Too Much Prop

[Geos]

Why has no one mentioned hydro-foils ? This is what there for.

http://www.marine-dynamics.com/about.html

[Carl]

Best bet is to go to a Nitro dealer and ask them. They would normally have specs pre defined for motor and boat combo.

I have a 20 Xcalibur with a 115 and run a 16 prop. 15 RPM's were too high and 17 too low.

Not to mention I also have a set of trim tabs and they do make a world of difference on plane and they also allow you to slow down if you want to use your main motor as a trolling motor.

[Seabass81]

In a race...nope but there is a happy medium. It is to the point where i want to invite fat friends so i can get them to run up to the bow .

Ed as far as rpms and stuff I will let you know tomorrow what the boat is running at. Tommorow I will be doing test runs and play with some different pitches

And Mikemicropterus after all the stuff wallyboss has said about your work I will see if there is room to move up a couple holes and if so " get my boat set up properly ".

As far as foils go... i agree they are not fixing the problem. The problem is I am over pitched and dont have enough Big Bens under the cowling to spin that prop effictively .( And they look silly).

Keep in mind all these problems are with a light load...skinny friend...and empty livewell .

[Wallyboss]

I am no expert, but adding tabs and fins to the motor are just bandaid solutions. Cause if you use tabs to get the bow to drop it means that you a robbing the overall performance. It would be like driving around in your car with a foot on your brake pedal!!!!!

[Geos]

I am no expert, but adding tabs and fins to the motor are just bandaid solutions. Cause if you use tabs to get the bow to drop it means that you a robbing the overall performance. It would be like driving around in your car with a foot on your brake pedal!!!!!

What your not suppose to do that?

Sometimes you need to make due with what you have or to get around what you have. If you want to troll slower but still have a good hole shot using a hydo-foil can help. it also works with steering once on plane.

But yes getting your best setup before adding on to them would be the preferred solution.

A question about the smart tabs, if there is no manual adjustment, then the side out of the water the most will have the tab set the lowest where a power trim would be the opposite would it not?

Sorry if this is a hijack, PM me if you want.

[Carl]

I am no expert, but adding tabs and fins to the motor are just bandaid solutions. Cause if you use tabs to get the bow to drop it means that you a robbing the overall performance. It would be like driving around in your car with a foot on your brake pedal!!!!!

Not quite... the trim tab pushes the back end up making your bow drop quicker. When you're on plane there's so much pressure that they lift up and just glide all the while brining the back end a little higher out of water reducing friction. As you trim your motor you get nose out of the water.

My boat runs a lot faster with the trim tabs on then when they are off. So from my perspective they do a great all round job from quick plane to top end.

[Wallyboss]

Carl is your motor installed at the right height and is everything else setup for your boat???
My point of view is why did you need them??? It is not a standard piece of equipment for a boat is it????I have actually never seen a boat with some on.

[jwhite]

Carl is your motor installed at the right height and is everything else setup for your boat???
My point of view is why did you need them??? It is not a standard piece of equipment for a boat is it????I have actually never seen a boat with some on.

There are plenty of performance boats that run trim tabs and they definately do not indicate an improperly setup boat.

Secondly, you can setup a boat properly all you want but if the horses aren't there do get you on plane in a hurry the tabs can certainly help.

And yes, many boats come standard with tabs.....usually boats that need a little help getting out of the water.

[mikemicropterus]

Norm you're funny

So lifeisfun you have them installed on your boat????
Why and what was the cost???

Obviously you haven't seen my Gambler

http://www.gamblerbassboats.com/TAC.html

Have been running them for 4 years now.

I have driven lots of boats with tabs and have installed lots of tabs on boats.

My point is why spend money needlessly.

Get the boat to a professional first so they can make that determination instead of a neophyte who reads about a product and may have no experience with that product at all. This here internet is full of overnight experts with anecdotal solutions I have found who like to give advice based on a feeling, what's that worth to the guy with the problem. Is it your money???

My point is this,

Is the motor at the rigth height first????

Does the motor get to full rpm?????

Fundamentally the first questions a good marine mechanic will ask.

