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  1. #1
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    1998 Stratos 273 with 150 Johnson Fast Strike (Carbs not injected)

    Just picked this Stratos 273 up a couple of days ago. Previous owner is telling me about 220 hours on the motor, but the boat condition is telling me something a little different. The price was good though so I moved on it after a test ride and going over it pretty well. Titles were clear and current. The Johnson starts immediately on the first hit so far. Will do a compression check this weekend, but my first time out, other than the pre-sale ride, with me and my son in the boat, I am 250 lbs he is 220 lbs, we got it to 56 MPH with a max RPM of 5000. I could get 2 more MPH out of it by going a little higher on the trim but then it started to chine walk and I didn't care for that so I would trim it down a tad and it would settle back down keep 56 MPH. It cruised nicely at 46 MPH and seem to be able to run that all day long. The steering was a little more than I thought it would be but without any hydraulics it was still good, just two hands for sure. No hotfoot here. Currently it has the CMC ML-65 jake plate and a 4 blade renegade bass prop. I have looked all over the outside of the prop turning it slowly and I cannot find any part numbers or pitch numbers anywhere so what am I missing there? The right rear trailer brake/tail light is burned out so I have a new one on order there, but it stays dry, the live wells work, the motor starts good, puts out good charge to starting battery so I am still going over it. I did change the gear oil last night on the foot and it was clean and not milky so no water there, but it did seem to hold more oil than what I put in it. It is full now though for sure as I filled it from the bottom until I got a good flow out the top and then quickly got the bottom one back in tight.

    Does anyone have any Stratos 273 manuals or info they can share with me? Any current Stratos owners with the 273 and Johnson 150 Fast Strike willing to share prop data and jack plate adjustments? I am thinking it should turn more than 5000 RPM, but there is a part of me that says leave it alone at 56 MPH with us two and the boat loaded to not work the engine any harder than we have to. It would be cool to hit 60, but now I am just pushing it to push it. LOL.

    Thanks!

    Kevin

  2. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #2
    1. The fast Strike is not capable of keeping hours because carbureted motors do not have a computer. If there is an hour meter it was something aftermarket added. Some aftermarket hour meters are tied to the key switch and some are tie to a spark plug wire. The one tied to a key switch keeps time anytime the key is on so if you accidently turn on the key it registers time even when the motor is not running. The one that ties to the spark plug only keeps time when fire is present...as mentioned neither is a standard option so if it does have an hour meter someone added it. If it does have aftermarket meter and it was not added day one then there is unaccounted for hours.

    2. Tight steering is more than likely due to the cables having some age on them. I would replace them if they are a few years old. Maybe the previous owners knows the age of the cables. New cables really make a difference if the old ones are very stiff.

    3. To find out what prop you have you will need to remove the nut...If its a 4 blade I bet money its a 25 Renegade Bass just based on what you said.

    4. It has been my experience on the one and only new boat I had that owners manuals are worthless. Mine had nothing about the boat itself. it was more of an instructional manual on how to trim up/down. pass another boat and safety stuff. My owners manual contained zero info about the particular option/functions of the boat.

    Now I will add this. What you just bought is a Rocket Ship IF set-up properly and you can learn how to control the chine walk before it starts. In the right hands the 273 will hurt the feelings of some people running 200 HP and walk off and leave most that run 150 or 175 HP but this is ONLY with a good set-up and a driver capable of correcting chine-walk before it starts. There is a member her on BBC (can't remember his user name) that routinely ran his to 70. I am sure if he see this post he will chime in. There was one on or local lake that was a rocket. Here is what I suggest...24 Raker, 6" jackplate, prop to pad at 3.25"...if you can get that set-up to run 57-5800 rpm you will see upper 60's if the water is slick. In semi rough water the 273 can be a handful for even a seasoned driver and in real rough water you're not going to be running that hull above 60. The BBC member I referred to had spent a lot of time getting his set-up fine tuned for max speed. If my memory is correct he also had some work done to his prop that helped gain some speed. Now with a so-so set-up you should be able to see low 60 once you learn how to prevent the chine walk. I also highly recommend a hot-foot. The 273 is a rocket that can quickly get away from you once it climbs up on the last step of the pad. It's not a boat that just anyone can sit in and run in the mid to upper 60's. It's a hull you have to "learn" to drive to get the max speed. I am not trying to scare you but I have zero idea of your driving knowledge so for safety sake I warn you that hull will chine walk but it is a perfectly safe hull if driven correctly... on your purchase.

