Let’s try this again help with prop, weight distribution

[ranger168v]

I’ll be more open to suggestions since the more I think about the issues the more questions I get
1979 ranger 168v
-4 battery’s group 27
-2 12 gallon tanks
-6” jackplate
1979 evinrude 150hp
- 4 blade shooter 13.5x23p stainless

boat has a quick hole shot but had issue with engine mounted to high, before lowering boat would bounce basically as soon as I got on plane, and on turns, would run 55-5600ish at 62/64 (got extremely squirlly and I would let off) lowered motor from 3” to 3.5” and handled better still have the porpoise issue but could trim up for a split second before it would come back, decided to drop to lowest setting and go up to see what difference it would have, now sitting at 3 7/8-4” seems to be still to low but I can’t trim up once on pad for more than the count of 2 before the porpoising begins if I leave it there I can only get 45-4800rpms if I continue to trim up further past the point of proposing I can feel the bow lift and it will smooth out and the rpms will come up to the 5500/5800 mark but if there and will jump from 48/50 mph to 58/60 but if there is any wake it’s a hell ride and way to unsafe. This brings me to my question would my prop be to big, is there a weight distribution issue? I also deleted the front bait well to use as storage since I have no need for the baitwell? I pondered putting sand bags up front to test this theory before changing props out, I can see the water line and just sitting in the water the bow is obviously sitting wayyyyy higher than anywhere else on the boat, I do not have that much tackle or rods. I also have added a front deck extension hoping that would help offset the baitwell delete and extra battery.

[ranger168v]

I am open to alllll suggestions anyone that can lay some knowledge this is getting annoying it not running right

[ranger168v]

The only things added to boat that weren’t there before is 1 extra battery and the jack plate

[jarhead175]

Adding weight to off set weight is a lose lose situation. Sounds to me like you need a jackplate. Do you know the prop is good? Had a proposing problem on my ranger and found out the blades had flattened over time the loss of cup ment the loss of grip noise falls, prop grips and lifts noise back up, prop loses grip, etc.etc.etc.

[Nebraska Schiltzy]

Is this a power jack plate or manual? If it’s a power jack plate, you could lower it in the rougher water to hold the boat down. If you are having control problems in rough water, you need the prop further down in the water . Same with tilt and trim. If your boat is getting squirrelly at higher speeds and rougher water, you need to run your tilt a little lower to put more of the front end in the water. The more you tilt up, the less of the front end is in the water and less control.
i always start out with my boat trimmed down as much as possible to get the front up fast then as soon as it really starts to get up I raise the trim as much as needed to get the boat flat. When you start losing control you need to trim it back down to lay more of the front part of the hull on the water.

[ranger168v]

Is this a power jack plate or manual? If it’s a power jack plate, you could lower it in the rougher water to hold the boat down. If you are having control problems in rough water, you need the prop further down in the water . Same with tilt and trim. If your boat is getting squirrelly at higher speeds and rougher water, you need to run your tilt a little lower to put more of the front end in the water. The more you tilt up, the less of the front end is in the water and less control.
i always start out with my boat trimmed down as much as possible to get the front up fast then as soon as it really starts to get up I raise the trim as much as needed to get the boat flat. When you start losing control you need to trim it back down to lay more of the front part of the hull on the water.

man jack plate, yeah I get how to ride in rough water the problem I’m having is not to do with tilt and trim per say, it’s that I can only hit trim up after planning for literally a split second before the porpoising starts and even then I’m not all the way on pad nose is still down a bit, if I continue to trim up past that point the porpoising will stop and the noise rises very fast and I literally run on maybe 2 foot of pad which isn’t very fun in anything other than glass water in this boat.

[ranger168v]

Adding weight to off set weight is a lose lose situation. Sounds to me like you need a jackplate. Do you know the prop is good? Had a proposing problem on my ranger and found out the blades had flattened over time the loss of cup ment the loss of grip noise falls, prop grips and lifts noise back up, prop loses grip, etc.etc.etc.

it wouldn’t be really to offset but to replace the weight missing from the bow since the baitwell is gone and doesn’t fill up anymore, and I do have a jack plate it’s in the original post

[jarhead175]

What kind of speed are you turning when you start to trim up? If your trimming up to far for the speed of the boat it is going to porpoise no matter how the boat is set up.

[ranger168v]

What kind of speed are you turning when you start to trim up? If your trimming up to far for the speed of the boat it is going to porpoise no matter how the boat is set up.

please re read original post it’s all in detail in it

[ranger168v]

What kind of speed are you turning when you start to trim up? If your trimming up to far for the speed of the boat it is going to porpoise no matter how the boat is set up.

i do know how to tune a boat properly and adjust everything just never had a boat like this completely different design compared to normal and about 2k lbs lighter than average

[pmgoffjr]

I actually had it's big brother 198 way back in the day. It also is a porpoising animal. I spent many hours of sweat and labor trying to tame that beast down, and finally just gave up. Realize that it's just going to be a flat running hull, when you try to get it to lift past the corner chines is when it gets ugly.
Only advice I can suggest is find a good set of trim tabs. All I can say I was really truly happy the day I sold that piece of junk.

