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Prop Advice

3K views 26 replies 11 participants last post by  Bionic Man 
#1 ·
I have a 2007 Lund Classic 1660 console steer with a Merc 60 HP 4-stroke. Bought it this year. It has a 10 pitch prop on it. Works OK on the front range (slow to plane, but will get up to max RPM at WOT), but it's a dog in the hills. Tried it at Spinney with my dad and niece, and without having dad get in the bow it would only turn 4000 RPM.

I know I need to go down in prop, but not sure how much. Jim's Prop Shop says go all the way down to a 7 pitch. Prop Doctors say 8. I'm not that concerned about top end, but I want something that I can continue to troll with, will plane out without having to sit in the bow, and not cause me to over-rev the engine (does this engine have a rev limiter?)

Is there anyone with a similar set up that can offer what what they are running?
 
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#2 ·
I have the same boat, but a side console. I sold my 60hp 4-stroke Yamaha on ebay. Installing the 90hp 2-stroke Yamaha wth my buddy was a beast, but thank God for my friend! No hoist :( I went with a 2 stroke because the weight stayed almost the same. The weight didn't void my Lund warranty but the 90hp sure did. Lund claims I overpowered it. There are a few boat test websites that have this boat going 39-45 near or at sea level. Lund doesn't care that I can't go over 37 on the front range or over 33 in the mountains (using 2 different pitch stainless props). Hopefully I won't need the warranty. You on the other hand can upgrade to a 75hp & not get your warranty taken away (the side console can't, but yours can). Call Lund to confirm before you do anything drastic. If you stick with the motor you have, you'll probably be frustrated until you change boats or move to sea level. I tried a few props on my 60hp before I made the switch. Plus, you have the added weight of a full windshield/console. PM me your # if you want to brainstorm a bit more.
 
#4 ·
hobiecat said:
This may be your best solution for the money....I ran one for years and the difference in performance was amazing. A lot cheaper than a new motor...although you may still need to change the prop to a different pitch.

You can read the reviews..

http://tinyurl.com/77nazar
That's the brand I bought before switching to the 90hp. I tried a number of props & that. I left it on there with the 90hp because it still helps me plane out quicker. Sometimes it jerks the wheel/steering though. It's very dangerous to let go of the wheel if you have a hydrofoil- at least in my experience & with my father in law's boat too. Very dangerous!
 
#5 ·
Hmmm...Like I said. I ran one for years on a 17 foot Larson with a 140 horse inboard. Huge difference in the hole shot. Gets you right down on plane. Needed it to pull big skiers...Never really noticed the dangerous aspect ...but then again, never really let go of the wheel when running across the lake.
 
#6 ·
hobiecat said:
Hmmm...Like I said. I ran one for years on a 17 foot Larson with a 140 horse inboard. Huge difference in the hole shot. Gets you right down on plane. Needed it to pull big skiers...Never really noticed the dangerous aspect ...but then again, never really let go of the wheel when running across the lake.
I'm with you. I never let go of the wheel, but because I feel a strong pull at times I do warn everyone who drives it. If they let go of the wheel we will be in the lake. My FIL was used to letting go of the wheel (not sure why), then he put the hydrofoil on there... first trip out him & my BIL almost went swimming at Spinney.
 
#8 ·
I have a similiar set up as yours, it's a 2007 Tracker Targa 165 with a 4 stroke 60 hp Merc. I have to run a 10 pitch prop at Pueblo and a 8 pitch prop at Spinney. This setup is about a close to perfect as I can get with an underpowered motor....wish I would have went with the 75 hp but it gets the job done. Prop Doctor's are the ones that hooked me up with this setup, they seem to be good people. The 8 pitch will plane the boat out with 2 people (including driver) on board at Spinney or Twin Lakes but if you throw in a third you will need someone in the bow to plane it out. The foil sounds like a good idea, I might have to try that.
 
#10 ·
FISHAH0LIC said:
I'm with you. I never let go of the wheel, but because I feel a strong pull at times I do warn everyone who drives it. If they let go of the wheel we will be in the lake. My FIL was used to letting go of the wheel (not sure why), then he put the hydrofoil on there... first trip out him & my BIL almost went swimming at Spinney.
That is really, really dangerous! Don't you have the little tab on your motor (not sure what it's called) to trim to correct that?

I can let go the wheel rolling down the lake wide open with my Yamaha 200 and it runs as straight as can be on flat water.
 
#11 ·
DonInDenver said:
FISHAH0LIC said:
I'm with you. I never let go of the wheel, but because I feel a strong pull at times I do warn everyone who drives it. If they let go of the wheel we will be in the lake. My FIL was used to letting go of the wheel (not sure why), then he put the hydrofoil on there... first trip out him & my BIL almost went swimming at Spinney.
That is really, really dangerous! Don't you have the little tab on your motor (not sure what it's called) to trim to correct that?
Torque Trim Tab..
 
