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  1. #1
    Member etechydra's Avatar
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    20vee help needed

    Last year I bought a 1990 20vee with a 96 225 promax. It had a 4 blade trophy 25 on it. It was the smaller diameter prop I think 13 1/2. It came out of the hole like lightning and I had it to around 75mph at what ended up being too much rpms (around 6500) for the oiler to handle. So I blew it up.
    Over the winter I had it rebuilt and have just been able to get it out recently. I tried a 25 tempest a little during break in and it didn't seem to be enough. So i tried a 26 tempest (I borrowed it and the owner said it was double cupped). It still comes out of the hole really well but I can't trim at all without losing water pressure. I have the 10" manual jackplate all of the way down but I can still lower the motor two holes. I am currently 2 3/4 below pad. Torque master lower.
    Should I lower it? Try it again with the 25 trophy? Borrow a 27 trophy? Plug intake holes?

    I was able to run the 25 trophy with the jackplate at a bunch of different heights and although the ride was obviously different I still maintained water pressure.



    Any suggestions as to what my next step would be greatly appreciated

    Thanks
    Last edited by etechydra; 07-28-2021 at 10:39 PM.

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    #2
    What lower unit you running. That boat should be close to 90 being as light as it is. 27 trophy should work fine. I'm running 80+ with a 26 trophy and torque master lower unit on my 225pm and I figure I'll be a LOT better when I get my lower unit coned.

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    #3
    Cone the lower unit. Raise motor to 1 inch ABOVE for initial trial. Should be close to a 90 mph boat and will handle a lot better. Owned a 20V years ago and loved it.

  4. Member etechydra's Avatar
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    #4
    Torque master lower

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    #5
    Just to let you know that motor is designed to run 6500-6700 WOT. A 26 trophy should be a good all around fishing prop
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  6. Member
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    #6
    Quote Originally Posted by etechydra View Post
    Torque master lower
    Your rig (20V) screams sportsmaster. But a coned torquemaster would likely be as good or better. You will be leaving a lot on the table in speed and handling without a low water pickup.

  7. Member etechydra's Avatar
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    #7
    Update. Covered up top 3 holes in water pickup and then tried covering 4. Motor is 1 1/2 below pad. It's much better but still the water pressure is all over the place. And it handles terrible. Was running 26 tempest. 64 mph at 5800 rpms. Gonna lower the motor another 1/4 inch or so and maybe try that 27 trophy. I know I'm probably gonna have to cone it to the optimal performance but I'd settle for reasonable speed and decent ride until the budget allows.

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    #8
    Save your money until you can go sporty or coned lower.

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    #9
    My 225 Pro Max hit the rev limiter when I passed 6750 rpms. If I had disabled the oil injection I would have changed the ECU to a 7000 or higher model. It had a Sportmaster lower unit.

    Boat was a '98 Allison XB2003.
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  10. Member
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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by 1Holeshot View Post
    My 225 Pro Max hit the rev limiter when I passed 6750 rpms. If I had disabled the oil injection I would have changed the ECU to a 7000 or higher model. It had a Sportmaster lower unit.

    Boat was a '98 Allison XB2003.
    Ya, it should spin that 24 Bravo quite well. You do not say what gear you are running.
    No doubt the OP has enough motor to approach 90 MPH with the right prop and with a low water pickup. Until he gets the prop shaft up where it belongs he is fighting a losing battle. Post #7 pretty much sums it up. I owned a 1990 20 V several years ago and loved it. It is a hoot to run with the smaller displacement (lighter) higher horsepower motors turning in the upper 6000 RPM range. A 280 on a 20V is scary fast.

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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by gehol View Post
    Ya, it should spin that 24 Bravo quite well. You do not say what gear you are running.
    No doubt the OP has enough motor to approach 90 MPH with the right prop and with a low water pickup. Until he gets the prop shaft up where it belongs he is fighting a losing battle. Post #7 pretty much sums it up. I owned a 1990 20 V several years ago and loved it. It is a hoot to run with the smaller displacement (lighter) higher horsepower motors turning in the upper 6000 RPM range. A 280 on a 20V is scary fast.
    The 225 Pro Max Allison XB 2003 I ran a 27 Tempest with 1.87 gears in the Sportmaster.