[ranger168v]

I actually had it's big brother 198 way back in the day. It also is a porpoising animal. I spent many hours of sweat and labor trying to tame that beast down, and finally just gave up. Realize that it's just going to be a flat running hull, when you try to get it to lift past the corner chines is when it gets ugly.
Only advice I can suggest is find a good set of trim tabs. All I can say I was really truly happy the day I sold that piece of junk.

that actually helps a lot if I run it flat and raise the motor back up she will hit 64 mph no problem I just thought it would run on pad more I’ll raise the engine back up so it hits target rpms and call it good

[ranger168v]

So by running it more flat I have noticed the rpms will hit 5800 very quick maybe I should get a tad larger prop if I plan to run like that, if I can get away with a tad more prop should I keep the 23 p and upgrade to a 14 in dia or keep the 13.5 dia and get a larger pitch? Or possibly send it out to get it worked and a inch of pitch added?

[jarhead175]

Send the one you have to Marks performance props 317-398-9294 Make sure you tell him exactly how your boat is set up, your performance numbers, and he will work his magic.

[pmgoffjr]

Yes get it worked.

[ranger168v]

I’m not convinced in sending the prop out to get worked and being without a boat for a while, I’ve settled on a engine height that givs me good control and max mph and water pressure but my rpms are still low sitting at about 5400 on average if I trim up anymore I can start to hear the prop slapping the water and loose speed, so if I have a 4 blade 13.5x23p would a safe bet be to go to a 13.5x21 3 blade? Or could that raise rpm to much and instead get a 14x21?Online all the prop guides suggest much bigger diameters like 14.25 or 14.5, I wana get a aluminum prop to try it out which if I like it will become a spare when I get a stainless to leave on.

[pmgoffjr]

Don’t get twisted up on prop diameter. Far from the most important aspect especially on a four blade.

[ranger168v]

I wana go 3 blade and ditch the 4 blade. I had read increasing dia helps raise or lower rpms. But I’m also limited on selection in some sizes of brands and the 14 inch is most common and has most pitch options

[pmgoffjr]

I'd be very careful here. A raker/tempest/similar high rake three blade, big diameter prop is designed for two things, it needs to run high and surfacing the blades, and it gives bow lift. Neither one of those is going to make that porpoising monster behave any better.
I'm saying this because I battled the same demons as you are, fighting a really bad design that just doesn't allow for modern props and designs.
Every single time you lift enough to get off the back corner chines, it'll porpoise, and short of trim tabs, it'll keep doing it until you trim back down and stick the corners in the water again. It can't be fixed by thinking you just need more lift to keep the bow high, when you do that, it turns into a skateboard on a icy road. I swapped ends several times before it became painfully obvious that hull simply doesn't like that running attitude.
The prop I'd be looking at that will give you the high and FLAT running attitude, and keep the beast under control would be a powertech TRO4.

[ranger168v]

I'd be very careful here. A raker/tempest/similar high rake three blade, big diameter prop is designed for two things, it needs to run high and surfacing the blades, and it gives bow lift. Neither one of those is going to make that porpoising monster behave any better.
I'm saying this because I battled the same demons as you are, fighting a really bad design that just doesn't allow for modern props and designs.
Every single time you lift enough to get off the back corner chines, it'll porpoise, and short of trim tabs, it'll keep doing it until you trim back down and stick the corners in the water again. It can't be fixed by thinking you just need more lift to keep the bow high, when you do that, it turns into a skateboard on a icy road. I swapped ends several times before it became painfully obvious that hull simply doesn't like that running attitude.
The prop I'd be looking at that will give you the high and FLAT running attitude, and keep the beast under control would be a powertech TRO4.

I actually finally got the engine height dialed in perfect, no more porpoising at all. I can actually run nose up on pad in pretty rough water wot and not shit my self I was very surprised I went out to the biggest lake we have around to fish happened to be a very windy day with loads of yachts and wake boarders doing their thing as I came up to some white caps about 3 footers I was doing what god said was 56/58 (only turning 5300/5400 rpm) and I about shit my self figured hit them and slow down but when glidded right over like my buddy’s skeeter I actually had to do one of those oh damn faces, once I got up the river to some super calm water I began to play with trim kept going up till I’d loose traction and blow her out and was still able to turn very tight compared to before no bouncing or anything, she doesn’t throw a rooster which I was kinda sad about haha just looks cool but not gana complain, so I just wana reprop to get the rpms to the 5700/5800mark what do I need to do? Places by me won’t let me test props and I’d rather buy a aluminum to test and resell or keep as spair than drop the 600 and do back and forth shipping trying to get the right one , I figured dropping to a 21 p might bring it up to much so to speak it could make motor turn at 6k or so so ignore I jumped to a 14 inch I figured it could help keep it down a tad. My new power pack and coils don’t have a rev limit and I’d hate to accidentally go over and blow her. What would u say to test first??