Hey guys I have a new 6 inch manual jackplate on the way motor is currently right on transom. Just curious if 3.5 inch below pad is a good starting point for height once I get it all mounted.
Motor is a 2017 etec 150ho with the lightning gear case.
Thanks !
1996 Champion 181 DCX ELITE
2017 EVINRUDE 150 H.O
3.5 is pretty much the best starting point with a JP. Up or down from there in 1/4" increments to find the sweet spot. I hope you have a water pressure gauge.
Yes I'm putting a new psi gauge in as well
1996 Champion 181 DCX ELITE
2017 EVINRUDE 150 H.O
Good deal!
I was taught to Start a Champion off at 3.5" below pad with the boat fully loaded , just as you normally would be running , live wells full , gas tank/tanks full , all your usual gear , second person etc.
Move up 1/4' at a time until any 1 of the 4 conditions begin to occur , then go back down 1/4"
1- RPM begins to decrease
2- Speed begins to decrease
3- Water pressure drops below 15 PSIG @ WOT , not just straight away , also test the setup in hard turns and don't let the water pressure drop below 12-13 PSIG in hard turns
4- The boat TAIL gets loose , extra light and starts to dance , side to side , oscillating ....... far different from chine walk....
These suggestions came to me from Pat Goff here on BBC ( Pat possesses an unmatched wealth of knowledge on Mountain Home Champion boats , and how to achieve top performance from them ) , these tips were also echo'd by the folks at Hydro Dynamics when i purchased the 8" Rapid Jack Magnum , that was recommended by Pat , for my 95 202 DCX Elite with a 07 200 Optimax
I was able to pick up 9 MPH through the tuning process , going from 65 MPH GPS @5550 rpm , to 74 MPH GPS @5750 RPM , 18 PSIG water pressure drag race straight , and 15 PSIG in the HARD turns , Croxton modified Tempest 25 , Seastar Hyd. steering , Torque tab secured to the skeg from Bob's , Hydro Dynamics Rapid Jack Magnum ( the ultimate in manual jack plates ) That was early last fall in 80 degree warm water , i can't wait until i hit TableRock in 2 weeks to see even more top end speed in the cooler , 50+ degree , spring time water . Experiment with the trim in each incremental move , most folks say trim all the way up but all boats are different , you may find the best overall characteristics not fully maxed up on the trim ,
My particular boat setup settled in at 2-3/4" below the pad , I stopped raising the motor because of the #4 condition appeared , "Loose in the tail" factor , it's a little bit of a spooky feeling in the seat , I also performed a water pickup trick on the lower unit housing that allows me to raise an additional 1" without affecting water pressure or restricting water pump suction volume , I have performed this modification on every single Mercury motor that I have owned , without ever having any ill effects .
The tuning can take the better part of a day on the water , and a tank or more of gas , to really find your best setup , be prepared to take a lunch , I made cheat sheets to record all water conditions , settings , prop etc. and results for each 1/4" move that was tried , experiment with the trim during each incremental move of the jack plate . I tried 2 different recommended props You even may find that you will need a different prop to achieve maximum performance , I doubt that you could fine a better prop doctor today than Mark Croxton , he has an expertise with prop design , knowledge , real world experience , and most of all he achieves results in a very timely manner , and a super nice person to deal with to boot , however , he won't be doing this stuff forever , he has retirement in his sights just as I do , most of these old school prop professors will be unavailable to us in a few short years as they hang up their hats .
IMHO , it all just comes down to a matter of where a individual finds satisfaction with the boat setup/handling , and stops chasing that extra 1 MPH or 2 and shoveling $$$
I had purchased my current boat in the late spring of 2017 , after an exhausting 2-3 year search for a pristine 1995 202 , I even drove from Missouri to Texas , to look at a few "misrepresented" examples , I finally convinced the second owner of my 95 202 to sell me this boat from where it spent its entire life Tennessee , the original owner was one of the original "Bassin Gals"! Lea might appreciate that ! I have since performed some minor restorations and vastly improved many other aspects of the boat , i have far less than the $50-$80K they get for a high performance 20' bass boat today , and I'm living proof that the 95 202 is the hardest running , best handling Champion ever produced . It will likely be my last boat , its really an incredible feeling to drive when you have open water with a slight chop , and you can do some aggressive driving in the rough water when you need an Adrenaline Rush ..... thats where this boat really shines above even todays competition ! Heaven !!
P.S. - I don't think they ever made a "bad" Champion , I'm sure you will love the "Dry Ride" , rough water handling characteristics and high quality construction of your Champion ! Enjoy !
Mark Schlesing
1995 ChampioN 202 DCX Elite
2007 Mercury Optimax 200L
GREAT info, Mark!!!!!
Which Bass n Gal was it? I know Kathy Magers, and she had a 202 or 203 she fished out of for quite some time...and had it when she stopped tourney fishing. She also had a 2008 203 at that time. I know she sold the 2008 one, but not sure about the older one.
Well my new jack plate arrived today will be putting it on once boat is
out of storage next week. Between adding this 6 inch plate and getting my prop worked
by croxton I think it’s gonna run a lot differently !
1996 Champion 181 DCX ELITE
2017 EVINRUDE 150 H.O
Sounds good!!!
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