From Fury to Tempest Plus - Setup Help

[DanVFL]

Hey guys. I'm running a '12 721 with '12 250 Pro XS and original lower unit (black). I purchased the boat used a couple of years ago with the 26p Fury included and have never been satisfied with the top-end speed (75.4 mph w/medium load, 1/4 tank, 2 8' poles, driver only, 6000rpm). I had Mark Croxton work it twice trying to find the best performance for my boat and even reached out to Tim T. at Phoenix for jackplate and weight distribution recommendations with little improvements. I've read several folks like the Tempest Plus 27p for hole-shot and top-end over the Fury. I needed a spare prop so found one used but in great shape and had it B&B'ed locally. I was able to dial-in the VPS plugs for hole-shot but top-end with the same as mentioned above load was 69.6 at 6100rpm. The rooster tail comes out even with the engine cowl so I'm curious if I should adjust the manual jackplate between the two props or ???????? Conditions are not a factor as the water and air temps are very similar for each of these runs. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated as this has me scratching my head.

Thanks!

[MN Phoenix]

I may be in the minority here, but I'd say that your original numbers are about right. For my 920 the Fury is hands down a better prop.

[TX721]

I may be in the minority here, but I'd say that your original numbers are about right. For my 920 the Fury is hands down a better prop.

I agree with the OPs numbers being about right. It may not be a prop issue...maybe ptp height? Fury #1, Tempest #2. I run the tempest in the summer.
As far as the chine...seat time!

[DanVFL]

Quick update...I purchased a 25p Fury as a summer prop and lastnight it ran 67.4 with same set-up and 2 people and half tank with E TN summerheat and humidity and rpm's were 6400 according to the dash. I'm curious now which prop I should keep and have Mark C. work one to dial it in or try another option that will perform better than the 26p Fury and sell both of these. Any thoughts would be great.

[fishin couillon]

6400!!!!????? I think that motor would have shut/slow down at that high of R's.....

[Jb357]

6400!!!!????? I think that motor would have shut/slow down at that high of R's.....

Guardian mode would of kicked in and dropped him to 2500 rpm max. His tach is off

[fishin couillon]

Didn't know what the correct terminology was but knew something of that nature would happen.

[vausoner]

Before you spend the funds playing with different props buy a merc monitor and run the 26 fury to see where you're at. I'd say that 25 isn't enough for your rig.

[Bassboater101]

You are definitely not turning 6400 rpms. I have the big gauges too and it's off...if you wanna know for sure you'd have to get a monitor like vausoner.

[Fidgetcranker]

Seems to me, since your rpm's are off by reading high, you need to reevaluate your original speed of 75.4 at 6000 rpm's. you're having Croxton and local shop work your props with inaccurate information. that is why you're not getting optimum performance out of any of your props.

Have your dip switches checked to make sure they're set correctly on your tach. If they are not set right, you could save some $ on a merc monitor. If they are, then invest in a monitor, and have props reworked.

I know that can cost some coin, but if it's that important for you to gain a few mph, you'll have to do what it takes.
Personally, it IS important to me to have my boat running at it's best. So a few $ for a couple mph can mean a lot to some people, whereas others may think it's silly.

[DanVFL]

Thanks guys and keep the ideas coming! I'll definitely reach out to Tim T. at Phoenix and ask about the dip switch settings first. Once I've confirmed that it is correct or not then I'll move on to "Plan B" regarding the props. I appreciate the the insight as I'm very comfortable learning and working on things myself and know my limits. I'm also very frugal and hate to fork out $100+ dollars per hour at a local shop when it could simply be a dip switch setting. I hope to learn from this group and pass it forward to help others in the future where I find myself today.

If anyone has a recommendation for a Mercmonitor that would also be helpful. It seems there are several models floating around for my 250 Pro XS from the $184 - $350 range.

[vausoner]

You can get the eco version which is cheaper but doesn't have a polarized screen for high sky days and it cannot link with your graphs to overlay data on them. Everyone recommends the level 1 so you can overlay data onto your graph while running.