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Anyone done GT40 Throttle-by-wire conversion?

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slmskrs View Drop Down
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    Posted: November-13-2020 at 5:38pm
Has anyone looked into the possibility of doing a conversion to throttle-by-wire?  In the automotive area, there are TBW throttle body conversions, and I know that SKIDIM or NautiqueParts has a throttle for throttle by wire.  My boat has better wakes, and just about everything better than the new Ski Nautique (or Nautique 200) except for Zero Off.  Not looking to repower my perfectly good GT40 engine, but curious.  My PP Zbox Stargazer does very well, but high end skiers feel the throttle lag (C1 on my boat feels like A1 on a ZOFF boat).  

So just poking around a little.  Granted, I don't do many tournaments anymore, but I don't think there is any more tweaking of PP to make it more responsive; this is the only deficiency my boat has over new boats.  :)

Gordon
Gordon '97 Ski Nautique, GT40
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Orlando76 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November-14-2020 at 8:06am
You might want to contact Jody Seale with Florida Inboards in Panama City, FL. I’d bet he’d know best. I haven’t heard anybody converting anything but 02+ Chevy. I think it has more to do with than being DBW. Keep in mind the throttle is still controlled by a cable on many ZO boats, all the way up to the potentiometer at the throttle body. Good luck. In my world I always say go PP and f$&k ZO.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DVskier Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November-14-2020 at 11:40am
You must have a GM engine to go ZO. A GT-40 cannot be used. The has to do with the ECM being non compatible. There are many who have used Jody Seal at Florida Inboards to procure and install ZO in 1997- > SN’s.  They are excellent boats with a great wake and I would prefer skiing the course behind any of them. Perfect Pass is great for open water free skiing but if you plan to compete ZO is going to be the answer to progressing.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote slmskrs Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November-16-2020 at 11:48pm
Originally posted by Orlando76 Orlando76 wrote:

You might want to contact Jody Seale with Florida Inboards in Panama City, FL. I’d bet he’d know best. I haven’t heard anybody converting anything but 02+ Chevy. I think it has more to do with than being DBW. Keep in mind the throttle is still controlled by a cable on many ZO boats, all the way up to the potentiometer at the throttle body. Good luck. In my world I always say go PP and f$&k ZO.

LOL!  I never really heard the details on the ZO / PP lawsuit, but it appears on the surface PP got shafted.  Very interesting about the throttle being controlled by a cable on many ZO boats.  Kinda defeats the purpose of instant response when you start strapping linkages to it.  I did add supplemental springs to my throttle return, and although the GT40 MPI has a fairly strong spring (PP says supplemental not necessary on this engine), I can hear better response when PP backs off the throttle.  

I understand the 'link' between a TBW servo and the ECM.  But PP with ZBOX has nothing to do with any engine ECM, so it seems fairly straight forward to use a TBW throttle body to improve PP response.  But I'm probably being too anal.

I've actually got mine pretty well tweaked and when I ski behind one of the ZO boats in our club, there's not that much of a difference.  I've plotted and graphed ball times with mulitple skiers, and for the most part, I don't get more than .03 off of actual on any ball and always within .01 of 16.95.  In fact, with the ZBOX adjust where I went up to 3 (which makes the throttle respond earlier), I think it is really close to ZO (and will have our resident 39 off skier ski behind it (since he's the one that commented that my PP C1 feels like a ZO A1).  With the ZBOX adjustment, it should be much closer.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote slmskrs Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November-17-2020 at 12:05am
Originally posted by DVskier DVskier wrote:

You must have a GM engine to go ZO. A GT-40 cannot be used. The has to do with the ECM being non compatible. There are many who have used Jody Seal at Florida Inboards to procure and install ZO in 1997- > SN’s.  They are excellent boats with a great wake and I would prefer skiing the course behind any of them. Perfect Pass is great for open water free skiing but if you plan to compete ZO is going to be the answer to progressing.

Good point about the ECM.  Then again, I see the ECM on newer boats being an impediment to TBW since you have to interact with them.  PP doesn't interact with the ECM (except their TBW version for '07) and could easily direct-connect to a throttle body with direct link servo (rather than the cable/string set up).  I agree, any SN from '97 through '07 are the best skiing wakes bar none.  I won't say anything about the 200 other than of the three in the club, they are the last boats in the club anyone wants to ski behind unless they have to have ZO (and one of the two MCs with ZO aren't there).  Granted, my PB in a C tourney about five years ago was behind a ZO 200 (1.5@38, previously 1@38 behind a ZO MC), but I probably ran as many practice 35s behind PP as ZO boats; it wasn't the boats, it was my skiing.  At my age, I don't expect to get better; I've been on the downhill side for a couple of years now, so while ZO would be great if I was getting into 38 and beyond now, that ain't gonna happen.  I now only ski a couple of C tourneys a year; mainly to keep up my judge and drivers ratings; I ski the course every week for fun.  Converting my GT40 MPI to TBW would have been interesting if it was already being done, but since it's not available, my PP ZBOX is close enough to ZO for my use.  :)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fl Inboards Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November-18-2020 at 3:22pm
I can put DBW on a GT-40......How much do you want to spend on the conversion? I have no need to personally do it but if someone wants to bankroll the project I am all ears..

Even the tried and tru small block Chevy is gone from PCMs engine line up. cant even get a new 350 long block from them anymore. I can still convert a pre 2006 excalibur to DBW as well as 6.0 LS Engines.
I am starting a re-power of a 1990 SN. Customer wants a 6.0 and zero off in his boat. Little over $14,000 for the engine trans package sitting on the shop floor. still cheaper then a $100K slalom boat..
Hobby Boats can be expensive when the hobbyist is limited on their own skill and expertise.




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