1st Hot foot, questions and maybe help?

[flashman252]

Brand new boat to me and it has a hot foot. Never owned a boat with one, don't terribly dislike it except.... the pedal seems super stiff and it doesn't feel like it has very much travel in the foot. Not sure if that is correct or if it should be as easy as a gas pedal in a car. I kind of cruised around on the forums and only looked at information. I have yet to actually touch anything involved with the hot foot until I gather more information. It seems that the throttle cable is pushing the throttle to WOT at the motor. I do not have to pull back the pedal to get it back to idle but it doesn't look like it is making it back to the idle screw. The back screw seems like it is all the way out not giving me as much travel in the pedal but after reading information, I do not want to start screwing it in and pushing it past WOT. Now there are other issues with the boat that I am trying to work out first. When I mashed on the pedal I was only seeing 3000 rpm and it took everything it had to get on pad. It does have a 23p prop and for a 150 hp optimax on a Nitro z7, it looks like I am way over propped. According to Mercury website, it shows that I should be running on 19p on this setup because I am at altitude (4000-7000 ft depending on lake). So I plan on replacing the prop before messing with the hotfoot and want to change 1 thing at a time. Have to walk before running. But the pedal is stiff stiff and wasn't sure that was normal. Thanks for any replies in advance.

[mdtritn21]

They are stiff because the spring has to pull the throttle back all the way if your foot slips off of it. You can adjust the spring tension back a little but make sure it still pulls the throttle back. Yes you probably should have a lower pitch at that elevation but pitch depends on how many rpm's your getting now at WOT. You don't pitch for hole shot you pitch for max speed then adjust venting for hole shot. Does your prop have plastic PVS plugs in it? They can be opened up for more venting at take off giving you more rpm's at take off.

[flashman252]

yes the prop does have venting and none of them are plugged at all. I did not have any plugs when i picked up the boat. So I could not plug some and try it. I literally ran to a lake as soon as I picked it up. So everything I had is what came with the boat. The best RPM I could get was 3000 when trying to get it on plane and it failed to do so a lot. Only was able to get it on plane 3 or 4 times and when it did get on plane, best RPM I saw was 4800. I tried trimming up and chasing higher RPM and hit 5000 but it started porpoising. So had to trim down to get rid of that feeling and then at 4800 it felt good again. Max RPM on this motor is 5750 so I am almost 1000 RPM's off. Where is the spring tensioner on the foot pedal to relieve some of the tension on the hot foot? And like I said, it still doesnt make contact with the screw that returns it back to idle. Again, the pedal didnt feel like it was sticking and would come all the way back and the motor would idle just fine but when I looked at it at home, i could see it wasnt making contact with that idle screw.

[mdtritn21]

It should be on the hot foot base but it doesn't have to make contact with the return stop or the wide open stop. You need less pitch probably a 21" prop and you need to check your prop to pad measurement.

[KandKKustomz]

It should be on the hot foot base but it doesn't have to make contact with the return stop or the wide open stop. You need less pitch probably a 21" prop and you need to check your prop to pad measurement.

^this^

[flashman252]

Thanks guys, plan on doing all of this on friday. I will check prop to pad, I will look at the hotfoot closer and see if the spring tensioner screw on the side is causing the spring to cause the stiffness. Also ordered a prop today so i'll be testing it in the next week or two.

[lpugh]

Both of those stops are important, as they are there to avoid to much travel that can cause wear or damage to cables and linkage

[masonadaddoo]

Brand new boat to me and it has a hot foot. Never owned a boat with one, don't terribly dislike it except.... the pedal seems super stiff and it doesn't feel like it has very much travel in the foot. Not sure if that is correct or if it should be as easy as a gas pedal in a car. I kind of cruised around on the forums and only looked at information. I have yet to actually touch anything involved with the hot foot until I gather more information. It seems that the throttle cable is pushing the throttle to WOT at the motor. I do not have to pull back the pedal to get it back to idle but it doesn't look like it is making it back to the idle screw. The back screw seems like it is all the way out not giving me as much travel in the pedal but after reading information, I do not want to start screwing it in and pushing it past WOT. Now there are other issues with the boat that I am trying to work out first. When I mashed on the pedal I was only seeing 3000 rpm and it took everything it had to get on pad. It does have a 23p prop and for a 150 hp optimax on a Nitro z7, it looks like I am way over propped. According to Mercury website, it shows that I should be running on 19p on this setup because I am at altitude (4000-7000 ft depending on lake). So I plan on replacing the prop before messing with the hotfoot and want to change 1 thing at a time. Have to walk before running. But the pedal is stiff stiff and wasn't sure that was normal. Thanks for any replies in advance.

My dad has the same boat z7 with 150 mercury. He runs at a lower altitude 2500-3000. But with 3 people full fuel and live wells full he still has good hole shot and top end around 5600-5700 trimmed out. He runs a 21P tempest with large plugs in PVS. This boat really surprises me when he bought it I thought he had made a mistake only putting a 150 on it. But I was wrong that little thing does great. Pm me if I can help you with anything, Jason