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  1. #1
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    Question Merc 150 four stroke on Tracker 195 txw

    Hello all,

    This is my first post on the site. I've enjoyed reading the various threads but tonight I thought I'd post.

    I have a 2017 Tracker PT 195 TXW with a 2017 Merc 150 four stroke. I recently bought the boat new and as of now there are 8 hours on the motor. My P2P is 4". My prop is a Tempest Plus 14-5/8" x 24p. No jack plate. Boat is essentially stock. Running with minimal gear, half tank of gas, two batteries, and me (175 lbs.), I'm getting top end of 57 mph gps (vessel view app on my phone), @ max 5600 RPM. My hole shot is roughly 3 seconds.

    I've read much on line and I've talked to a few people who own the same boat, and my general understanding is many are getting 60mph plus at 5800 RPM, give or take.

    I'm not unhappy with the performance of the boat, by any means. But I feel like it's under performing and if there is any tweaking that I can do to fully realize its potential on the top end speed, I'm game to try it. Just an FYI, I considered the possibility that it's user error, and perhaps I wasn't trimming the boat enough. I had one of the local Tracker service reps take a run with the boat and he had the same results. He felt like it's not maxing out, but did say it's within operating specs. If I haven't solved this by season's end I may have them take the boat in and dig deeper. Assuming there is indeed a performance deficiency.

    Your thoughts are much appreciated!

  2. Pat Goff
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    #2
    The boat will tell you what it wants, you can learn to listen.
    First, all setup and testing should be done with a ready to fish load, any tweaking done with a light boat will fall on it's face when it's loaded, so start there.
    Your tech is a moron. That motor needs to be at 6,000 rpms to operate at it's potential. Which means to start you've got a bit too much prop. When you load it down to fish, you're going to lose another 100-300 rpms and it'll really not be happy.
    A happy setup: at WFO you've got NO water breaking out the sides, boat is lifting, maybe a bit loose, steering is tight, but not so stiff it takes two hands to hold. Roostertail is long and low, never above the motor cowling.
    I like the tempest prop a lot, but it's never run right on a tin hull, I'd be back at your dealer and wanting to try a 23 or 22 trophy, that four blade runs better in the more turbulent water coming off the bottom of your hull.

    Start there, then see what the boat is telling you, then take the next aspirin
    Pat Goff

    Two degrees from center
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  3. Member
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    #3
    I like how you phrased that... "your boat will tell you what it wants.." That resonates for me. That's exactly why I keep having this sense that it's not right. I also agree that the tech missed the mark on this and I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so. I'm going to ask the service center, but is it your experience that they will loan out props to test on a boat? If I need to try a few until I find the right one, it seems like would be prohibitively expensive if I had to buy them. Also, do you feel like the 4" P2P is alright?

    Thank you so much for your feedback. It is very helpful.

  4. Pat Goff
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    #4
    Let the boat talk. Internet noise will tell you that you gotta do x because that’s what I’m doing. Don’t fall for it. No two hulls, motors and especially props are identical.

    If you’re throwing a big high roostertail , steering is stiff and you’re running flat on the water you’re too high for the prop you’ve got.

    Listen it’ll tell you what it wants.
    Pat Goff

    Two degrees from center
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    Smithwick TX.

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  5. Member turfy49431's Avatar
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    #5
    Dont dump the Tempest just yet. Best thing to do is to install a jack plate so you can fine tune the p2p. Or you can try to raise it on the transom bolt hole by bolt hole. Major PITA to do it that way. But you sound a little too deep on the motor. Raise it one bolt hole or if you get a iack plate set it at 3.5” below pad to start and then start tweaking. If you can get it to 5800-5900 without losing water pressure and can maintain lift, it will run a lot better.
    Ranger R81VS, Mercury 175EFI w/ 25 Tempest

  6. Member
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    #6
    I have considered raising the motor. I probably won't try that myself but certainly I have thought about having the service tech raise it up. Do any of you have an opinion about whether the PVS plugs are at issue? I have the large hole plugs currently and I'm wondering if that motor really needs that much venting. I have ordered one set of small hole, and one set of solid plugs so I can experiment. Any thoughts about whether I'm likely to experience improvement?

  7. Member turfy49431's Avatar
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    #7
    The vent holes will only change the holeshot. 3 seconds isnt all bad. If you raise the motor you may find that your prop will spin up a bump faster and you may have to change the pvs plugs. If you raise it and it doesnt blow out when it breaks over then leave the plugs alone. In order to get the rpm’s up to 5800-5900 you need to raise the motor
    Ranger R81VS, Mercury 175EFI w/ 25 Tempest

  8. Member
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    #8
    These boats do not like extra weight not 1 bit. They’re very very inconsistent hulls too! My first hull, ran 64 mph 2 people minimal gear 12v trolling motor. But that hull only lived 3 hours on the water, missed welds on keel seem. 3 hours took on nearly 30 gallons of water. It ran 64 gps on my first WOT burst I was allowed to run after initial 2 hour breaking in. Mercury spec’d WOT burst for under a min, just Incase anyone wonders why I was running balls to the walls. The replacement hull would only run 60 max, 1 person no gear. Added 24v trolling motor and gear and 57 max. But Rpms way low. These boats don’t like a 23 tempest either. due to the 24 having better stern lift. After all adding graphs, gear, 2nd person livewell ect, I now run a 23 bravo 1 fs, to 59-6000 at 55 mph. No speed demon, but best load carrying prop I’ve run. I added a 4” plate running 3” under pad, well keel. A 24 bravo would be perfect for my boat. My boat didn’t like the trophy either, it handled well with 23 trophy, steering extremely light, boat loose, but slow!

