe 45. With a different prop you could probably get near to 50 mph, but you'd be giving up low end pulling power that tournament ski boats are known for.

2. Two speedos goes back to it's tournament ski towing roots.  The speedos are notorious for going out, getting something clogged in the pick ups.  So, there's two so hopefully at least one will keep working.  I have one not working in my boat now.  For speed though, load a GPS app to your phone and use that to see how fast your boat is going actually.  The speedos tend to not be calibrated correctly too.  

3. Factory prop size, I believe was 12 x 12 3 blade.  On a 1 inch diameter shaft.  

 

I just replaced my prop with an ACME 541. That's the preferred replacement for slalom skiing.  Do some google searching on props.  The best prop for you will depend on what you intend to primarily use the boat for.  Good luck!  

[HuD91gt 2]

Thanks Tim.

I was able to get out on the lake once more to test the top speed. I downloaded a GPS app, and to my amazement the speedo was dead accurate!

37MPH is all she’s got, and that’s only turning around 37-3800 RPM. Something is definitely up.   I haven’t been able to get under the boat and check out my prop. But it’s either not making enough power with the stock prop, or it’s been propped way too big!

Edited May 30, 2019 by HuD91gt

[Timr71 27]

You should be seeing 44-4500 rpms.  These boats have a 1:1 transmission and you should get approx. 1 mph per 100 rpm.  Good luck.  

[HuD91gt 2]

Well, I found out my electronic prestolite distributor was only advancing 10-12 degrees, bringing in total advance at only 22 degrees! I’ve since ordered the other replacement module I can find made by Pertronix.

In the mean time, I advanced the base timing to 15 degrees, which gave me 27 degrees total timing. Sadly I saw no increase in top speed. I was hoping to see a good jump. I guess I will see when the actual part comes in.

Guestimating the throttle position, I can get about 32mph out of the boat before the secondaries open up.  Does that seem about right? Or am I dragging a big anchor?

[laketappscenturion 0]

Hi all! new here and happy to finally find some info and great reading on this boat. It was a hard search to find any info or reviews or anything like that. I just purchased a 95 ski centurion falcon xp last week. Live on lake tapps in Washington and got the boat in the water on Monday. After cruising around and hanging out I have noticed a few things that maybe some one can shed some light on or give some insight on a fix. I have noticed that the boat idles pretty high when in neutral and when you go to push throttle into forward or reverse it kind of like jumps. not a real smooth transition like I have felt on some old boats. also not good when I have kids hanging out in the boat. any info will help and here is a pic of the boat. 

thank you

josh  

 

Edited August 9, 2019 by laketappscenturion

[HuD91gt 2]

Is it carbuerated?  A flathead screw driver on the end of the linkage will lower your idle, your loooking for around 800 RPM in neautral, 600-650 in gear. If you tach is anything like mine, at the lower RPMs it’s not even close to being accurate.

 

you know it’s too high, drop it so it is not too low when in gear.

[Mordecai 1]

I'm looking at purchasing this 1986 Ski Centurion Trutrac for $4,000. Any thoughts on the price? I'm thinking it's a fair deal. 

Edited August 11, 2019 by Mordecai

[HuD91gt 2]

Solid interior. As long as the floor and stringers are secure, I’d say it’s a solid buy.