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    #3
    I have a javelin renagade 18 . It’s the same boat with a 150 Johnson and with no jackplate and a 24 taker it is as high as it can go on boat . It came with a 25 renegade it would turn 4900- 5000 and maybe 60 swapped to tweaked raker will turn 5400 - 5600 and run 61 -63 with tournament load and 64 - 65 light. IT WILL get away from you if you don’t stay on it ! But like jr19 said it will put a hurting on a lot of 200’s on 19 ft boats ! Good luck on purchase ��

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    #4
    So I confirmed last night the renegade bass prop is 13.5 x 25 with part number 175738. I will get a measurement on the prop to pad tonight, but eyeballing this it looks to be more than 3.25" for sure, likely closer to 4.5". I have plenty of adjustment on the CMC jack plate for sure so moving it either way will not be a problem. @jr19 you were spot on with the prop and definitely no hour meter so I really have no idea of the hours on this Johnson. I can say for sure, this is a major step up from my Bass Tracker 175 with a 40 HP Mercury. Max speed in that BT 175 with me and my son was 28 MPH, so 55/56 is really fast to us! LOL! I will be working to figure out simple stuff like livewell operations, may sound simple, but the BT 175 was built for Crappie fishing so we never put any bass in any livewell. I did confirm the switch to fill it on the right side of steering wheel, but many of the switches are not very readable. Then a recirc switch on the left side, but very stupid question, when we make a run from one fishing spot to another, the livewell drains. I am embarrassed to ask, but I assume with that feed hole being open from the livewell to bottom aft end of the boat the inertia of the boat will drain the tanks? I ask because my son has a High School tournament he wants to enter at the end of the month and the bass must be alive at weigh-in so he is concerned if we make a long run across the lake and the livewell empties then fish may die.

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    #5
    Kevin, i have the same rig as you. Will need to check my engine/outmount height but run about 61mph full tourney load and 2 up. Prop is a 24" OMC Shooter 4 blade and i'm turning it at 5900rpm. Boat does chine walk as the other guys have said. I changed out the cable steering for a hydraulic system, definately way better and safer in my opinion. Great boat that fishes way bigger tnan its size. Best other modifications i've made are a recessed trollong motor pedal and small deck extension. Congrats on your new boat

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    #6
    I have this boat as well, you got a good one! Mine has a Raker 14.5 x 26 Prop 3 Blade, no jack plate, runs 62-63 mph w/ 2 people (425ish lbs.) & full of gear front to rear. Sounds like the livewell is in the open position. When sitting at the wheel, look underneath the Throttle Control arm on the right side of you-- on the floor and there should be a Open/Closed switch. Just close it when you run and the livewell will stay full. The "recirc" switch has never worked on mine, only the aerator manual/auto, that's the only way I've used it. I'm at work now and can chime in more later about it, but you've got a great boat.
    Last edited by jeffro855; 11-16-2017 at 02:51 PM. Reason: adding info

  7. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #7
    3.25" or 3.5" should be a close to a good prop to pad height. Variables such as load and prop type (3 or 4 blade and pitch) also factor into the best motor height. "Typically" a 3 blade runs deeper than a 4 blade because the four blade has more surface area. A 4 blade "typically" runs 1 pitch less than a 3 blade and has about the same rpm. HOWEVER if you have a 25 Renegade Bass it a little different because the Renegade Bass has a smaller diameter than "most" 4 blade props so they tend to turn a few more rpms. I hope I did not confuse you with the explanation but long story short two boats with the same horsepower and pitch prop may have a totally different set up due to variables. When I use "qoutations" that means take the statement with a grain of salt because it's not set in stone.