#15 ·
Sounds like you just want to go down in pitch which will help. If you are not having cavitation problems then it really might not have enough horse power. I have a Spectrum V17 and my 90 works great. When I go down to sea level I have to go up 4 in prop and it works even better (gets about 10 mph better). There are general rules that prop guides and dealers will give but it really is trial and error and you might be able to talk whomever you purchase your prop from to exchange it if the one you buy does not meet your needs.

I would also recommend you either add the foil on your motor or put ballast in the front. You will lose some mph on the top end but you will plane off easier without having to jump on the bow.

Take all the advice because everyone seems to be giving some great suggestions.
 
#16 ·
FISHAH0LIC said:
DonInDenver said:
hobiecat said:
Torque Trim Tab..
What he said. :D
yep tried those adjustments... even tried additional tabs on the actual hydrofoil... still gotta watch it big time though... the foil can easily catch the water wrong even with the tabs adjusted
It sounds like your motor needs to be raised up a bit on the transom...The hydrofoil should be about an inch above water when on plane...so it shouldn't effect your straight line steering once on plane...You might check it out.
 
#20 ·
Sorry Chris, the answer sounds more like weight load in the boat. Balancing weight forward can make a heck of a difference for this guy. Before getting crazy and drilling holes through a cavitation plate, I would suggest redistributing the gear and batteries in the boat. Prop pitch is a big deal in the higher altitude, however, prop height and transom height are just as important. I know all you walleye guys have some sort of issue with installing jackplates. They can do wonders when dialed in. Secondly, four blade versus three blade props can completely change a rig's ride and performance. If by any reason one likes to take their hands off a steering wheel while running, I suggest you google some crazy boating accidents on YouTube. Not real wise. Hydraulic steering is way nicer than cable but expensive.
 
#21 ·
Agree with this last post, I think its a weight distribution issue more than anything else. Your running a 10 pitch prop which should be fine, even for our altitude with that motor. Going to a 9 pitch may help but you're gonna lose top end.

I took weight away from the transom (batteries, etc) and moved it up front and it made a big difference. I get up on plane within seconds, no cavitation.
 
#22 ·
Don't put on a foil or start adding weight to the front of the boat. Not yet... You are over propped for this altitude and you should to get that resolved first. Running your motor over propped will damage it over time. You need to get your RPMs up to their max to keep your motor safe. Around here, that means having different props with different pitches for different altitudes.

As Slayer said, you need to get the motor to its max RPMs. But you want to do that with your lightest load so when you add people, the RPMs go down from the max. It would be helpful if you could get RPMs off the motor at wide-open-throttle with your lightest load and get the max RPM range for the motor. From there, it is usally just math. Generally each pitch is worth 200 RPMs. So if you are 800 RPMs from your max RPM, you drop 4" of pitch. But I am not sure if that rate stays the same for smaller boats/motors.

I doubt the 9-pitch 4-blade is going to help much. When you add a blade, you add surface area and add friction. When going from 3-blade to 4-blade, you usually have to drop a pitch, just to keep the RPMs even. A 7 or 8 pitch 4-blade sounds better. But we are all just guessing without knowing the RPMs at WOT and your the motor's max RPMs.

Keep working with Jim. He knows all this and will get you where you need to be. Just be prepared to purchase 1 or 2 props for different altitude and different loads. An under powered boat needs a little more finesse with the prop.
 
#25 ·
So you are in your max RPM range around 5300 ft. But in your first post you said hole shot was “slow to plane” at 5300 ft. That sounds like a classic under powered boat for this altitude. Your 60 HP motor is only making 50 HP at 5300 ft and only 45 HP at 8300 ft. So even if you get your RPMs to max out at 8300 ft, hole shot with 45 HP and 3 people is going to be poor.

Option 1 would be to put more blades on. But you already know that from the High Five and you are heading that direction.
Option 2 would be to under-prop it and keep an eye on your RPMs. Assuming you can get a pitch low enough.
Option 3 would be Smart Tabs. I have heard nothing but good experiences about them. It seems any benefit a foil will give you, SmartTabs will do better with less side effects. Maybe get the ProTroller version if you want to troll slower.

You are going to need a new prop anyway, so the cheapest option would be to under prop it with a 4-blade and watch the RPMs. Don’t get in a hurry and don’t let anyone else drive it and you will be fine. Heck, maybe there is even a rev limiter on it. If you want to try for hole shot and top end at 8300 ft, I would try a new prop and the Smart Tabs. The overall cost it more, but it might just do a respectable job overall. Plus it will help your hole shot at 5300 ft too.

Let us know how it works out. I am curious how much the altitude effects the pitch versus performance on a smaller boat/motor.
 
#26 ·
Seems that most people still don't like the hydrofoils...Still got to say that in my experience they work great....especially on an under powered boat. Loved mine. And if it was ever taken off...just fill the holes...grind em down and a bit of paint...good as new...
 
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