Serial number 1B974639 2013 Optimax pro xs 250. Sorry for the long post but just trying to narrow it down.
What is happening is the motor pulls hard to 5800 rpm and then it stutters and drops to 5600 for a half a second and then picks back up to 5800 and repeat. Under the suggestion of another forum a guy was confident that I was getting water intrusion through the head seals. I pulled the heads and inspected and didn’t find anything abnormal. Resealed the heads. Started checking fuel/air system components and found several drops of water puddled behind the tracker valve and the air side of the fuel pressure regulator. Traced it back and found the same in the head of the air compressor. Resealed it. Motor seemed fine for several trips but I don’t think I was getting the speed due to the hot weather. Now it cool and again the stutter is back and I get a strong mist of water out of the air rail. I noticed last time out that my water ram pressure is at 30psi and possibly topped out on my smartcraft gauge. I don’t recall it ever being that high before. What are the odds water is getting forced through the compressor seals? Or is there some more likely cause? What I do know is I can lift my jack plate 1/2 inch and the motor will run on past 5800 no issues. I can drop the jack plate back down the 1/2 inch and instantly the stutter starts up again. When it was running right I could run 76-77 mph with a 25 trophy plus at 5950-6000. Thanks in advance for your help. Side note is a 24 pitch prop does not stutter but I only reach 71-72 at 6100. Seems more speed related.