    Anytime you play with motor height there is two things you MUST monitor. RPM and water pressure. You need to find out officially what your max rpm at wide open throttle can be and your minimum suggested water pressure at wide open throttle. I am not a mechanic but if I were taking an educated guess I would say keep the rpm's below 5800 and the water pressure above 15 psi...That is just a educated guess so please confirm because I do not want to feed you bad information but one thing is for sure you need to monitor them when playing with motor height. Another thing to add is if your motor height is close to being good "sometimes" just .25" will make a huge difference. Now if its off a lot you make have to make a big adjustment but when your fine tuning the sweet spot .25" can make a huge difference in water pressure and rpm...as I previously said something close to 3.25"-3.5" should be close with what you have. Nothing wrong with the Renegade Bass it's good prop but for pure speed the 24 Raker will "typically" be faster than a 25 Renegade Bass. However if you have little experience with running a boat like you have a 4 blade is "typically" easier to learn how to drive.

    Here is a good explanation of how to measure prop to pad...


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    #8
    This is amazing information! Thank you all so much and I will keep you posted on my progress. Out on the water this Sunday.

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    #9
    Update. Measured prop to pad and it was 5”! It is now a heavy 3.5”. We take it out Sunday. Well update more. Wonder if I pickup any MPH and\or RPM?

  10. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #10
    I think you will see a difference in speed and rpm. Keep a close eye on WATER PRESSURE and RPM

    Take it slow learning the limits of the boat. When trimming to find the spot where it lifts onto the back step of the pad use light bumps with the trim up. Once you find the spot where it wants to chine walk stop and fill the livewell and make the same ruan again. "Sometimes" added weight such as filling the livewell or having a partner will reduce chine walk.

    A lot of people talk about chine walk and they have experienced it but they may not know what causes it. Chine walk happens when your boat is lifted out of the water and the pad at the very back is all that is in the water and it becomes out of balance. When I say pad I am talking about the very lowest part of the V at back near the drain plug. It's somewhat more flat shaped than V shaped but there is a slight V in the pad. Anyways the pad of a boat is a very small area. The prop rotates clockwise to create forward thrust. The rotation of the prop puts right hand torque on the boat. If the boat is up on the pad (or the V) the torque will affect the balance. The hull is riding on the V but it falls out of balance and slaps the water and bounces back up and slaps the other side of the water. It repeats the process over and over. It can be light or it can be violent. If you have horrible chine walk ease out of the throttle. If you suddenly drop all rpm's the bow can drop too fast and it can hook in the water throwing the boat 180*. This is rare but it has happened so ease out of the throttle.

    There is ways to help prevent chine walk through steering corrections but I feel like it's more is more important to get the set-up correct first and then learn how to make the steering corrections to prevent it. Since chine walk is a balance issue make sure your boat is loaded evenly. With no one in the boat look at it and see if it floats level side to side. I tend to fish by myself 95% of the time so I want it level or a light lean to the passenger side. This way when I am in the boat it is balanced. As previously mentioned an in-balance on the V part of the pad is what creates chine-walk. This is why sometimes adding a passenger helps. If my memory is correct your boat has one large livewell. Filling the livewell adds weight that is distributed evenly. Filling the gas tank also does the same thing. The added extra weight will not let the transom lift as easy onto the pad because of the extra weight back there. Its really a "band aid" to mask a problem but in "some" cases it will help you learn how to drive with it up on the v part of the pad.

    I said something about steering corrections to prevent chine walk ...I will get into that latter...right now lets see what happens

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    #11
    Took out Sunday, but we had 12 - 15 knots winds and it just wasn't ideal for trying to run it out. I did get one straight away and we hit it but it is the same results on the top end. 5000 RPM and 56 MPH but with a tad less up trim than the other day. I began to trim it up to see if I could get more RPM, but my water pressure began to drop from 25 to 18 so I didn't go more and actually bumped it back down a tad to get my pressure back around 22. Got home last night I was checking on the sticky thread about the timing and throttle adjustment. I noticed with the throttle hand control all the way forward the throttle link that connects the starboard and port side carbs and is opened by the vertical throttle shaft with cam, still had more travel to open by about a .25" so I am the throttle is not really at WOT which is why I am stopping steadily at 5000 RPM each time. Other than not going past 5000 RPM there is no hesitation out the hole, the motor pulls very strong through the RPM's all the way to 5000, it just honestly feels like the throttle blades still have a little left in them when in the boat.