  9. Member
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    #9
    You could have the 24 tempest worked since most 24 tempest are off out of the box but I wouldn't raise the motor.

  10. Pat Goff
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    #10
    If that boat is a rebirth of the avalanche then really good luck. I rigged three of those and all three were completely different.

    The biggest issue was none of them had the same transom angle. Not even close. One had a three inch rocker in the hull and one was three inches off center.

    The worst of the bunch finally behaved after installing trim tabs and 5 degrees negative wedges. That boat and the manager were my exit out of the tracker business.
    Pat Goff

    Two degrees from center
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  11. Member
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    #11
    Update

    I contacted the local Tracker Service Center to inquire about having them raise my motor up one set of holes. Presently it is mounted in the fourth set, so I want to raise it up to the third set. I've gotten many opinions about solutions to my issue and raising the motor seems to be among the most common suggestions. Anyway, the service manager told me he was unsure about the wisdom of doing this because he suspects it could void my warranty. Mind you, I am willing to pay to raise the motor, even though it could be argued Tracker should absorb that cost. But I'm being open minded and he said it would probably be an hour or two of labor. Still, he thinks that by raising the motor it will change some of the dynamics of the transom and the increased torque that would result by raising the motor. Besides, according to him it wouldn't help anyway. He said a half inch change of the P2P wouldn't make an appreciable difference.

    I'm not buying any of what he told me today. Now I don't want to say it's all nonsense because I'm not an expert. But I will say that is the first time I EVER heard any such things. First, I know a half inch adjustment will make a measurable difference. But void my warranty.....? Seriously, is that a thing? Is it possible that Tracker would deem the act of raising the motor to the third set of holes reason enough to void my warranty? Can any of one shed some light on this for me? Thank you for any help you can offer.

  12. Pat Goff
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    #12
    That guy is a moron. Probably was running a quick lube last week.
    Pat Goff

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  13. Member
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    #13
    I think I'm going to find another authorized service center. I just don't feel like I'm being given good information by these guys.

  14. Member Midnight Rider's Avatar
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    #14
    Even 1/4" can make a difference. What you do not want is to not have the proper water pressure at WOT. Do you have a water pressure gauge on the dash? If not, get one installed. Raising your engine will NOT void the warranty unless you are running the engine with under 10-12 PSI water pressure. IF you have a pressure gauge, the trick is to raise the engine until one of two things happen: you lose water pressure, and/or you gain RPM's with no gain in speed. If that happens, drop down 1/4" and it'll probably be good to go. Personally, I would put a 3 or 4 inch manual jackplate on the boat, IF the boat manufacturer recommends a jack plate at all. Most will have a limit to what size plate you can have on the boat. It just makes it easier to get the boat just right.

    BTW...the vent holes in the prop have no effect on the top end performance, they are strictly for tuning the hole shot. GENERALLY, a 4 stroke does not need large holes. You might even be better off running solid plugs, but you'll have to try it and see. The purpose of the holes is to allow exhaust gases to escape and allow the prop to slip enough to get the rpm up in the torque band. 4 strokes make torque at lower rpm than 2 strokes, so you MIGHT not need any prop slip at all to get out of the hole.
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  15. Member
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    #15
    Thank you Midnight Rider. Great information. In fact, thanks to everybody who offered suggestions. I am very grateful.

  16. Member
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    #16
    That boat has a MOD-V hull and no pad right. Raising the motor too high won't help and that is probably what the manager means. Having it set too high will be just as bad speed wise and worse for the motor. You might gain some rpm's but the prop may slip more and cause you some speed. I'd have the prop worked before raising it up.

  17. Member
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    #17
    I took out my voltage gauge and installed the WP gauge there. I use my graphs to read voltage.
    raising the motor did intact help me. Better hole shot, better handling and a slight gain in speed. Now, MY boat, raising 1 hole did make the water pressure iffy, I installed a 3” manual jack plate and set it that way. It’s easy to do. Borrow a cherry picker and it’s a 2 hour job to put on a plate. The WP gauge is easy to install as well. I wouldn’t advise raising engine until then. At full trim my water pressure would bounce 10-20. With jack plate I’m running 15 psi at full trim. I hate to say it though, these boats are limited. If you haven’t seen 60 mph. Chances are you never will.

  18. Member
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    #18
    a buddy just got one.. tried 4-5 props and lifting motor. after getting a 23 p tempest worked think he saw 56 alone. 53 loaded. he runs a 24v uktrex and a fair bit of tackle .
    I was skeptical of all the 60 + mph claims online. if u getting high 50s that's great!
    Nitro2023 triton allure 250 proxs
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  19. Member Midnight Rider's Avatar
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    #19
    A jack plate is one of the best investments, if the transom can handle the extra leverage. It allows infinite up/down adjustments, and the main thing is that it gets the prop in "cleaner" water, as the lower unit is in the "wave" created by the hull, behind the transom. Glad you got it right.
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  20. Member
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    #20
    I have the same engine 2017 four stroke and the max rpm on it is 5800.