2016 Nitro Z21 w 2017 Mercury 300 pro xs 3.2 stroker

[Dsimmons3]

Im looking for some insight on what prop and Prop to pad set up would work best, Im about to my wits end trying to get dialed in.
i know my boat is heavy and wont be a speed demon but with a 300 i feel like i should be into the mid 70s


2 grown men, full tackle, 55 gallons of fuel

Previously i had a fury 3 24p and was hitting the rev limiter at 6400 rpm, getting between 68-70 gps

i switched to a fury 3 25p, 3.5 below pad, getting 5600 rpm and top speed 61 with the same load

[pmgoffjr]

Speed is just weight and horsepower. Setup is the cherry that finishes it off.
Your boat will tell you what it wants, so what is it telling you?
When you're at WFO, is it light and loose, or stuck to the water? Where does the water break, out the sides or straight back?
Are you throwing a big tall roostertail? Is the boat flat? Is it hard to steer at WFO?
Got anything hanging off the bottom like transducers and such?
I'm not sure75 is possible, that is a big boat with a big weight in it, but there might be some to gain if we get to tweak it.

[06 SB]

Im looking for some insight on what prop and Prop to pad set up would work best, Im about to my wits end trying to get dialed in.
i know my boat is heavy and wont be a speed demon but with a 300 i feel like i should be into the mid 70s


2 grown men, full tackle, 55 gallons of fuel

Previously i had a fury 3 24p and was hitting the rev limiter at 6400 rpm, getting between 68-70 gps

i switched to a fury 3 25p, 3.5 below pad, getting 5600 rpm and top speed 61 with the same load

Pat knows waaaay more than I do but what jumps out at me is the 800 RPM difference with 1” pitch difference. Is the 25 Fury new or has it been worked or repaired?

[Dsimmons3]

Speed is just weight and horsepower. Setup is the cherry that finishes it off.
Your boat will tell you what it wants, so what is it telling you?
When you're at WFO, is it light and loose, or stuck to the water? Where does the water break, out the sides or straight back?
Are you throwing a big tall roostertail? Is the boat flat? Is it hard to steer at WFO?
Got anything hanging off the bottom like transducers and such?
I'm not sure75 is possible, that is a big boat with a big weight in it, but there might be some to gain if we get to tweak it.

i dont feel like im getting the lift i need
i can see the water break at the drivers seat
when i get WOT and full trim the steering is tougher and my rooster tail is well above my engine
nothing hanging, transducer is on the bottom of jack plate

06 SB
i was under the assumption that i was buying a dealer demo from that dealer and as far as i know it was used but like new

[pmgoffjr]

You're over 20% slip with that 24. Why no lift and your rpms/speed is whacked out.
Put the 24 back on and start dropping the motor 1/4"at a time until you lose speed. Then back up a click.
If you can get your prop slip number down to a reasonable 10%, at 6,100 rpms that'll give you right at 75.
Listen to the boat, it'll tell all.

[Dsimmons3]

Problem is when I maxed out my rpms I thought hmm I won’t need this prop. And in my own stupidity I sold it to pay for the fury 25

[jarhead175]

Have it turned down to a 24p balance and blue printed by reputable shop being in Arkansas call Steve at lake fork prop. You will have a better prop for less money than buying another one that will probably be a turd out of the box.

[pmgoffjr]

1" of prop change should only be about 200 rpms. Internet diagnostics is at best a guess.

[smoken86]

i would see if someone has a 25 tempest for you to try. Nitro's really like tempest props, my 896 didnt like the fury 3 very much. The 26p tempest was the right one so far for my Nitro.

[Dsimmons3]

i would see if someone has a 25 tempest for you to try. Nitro's really like tempest props, my 896 didnt like the fury 3 very much. The 26p tempest was the right one so far for my Nitro.

do temptest give more lift? What about a trophy plus?

[pmgoffjr]

Props are mysterious voodoo witch doctor stuff if the basics aren't known. Not at all being a jerk, or a smart a##.
When understood, then it gets easier to know what you're looking at and why, quick prop guide with whys:
Pitch: The theoretical number of inches forward the prop moves every revolution. Think like gears in your truck.
Diameter: Self explaining.
Rake: Not understood as much, this is the angle of the prop blades. Most really well made props are actually variable rake angles, and why a good prop guy can make a big difference. High rake props are most used on bass boats to give bow lift.
Cup: Cupping the tips and trailing edge will make the prop grab water better, cupping is again a variable that can make a big difference, and while too little isn't good, too much is a disaster.

Again we're talking in general terms.
So, a high rake three blade prop will usually produce the most bow lift, and the highest speed.
A similar pitched four blade will usually give a superior hole shot because of the smaller diameter, lower rake and more transom lift than the three blade, but usually will compromise a few mph to do it.

Tempest, Raker, and Yamaha M are the three best bow lifting props available. Lift is your goal? One of those three will be the ticket.

If it's something else, then a different wheel might suit better. Lot's of choices.