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    #12
    Well checked the throttle butterflies tonight and they are open as far as the cam can physically turn them. Even if I took the Morse cable loose and rotated the cam more it will not open the butterflies any more. I checked and confirmed that the throttle butterflies start to move in sync with optical sensor arm. I think at this point I am going to be happy with 56 mph and not worry about getting 400 more rpms. Raising the motor seems to have more the boat more stable as it reached 56 without as much trim but I really couldn’t stay in it too long Sunday.

  13. Member Indianabasser's Avatar
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    #13
    Fastman151 has the same boat boat with the 150. He can touch 70. He may be able to help you get your rig fine tuned baring you dont gave a minor motor issue. Between fastman and JR they will get you right.
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  14. Member 06 SB's Avatar
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    #14
    JRisco is the member mentioned above that took his 273 to 70.
    Last edited by 06 SB; 11-20-2017 at 08:16 PM.

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  15. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    If you raised the motor from 5" to 3.5" you should have at least seen a few rpm increase. Based on what you said about the throttle it does sound like you are not getting 100% full throttle even though the gearshift throttle is wide open. Pull the cowl and with the motor off engage the throttle to 100%. Look at the butterflies on the carburetors. They should be straight out when wide open.

    I need to make sure you know that I am not a boat mechanic so I am not positive on what I am about to post but it won't hurt to check it ...if my memory is correct a 1998 150 carbureted motor should have a plastic sleeve on the throttle linkage. I don't know but if it's missing it might not allow you 100% full throttle. I am "thinking" when it is missing it causes a sluggish low end or rough idle but I may be incorrect. Anyways it will not hurt to see if yours in place. They can dry rot and break off so you don't know it's gone until you start seeing performance issues. If my memory is correct "some" motors have the plastic roller on the linkage but it's on the side of the carburetors and the linkage is routed different but I "think" this is what yours looks like.

    Anyways regardless if this in missing or in place you need to figure out if you are getting the butterflies 100% open when the throttle is 100% engaged. Hopefully this picture helps?


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    #16
    Here is a pic of my motor showing the throttle linkage at idle and then WOT.
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    #17
    I am thinking my next thing to check is WOT timing....

  18. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #18
    Looks like your roller is intact...Make sure the butterflies are 100% open when the throttle is wide open.


    Read this thread it may have some helpful information...http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=11790


    It is a sticky thread in the Johnson/Evinrude forum. If you have any questions please start a new thread. This one is posted at the top of the page for a helpful tip. Always include you engine model number if you post a question. There is actual techs that frequent the board and a engine model number lets them know exactly what motor is in question.

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    #19
    JR19, just want to say thank-you and I appreciate all you have shared with me. The people on this board are amazing and I am excited to learn from you and the others! Even had one member take the time to call me and talk with me for over 30 minutes about the Stratos 273. Wow!! Last night I took the carb air box and took the handle all the way to WOT position. I could then verify the butterflies are definitely perpendicular and thus wide open. Regarding the sticky thread about throttle/timing roller adjustment, I have verified the throttle roller and the timing roller engage at the same time so at no point is the throttle opening without the timing arm being actuated. However, I do have adjustment left to increase the top end timing from what I see based on the pic.
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  20. Member J Risco's Avatar
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    #20
    Quote Originally Posted by 06 SB View Post
    JRisco is the member mentioned above that took his 273 to 70.
    Hey bud! Mine was actually a 285 w/ 175 Fast Strike with "hot heads" but his 273 w/ 150 shouldnt be far behind it as it has to be lighter than mine was. JR has given a bunch of great info, and setup is very important with these hulls. There were a few days where I tried something that didnt work and I would loose lift and 5+ mph haha. But when they are setup right and driven well, they flat out fly! I was able to reliably run P2P around 2.5" under while still keeping good psi by blocking the top intake holes in the lower. It was on the verge of being too high (and losing lift) but I never even got close to blowing out.

    That 25p Gade you have can be made to run really well, actually do everything better than a Raker but be about 2 mph slower. I had both and ran the Gade most of the time, only got the Raker out if I was playing around with top speed or had a long run to make in a tourney.

    Kevin, sending you a PM
    Last edited by J Risco; 11-24-2017 at 09:54 AM.
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