I have the same boat, motor and prop. I added 2" plate extensions to my 6" manual jack plate for a total setback of 8" and am running 2" below the pad.
I have the same boat, motor and prop. I added 2" plate extensions to my 6" manual jack plate for a total setback of 8" and am running 2" below the pad.
No, I have not had time yet.Originally Posted by XChris1632X
Can you share the details of the 2" plate extensions and do you have pics to share? Thanks
Yes, I ordered it back in 2004 and this is how the dealer set it up. I have made no adjustments since buying. I thought 1 3/8 PTP was too high. Wonder why they set it up that way?
Thanks KJK
Hey savage or kjk. Wanna teach me how to set up my boat and get through this terrible walking. I'll come to you. Savage I sent you a message.
PM replied.
Going to look at resetting the height of my prop to pad this weekend hopefully. This is the first time since my original post that I have had time to get back on this project. Will keep everyone posted. Still scratching my head as to why the dealer would have rigged my boat at 1 3/8 inches below the pad. I wonder if they accidentally used the step dimension as the measuring spot instead of the actual pad? My boat has the pad, then two steps before the transom on the bottom. The next step up from the actual pad gives a dimension of 3 1/2.
bombercraw your saying you have had that boat since 2004 and it's always been setup the same way it is now? Set it at 3" under and figure on coming up after running it. Just in case here's how it should be measured http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=62660
Hi mdtritn21. Yes, I bought the boat new in 2004 and it's set up exactly as it was the day I bought it. I have thought many times about taking the time to check my PTP measurements and do some fine tuning on the setup, but just never took the time out to do it until now. My jackplate, due to the holeshot plate mounted at the bottom doesn't have any room for adjustment downward, so this weekend I plan on dropping my actual motor down on the jackplate a couple of holes which will get me down about 3 to 3 1/2 inches on PTP. Then I'll be able to put it in the water, run it, and then make small adjustments at the ramp until I get it fine tuned. There is no doubt in my mind that right now it's not setup correctly. I think my PTP is way too high at 1 3/8". I think what happened is my dealer might have measured from the step in the hull bottom when doing the initial setup instead of the actual pad by mistake, because that dimension is approx 3 1/2" as it sits right now.
I bought my boat in 2004 and the first thing I did was change props three times then changed to a hydraulic plate all in the first year. Every change I made gained more speed or better handling and I haven't had to change it since 2009. There is no way the factory/dealer can setup yours or anyone's boat so it runs with out a lot of trial and error.
Update: Finally made some adjustments to my PTP and got it on the lake today. Dropped the PTP to 2 1/2 and ran it. Much improved performance and chine was much easier to control. I knew a huge part of the issue with the chine was the setup. Also took off my 4 blade Trophy prop and put on my 3 blade tempest 26P and that also made more improvement. Getting about 25psi water pressure now where before I was only seeing around 15 max. Got the boat up to 67 MPH and was able to control the chine for the most part. Will start to fine tune a little more now by making some minor PTP adjustments upward. Don't let anyone tell you that setup doesn't affect chine because it absolutely does.
Get that 26" tempest worked to at least factory spec since most even number tempests are off out of the box and it will be even easier to drive. Make sure to balance the boat load so it sets level side to side when your setting still and keep as much weight in the back as you can.
Set-up does help, but it will never eliminate chine walking. Chine walking is a good thing because is means the hull is on top of the water, with a reduced wetted surface, which means faster speeds. If your boat doesn't try to chine walk, then you will never achieve max speeds. Chine walking is always reduced when the lower unit is RAISED. For Optimum performance your motor should have 15PSI water pressure at WOT. You now have 25PSI @WOT, so your lower unit is TOO deep in the water, which increases chine walk.
Sorry Savage. Once again have to respectfully disagree with you. I am sure there is some science and proven logic to what you are saying, but on my boat that's not the results I am getting from where I started. I totally get what you are saying in that it makes sense that the lower the engine, the more lift out of the water the boat will be causing the chine to worsen. But from my starting point at 1" below pad, my boat was horrible. Lowering my engine helped tremendously with the chine. I did some more precise measuring before I lowered the engine and I was actually only 1 inch below pad before (not the 1 3/8 that I had originally thought). At 2 1/2 below pad, this boat is much easier to drive and I can now actually control the chine. I have never been able to get my boat up to 67 mph until now. I am now looking forward to some additional fine tuning by bringing her up on the jackplate a little at a time and seeing what I can achieve.
Great advice. Thanks !!
You have to be measuring the prop to pad incorrectly because there is no way possible for you to be able to run the boat at "1" below the pad". The lower unit on your boat would be sucking air and setting off the alarm. I have set-up my friends boat, which is the same model as yours and it would alarm at any setting that was 1.5" PTP or higher. Follow the steps below.
Boat and trailer must be on a level surface.
Use a four foot level and level the pad on the bottom of the hull by adjusting the trailer jack
Level the cavitation plate on the motor by using the trim switch.
Perform measuring steps.
Last edited by Savage; 09-02-2019 at 05:36 PM.
You have to be measuring the prop to pad incorrectly because there is no way possible for you to be able to run the boat at "1" below the pad". The lower unit on your boat would be sucking air and setting off the alarm. I have set-up my friends boat, which is the same model as yours and it would alarm at any setting that was 1.5" PTP or higher. Follow the steps below.
Boat and trailer must be on a level surface.
Use a four foot level and level the pad on the bottom of the hull by adjusting the trailer jack
Level the cavitation plate on the motor by using the trim switch.
Perform measuring steps.
That is exactly how I measured my PTP. And now, using that exact same measuring direction, I'm running 2.5" below pad.
I don't know how you could even get on plane at 1.5
I could see adjusting it up after getting on step but I don't see how it doesnt blow out. Mine struggled to get up at 2.5 without blowing out.
-2016 Phoenix 721 250 Pro XS
-Old Rig-2006 Triton TR-196 200HP Optimax
I have never had an issue getting up on plane. Not with my original setup nor the current setup which is 2.5 PTP. My hole shot has always been 5 seconds or less even now with two talons hanging on the back of the boat. My four blade Trophy planes off about a half second faster than my 3 blade tempest plus, but both do a fine job. My 3 blade tempest used to blow out until I added one solid plug.
I will say that with my original setup, which was way high, I wasn't getting allot of water pressure. I was only getting at best 10-12 psi and that was on a good day. But I never had any warning buzzers going off until recently (but the merc tech indicated that was due to the oil tank giving a false reading because the float was not operating as it should). Now at 2.5 PTP, I'm getting 20 to 25psi water pressure.
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