    My current rig listed in my signature is the one I am running a Bravo 24 FS on and the engine is a 4.6 L Pro XS fourstroke.

    I had a couple of Bullets with 2.5 Mercury 200 and coned lower units, solid mounts, Mercury Racing exhaust tuner, Boysen reeds, etc. including one engine with cut cages and they performed pretty well. They had 1.87 gears also.

    I never owned a 260 or 280 but knew a few who did and always thought it would be great to own one.

    Did not intend to hijack the thread but emphasize with others a coned low water pickup unit is the only way to get best speeds and handling by running higher.

    My recommendations would be: Sportmaster or if unable to find one Bob's coned L W lower.
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  12. Member
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    #12
    We are on the same page. I just kind of hate to see the OP chase the performance he wants knowing he will not succeed until he gets the proper lower unit. I however believe a Bob's properly installed might be better than a sporty or at least as good.

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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by gehol View Post
    We are on the same page. I just kind of hate to see the OP chase the performance he wants knowing he will not succeed until he gets the proper lower unit. I however believe a Bob's properly installed might be better than a sporty or at least as good.
    My friend with a 20 Vee 200 EFI 2.5 and Bob's could outrun my 20 XD with same engine only Mercury CLE low water pick up lower.

    I had a Land and Sea coned lower that was faster than a CLE but slower than a Bob's. The OP could have his lower coned by Bob's cheaper than buying a Sportmaster and have a fast lower.
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  14. Member
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    #14
    The low water pickup is a must. I have the same boat and motor combo. I have tried all conceivable setups . The oddnumbered Trophy’s have no bow lift with any weight. A 26 Trophy works well with a 10 or 12” jack plate. I run a 12” Rapidjack with a 26 Promax about 1 1/2” above the pad. That’s with a 1.87 Sportmaster. The Torquemaster ,with a cone properly installed, should run as good as the Sportmaster or better. If you want to go faster, get a 28 or 30 Promax to run when you run lightly loaded.

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    #15
    For the OP let me add a little, hopefully, useful info. It is not about where the water enters the lower unit. You accomplish two things with the low water pickup. One, you decrease drag a lot. If you don't believe it stick your hand into the water at 60 MPH. Wrist deep will be deep enough, LOL. Second it helps the handling if you are running a prop with a barrel especially a flared barrel. The barrel of the prop provides significant lift. A 20V is light, very light, guessing a hull weight in the 900 pound range. At speed the barrel will try to literally lift the pad off the water. Now you end up with a boat that driving it is like trying to balance a bowling ball on your finger tip, tricky. With the motor high, you still get maximum lift on take off but as the boat planes the prop blades actually break the surface as the rotate over the top and this decreases the lift the barrel is making.
    Bottom line, as stated above by more than one, get the center line of the prop shaft 1-1/4 inch above the pad as a starting point. You will also need a prop designed to run at the surface like a Bravo. Slinging blades off are not much fun at 80+ MPH. You have a boat that has a 90 MPH potential and will be a blast to run, if set up correctly. Best of luck.

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    #16
    ^ This! A lot of wisdom and experience displayed in this post.
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    #17
    I know pretty much everything that don't work. You can make a lot of mistakes in 70 years, LOL.

  18. Member etechydra's Avatar
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    #18
    Wow. Thank you all for this information. I def have to go lwp. Might try a few things in the meantime to make it fishable. You guys really know your stuff. I'll keep updating if I find anything that helps

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    #19
    Best of luck!

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    #20
    Quote Originally Posted by gehol View Post
    I know pretty much everything that don't work. You can make a lot of mistakes in 70 years, LOL.
    Ronnie, I had no idea you were almost as old as me.

    The Lord willing, I will be 77 on September 3rd.

    You are still living the dream with the B boats. I have some awesome memories of the 2 Bullets and 2 Allisons I owned.

    I followed your posts about the crash with the Toyota and felt your pain. Happy you have your replacement boat.
    2020 Triton 18 TRX
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    2020 Mercury 200 Pro XS V8 Serial # 2B588923
    Minn Kota Ultrex 80# I Pilot Link
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    Humminbird Helix 7 SI GPS CHIRP G2 Bow
    Humminbird Helix 7 CHIRP MEGA GPS DI G3 Console
    Trick Step Boarding Steps
    RMP Engine Support

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