Things you did not ask FIRST

The first solutions a salesman or parts guy will make is to sell the customer something he may not need nor want. What good is that for the customer???Nada
It's good for the salesman or parts guy, commission.

I'm more interested in getting the problem fixed rather than bandaiding it up.

I have experimented with tabs for some years now on boats that had design flaws and yes tabs worked.

I'm not saying they won't, I am saying that in this case they may not be the solution right now.

Thats not what you said you automatically said There's no power boat that would not benefit with tabs installed


I have driven more boats possibly than you and lots don't need them and aren't necessary and would be an added expense. Are you going to buy them for seabass 81 and install them too. That would be big of you....

I have driven offshore boats with dual sterndrives and tabs and yes they are needed and necesary in that instance but this is not that type of instance.

I have driven big cruisers and lots have tabs but lots don't why because they don't need them by design.

Possibly the total cost of these tabs would be in the neighbourhood of $200 plus installation and if the motor is too low and not getting to WOT rpm like seabass81 said then is this really the solution or even necessary now. Maybe not.

So your advice maybe good but not quite right for this situation.

It's a bass boat and I don't think seabass81 is wanting to troll. Knowing Nitro's and they way most boats have been set-up my first instincts are to look at the simple things first and if that does not work then yes tabs would be the way to go.

But to automatically say he needs tabs maybe wrong.

Like I said my Gambler comes with them and they do make a difference as I can plane the boat in 20 feet and I can maintain plane at 1700rpm which no other bass boat can.

So I'm not saying you are wrong lifeisfun but you maybe mistaken.

Is that what you were worried about, Norm.

Yes indeed life is fun

[CNs]

Not worried Mike.

But expecting a response. and a good one!

The only comment I can make is: most Bass boats have a sliding jackplate,
And that most bass boats are not set up from the factory - properly. The dealer should do this - most don't.

Without a Jackplate you would need to be able to move the motor (motor lift, lift ring, pulleys etc) by unbolting from the transom then re-bolt it (with the correct torque) in the new position.

Not something for the faint of heart or mechanically challenged.

You also would need to know how to measure for the correct height. This is also something that may have to be done a few times to "Dial it in" properly.

[Seaweed]

I guess I will drop in my two cents on this one.

I run a Nitro also with a 75 merc. I too am propped at 23 pitch. I used to also have a few issues getting the boat to plane out. In time I learned to use the trim properly and now I don't experience the tail-walk as often.

I would say just keep trying John and you will find the correct balance. Oh yeah I also run in the low forty mph on gps with this setup. I also wish I had a stainless prop. My rpm at wot is about 5200.

[Fishtraks]

hey wallyboss...check out Mr J's new ride...he has a set of smart tabs on...the only problem I see with them is all the holes you have to drill in the transom to mount them..ouch!!....and they are adjustable to a point They are "tuneable"......

[Wallyboss]

I never said that the trim tabs didn't work well. I am sure that they help a lot but it wouldn't be my first choice to stop my boat from planing. I would properly set up everything else then if I still had a hard time planing I would possibly try the tabs.
When I bought my boat the only thing I made sure of was to buy one with the Max HP for it. Now I have gotten setup properly and repropped and I have no issues whatsoever with getting on plane.
My F-I-Law had a set of hydrofoil on his boat and it made a heck of a difference but he was under powered for the boat he had.

[Mr.J.]

hey wallyboss...check out Mr J's new ride...he has a set of smart tabs on...the only problem I see with them is all the holes you have to drill in the transom to mount them..ouch!!....and they are adjustable to a point They are "tuneable"......

I have been playing with them and definitly getting different "action" Thank goodness tha manual is spelled out well and gives you cause and effect.

[mikemicropterus]

Mr J just from the photo and knowing Legends your motor is at least one hole and possibly two holes too low.


How if you bought the tabs to get a better hole shot you may have spent money needlessly.

If you bought the tabs to slow your self down trolling have you heard of sea bags or drift socks???

Lifting the motor will do two things, make the boat perform better and make it idle better. also incresae rpm which would mean more speed.



All of these recommendations are less expensive than tabs.

Just a thought