I've heard the stock PowerTechs dogged but what is the opinion of the TR04 on these?
I've heard the stock PowerTechs dogged but what is the opinion of the TR04 on these?
Pop
its a copy of the mercury trophy. I havent run one but others have and they run good. They supposedly turn stiff so drop down a pitch or two
thanks
Pop
I was out today and got 50 mph with two people and full tank. 5700 rpm 5.5 below pad, 21 pitch power tech. 6 in jackplate.
Thunderflight
2015
Xpress H20 Bay
F150LB Yamaha
Pro High Jacker Z-Lock manual 6 in jackplate 4.5 prop to pad
Power Tech OFX 21 55 mph
MinnKota 80 Terrova I-Pilot US2 Bluetooth
Lowrance HDS-7 Touch/Helix 5/GoFree Wifi/Ram mounting systems
NOCO Gen 3 3 bank charger
SEMPER FI
I was out this weekend, I got 50 mph 5700 rpm 21 pitch 5.5 below pad. Going to move up a inch on jp.
Thunderflight
2015
Xpress H20 Bay
F150LB Yamaha
Pro High Jacker Z-Lock manual 6 in jackplate 4.5 prop to pad
Power Tech OFX 21 55 mph
MinnKota 80 Terrova I-Pilot US2 Bluetooth
Lowrance HDS-7 Touch/Helix 5/GoFree Wifi/Ram mounting systems
NOCO Gen 3 3 bank charger
SEMPER FI
come up 1.5" that should get you closer to 6000 rpms and a few more mph. besides a better prop and more set back i would say that you are about at the limits of what you have. good numbers.
I have a sealskin semi custom waterproof boat cover unopened for a H20B. It also covers the motor and is trailerable. It will accommodate up to a 12" jackplate. It was an extra that I never used. Still in box. The other one I had was sold with the boat. It worked perfectly for the 3 years I had it. Needs to be sold. Email me at dcleme87@gmail.com if interested.
Anyone rigged up a light bar or some sort of spot light on one of the bay boats. I've always used a hard hat light that I made for frogging but I tried it the other morning and it wasn't quite over the console and the reflection made it where you couldn't see anything. Maybe a light bar on the rail around the console or those rigid trolling motor spotlight. Any ideas?
I've always used a q-beam that plugs into a 12v outlet. Have passenger hold it. My buddy has a light bar that plugs in but it doesn't shine far enough ahead. Bluewater led makes a spot light that mounts to the trolling motor.
ETA: I went night fishing Thursday night and the plug in q-beam worked just fine. By buddy's boat used the light bar but still needed a q-beam to hit the banks and crab trap buoys.
Yea the hard hat light worked since I had a buddy with me. He sat on the bait well up front. Some times I'm solo but seems like I'll just have to use a q beam to get me by when I'm alone
Hey MHA & Seapickle (or anybody else that can help). I picked up a 17 pitch Trophy Plus for cheap to try on my H18B. The boat had a 17 pitch PowerTech on it when I got it, and WOT was 6000 rpm. Right where it should be. (If I need more pitch due to raising motor to the proper height, I'll get a prop shop to recup it). I installed a 10 inch Vance manual jackplate a few weeks ago and have the prop shaft about 4 inches below pad. I mounted the Trophy prop a little while ago. The hub kit that was called for (Mercury part #853272Q1) had a prop nut and brass spacer that were too large in diameter for my F90 prop shaft. No big deal, I will use my Yamaha prop nut and will go by my local dealer, where I got the hub kit, and pick up a spacer. Question: Where is a good starting point on how many Performance Vent System plugs to remove/leave in on this prop? All of the vent holes have solid plugs in them right now. I know, "put it in the water and experiment"! Any thoughts?
I drilled my solid plugs with a 1/4" drill and the was fine for my set up. You may not need at much since you are turning a smaller pitch than I was. Only way to know if to try it out like you said
I did some looking around on the web, and I found one prop shop that had "solid plugs should be used on all 4 stroke engines". Seemed like a blanket statement. I'll just sneak up on it slowly. Start w solid plugs and go from there.