[digthemup]

Props are mysterious voodoo witch doctor stuff if the basics aren't known. Not at all being a jerk, or a smart a##.
When understood, then it gets easier to know what you're looking at and why, quick prop guide with whys:
Pitch: The theoretical number of inches forward the prop moves every revolution. Think like gears in your truck.
Diameter: Self explaining.
Rake: Not understood as much, this is the angle of the prop blades. Most really well made props are actually variable rake angles, and why a good prop guy can make a big difference. High rake props are most used on bass boats to give bow lift.
Cup: Cupping the tips and trailing edge will make the prop grab water better, cupping is again a variable that can make a big difference, and while too little isn't good, too much is a disaster.

Again we're talking in general terms.
So, a high rake three blade prop will usually produce the most bow lift, and the highest speed.
A similar pitched four blade will usually give a superior hole shot because of the smaller diameter, lower rake and more transom lift than the three blade, but usually will compromise a few mph to do it.

Tempest, Raker, and Yamaha M are the three best bow lifting props available. Lift is your goal? One of those three will be the ticket.

If it's something else, then a different wheel might suit better. Lot's of choices.

Excellent break down of prop mechanical physics.

[hurky509]

i just had a fury blue printed for fun, and now it lifts my boat better than my tempest does... granted the tempest needs blueprinting now...

[Dsimmons3]

Props are mysterious voodoo witch doctor stuff if the basics aren't known. Not at all being a jerk, or a smart a##.
When understood, then it gets easier to know what you're looking at and why, quick prop guide with whys:
Pitch: The theoretical number of inches forward the prop moves every revolution. Think like gears in your truck.
Diameter: Self explaining.
Rake: Not understood as much, this is the angle of the prop blades. Most really well made props are actually variable rake angles, and why a good prop guy can make a big difference. High rake props are most used on bass boats to give bow lift.
Cup: Cupping the tips and trailing edge will make the prop grab water better, cupping is again a variable that can make a big difference, and while too little isn't good, too much is a disaster.

Again we're talking in general terms.
So, a high rake three blade prop will usually produce the most bow lift, and the highest speed.
A similar pitched four blade will usually give a superior hole shot because of the smaller diameter, lower rake and more transom lift than the three blade, but usually will compromise a few mph to do it.

Tempest, Raker, and Yamaha M are the three best bow lifting props available. Lift is your goal? One of those three will be the ticket.

If it's something else, then a different wheel might suit better. Lot's of choices.

whats your opinion on the bravo 1 xs? I dont have a temptest handy to try but i do have access to a 25p bravo 1 xs

[John Jackson]

Absolutely try a Bravo. They have good lift, and set up right, the best holeshot out there. A 25 Bravo is like a 24 fury or tempest in RPM's.
Bravo's also run better higher, instead of buried.

[sblnchrd]

u need a 26 bravo 1 xs possibly a 27 being u really dont have good data

[pmgoffjr]

Here is punch out for your clue ticket.
No two anythings are identical. Hulls, motors, ESPECIALLY props, loads, nothing is exactly the same.
What THAT means is every prop has a height IT wants to run at. Doesn't matter what I am running the same setup as, yours will probably be a little different. Every time you run a prop, you need to find it's happy spot. Pain in the butt? Yep.

AND....always run a prop with the same load you're going to fish with. Setup light, it'll never run loaded.

Do a few and you'll know what right is pretty quickly. But until then you got to make the effort, you could be 1/4" from utopia, if you don't find it, you'll never know.

[digthemup]

Here is punch out for your clue ticket.
No two anythings are identical. Hulls, motors, ESPECIALLY props, loads, nothing is exactly the same.
What THAT means is every prop has a height IT wants to run at. Doesn't matter what I am running the same setup as, yours will probably be a little different. Every time you run a prop, you need to find it's happy spot. Pain in the butt? Yep.

AND....always run a prop with the same load you're going to fish with. Setup light, it'll never run loaded.

Do a few and you'll know what right is pretty quickly. But until then you got to make the effort, you could be 1/4" from utopia, if you don't find it, you'll never know.

Pat,
Wow, you just gave the same advice Larry Nickels gave me when I was dialing in my '02 Cobra 201 DC 10" Slidemaster '03 Merc 225 EFI. I started at 3.5" P to P and after much seat time doing the same runs with similar weather, she settle in at 2 7/8" P to P for my Trophy + 25" and my Tempest +. Remember that temperature and humidity plays big with your HP, and patience and perseverance will reward you well at the end, which like a marriage, it will be a compromise in her favor.

[Invader186S]

I haven't seen a mention of gearcase or gear ratio. The numbers mentioned indicate a 1.62 which I think was only available with the sportmaster. Assuming this is in fact a sportmaster, a 1.75 Torque Master would be much better and faster. The sportmaster is designed for faster boats and does not provide bow lift like a Torque master. Running a Sportmaster 3.5" below the pad with a generous amount of positive trim will just slow the boat down. Sportmasters run best even with the pad or higher with near neutral trim. The best solution would be to swap gearcases.

If sticking with a sportmaster , a Bravo XS or maybe a Revolution 4 prop may help some. Also lots of setback and raising the engine will help.

[pmgoffjr]

Good point, I never considered the possibility they'd put a sportmaster on that big tub. Internet advice can change quickly when important details are left out.