OK, read through the hole thread and more confused than ever. Maybe Seapickle can help or at least give me some thoughts to get me headed in the right. Bought this boat, H20 PFC (basically H20B with modified bass top and a front live well instead of a rod locker upfront) with 150 VMAX SHO, 6" manual Jack Plate, 25P PT VMX prop. Guy that had it said it would do 58 empty and 45 with full load. I took the boat out and it would turn 6000 RPM and run 45 MPH by GPS every time I ran it. That is about 35% prop slip. I started lowering the jack plate and the performance started to improve, finally got the jack plate as low as it would go and lowered the motor to the top mounting hole. Ran 48.4 MPH by GPS at 5600 RPM, so prop slip down to 24% or so. Decided to try a 4 blade prop to see if that would help, Put in a 4 Blade PT RKR4 in 22 pitch. Not runs 49 MPH at 6300 RPM with everything set as low as it will go to try and reduce the slip. Prop slip still around 24%. considering trying a Turbo Fusion 4 to see if it would perform better, but what pitch? With this 1435 lb hull, 3 batteries, 30 gallons of fuel, a full live well, and two people all towards the back of the boat when running loaded, I need all the stern lift I can get and figure a 4 blade will give me more lift than a 3, could be wrong in that thinking.
So with all that said, what pitch turbo should I try and should it be the fusion 4 or the 2+2 OT? fInquiring minds want to know.
Signed,
Frustrated in Northeast Arkansas.
What is your prop to pad measurement? Can't do anything until we know that. A sho has a short shaft (20") so I know on glass Bay boats they require 12" set back to get you into the water that is rising off the hull. The closer you are to the hull the lower you will have to go to get good water. However, the xpress has a shorter transom height so that may not be an issue but something good to consider.
You can try lowering the motor mounting height on the jackplate itself. That can give you a few inches if it's mounted high.
I'm not familiar with sho props but yamaha makes a prop (T1i think it's called) specifically for that motor and have heard good things. I would try that before trying the ones you mentioned. You shouldn't need a 4 blade. That 150 sho should easily hold the 20' boat up. I think you aren't trying the best props. You should be running 60mph. My h20b ran 45mph with a f115 and I've seen them run low 50s with an f150.
Eta: I now have a Frontier Bay boat with a f200 (25" shaft) and a 6" jp. My buddy has the same boat with a sho 200 and they required a 12" jp so he would be in the "higher rising water" bc of the short shaft on the tall transom. Also, he is turning a 21" pro series yamaha prop. He gets good numbers. You can try a 23" pro series also.
Last edited by seapickle; 07-20-2016 at 07:18 AM.
No issues with the motor? I have an ETEC 135 on a H20B that will run about the same as your boat. I know that SHO is a much stronger engine.
Originally Posted by gzrglide
Finally got back out with my H18B w/F90. Best I had been able to get with original 17 PowerTech/no jackplate was 33.9 mph on gps, no lift, cruising speed porpoising problem even with very little trim applied. New 17 pitch Trophy Plus, engine on 10 inch manual jackplate set at 4 inches below "pad". What a difference! All vent holes plugged on the Trophy, great holeshot (for a 90 hp 4 stroke), 44.8 mph on gps @ 6000 rpm, pretty good lift, still has a little porpoise at cruising speed, but with a fair amount of trim applied. I will raise motor 1/4 to 1/2 inch before I go out again. I will, at sometime, send prop to get thinned and the tips cupped. I think I can get 50 mph out of it.
Dont thin the blades. The trophy is already a soft prop and you take the chance of messing the factory rake and cupping. Adding some cupping will help but will take away some rpms depending on how aggressive you cup it. You may need to get use to not trimming as much as you were used to with the powertec. My trophy liked slow tiny bumps up of trim once at cruising speed. I soon came to realize that if i went up too fast i would porpoise.
After gaining 10mph, I dont know about getting another 5 mph since you are already at 6000rpms. To go faster you need to turn a faster (19") prop the same rpms as your 17". You can turn a 19" pro series or 19" trophy and get a few more mph ONLY IF you can turn it 6000rpms. If you hit 6000rpms with your average load then the trophy set up is perfect. Keep in mind if you were light on fuel or passengers then your rpms will go down and a bigger prop will not work for you.
Just getting to know Trophy props, as I had OMC sponsorship for many years and did a lot of work with Renegade props. I won't thin it, but I may still look at getting a little more cup in the tips, IF, after I raise the engine some more, still have good water pressure but rpms get too high at wot & full trim. I make sure to have a fairly normal load each time I do test runs, so I can compare apples to apples.
Water pressure isnt an issue unless you are over 3" below pad. I never went under 15psi while at 3" below pad. Psi doesnt drop like some make it out to just because you raise it a 1/2 inch. At the heights we are running, 1/2 your prop will be out the water before you lose enough water pressure to matter.
i found that once i raised the motor to 4-3.5" below that my rpms didnt jump up when i went any higher. Its not a jump in rpms like when you came up from 6" below pad. i would end up running at 3.75" below. that was my all around good area. enough motor was out of water and i could get enough trim range without losing grip
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