202 Elite (Strampion) - Only Getting 60mph

[AR Champ]

Hey guys, I'm new here and to glass boats. I picked up a 2011 202 Elite which, to my knowledge is a 198 hull more or less with a 210 top cap. I got all of my electronics swapped over and got to take it out today. I'm in love with the boat, so glad I got that instead of the much narrower Pantera I was looking at. The one and only thing that left me scratching my head today was the top speed I was able to get which is only 60mph running around 5750rpm with the 23 p tempest plus that came on the boat. Holeshot was there and it was a 2 to 3 second deal to get on pad.

Motor is strong and I personally tested it myself. Compression was between 118 to 122psi on all 6 cylinders with a new Mightyvac gauge. It has 411 hours. I'm confident it's not motor related as this dude feels extremely strong. I have an ultrex up front, 36v worth of lithium in the rear, and one agm cranking battery. I have a 30ah lithium battery for my livescope and that's all that was in the boat other than 4 rods and 2 bags of ice on some drinks. I don't feel like this is weight induced either. I'm not a small dude but not huge either, I only added 220lbs.

I've never had a jackplate so I'm not sure if this is normal but I believe I have a 10" Atlas on the back. The best performance I was able to get was with it was all the way lowered to slightly raised around 1". As i raise it, the rpms will go up but speed goes down. It is equipped with a hot foot but with me getting 5750rpm I'm not inclined to think it's adjusted wrong. But maybe it should be getting more?

I've read plenty of reports of this boat getting up near 70mph and over. The one and only obvious solution is the prop in my eyes. From my research, a 26p Tempest seems to be the ticket. I have one showing up next week so hopefully that's the solution. I want to try it stock but I'm willing to send it off to get balanced, blueprinted, and adjusted if need be. I just felt like it was an odd deal so I wanted to give as much detail as possible and see if anyone had experienced this or had any ideas.

Thank yall!

[Bass in the grass]

Think I said it in the other thread, but maybe not. These spot lock TM’s kill these boats, and lithiums in the rear also hurt. They like a light bow and a heavy ass. Now here’s your conundrum, you should be hitting the rev limiter with a 23. If you can’t turn a 23 to 6k+, then you’re only going to turn that 26 to 5400 +/-. The motor is supposed to be run near max rpm’s.


Go to the 3.0 merc forum and read through all of Dons performance tips. He says how to check the hotfoot cable, clean all the filters and VST, change old fuel lines, etc. You will be chasing your tail on this, if you don’t know if the motor is running 100% and it sure doesn’t sound like it.

link to merc page. https://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=22038



Do you have a Merc monitor to verify that your RPM’s are correct?

[AR Champ]

One thing I didn't mention is the leading edges of this prop are pretty rough. The boat also had two stickers of a local prop shop on jt when I bought it. While going through the paperwork there was a receipt for prop work but he took it out and said it was for another prop he had. He said he had some work done and the "pitch adjusted".This leaves me to believe that I have some spare prop on my boat that he had laying around. I imagine he took the good prop off because the 250 4stroke that was on his new boat could run it. All that to say, the specs on the current prop are a complete mystery.

I have reciepts for everything that has ever been done to this motor. It's been maintained and I have documentation of recent filter changes. Regardless, I want to learn more about these motors so I will check that thread out. There could be something in there that's causing the problem for sure.

My boat I upgraded from is a 1998 model so I'm not up on all of the current stuff. My boat has smart craft gauges. On the analog tach, there are two digital readouts. The digital read matched the analog gauge and i ran it that way because i dont trust analog tachs..Are they linked or is the digital readout pulled from a different data source? Is a merc monitor needed with the gauges i have? I've seen too many tachs go wonky but I felt the digital readout was more trustworthy.

Edit - after looking at the merc monitor info, it sounds just like what my gauges are so yes I believe I do have that and the reading I gave was via the readout.

[Bass in the grass]

Good deal, at least you know what you have is accurate. After reading about that prop, definitely try the 26 and report back. That one sounds jacked up.

[SCOTT196]

A tempest is what most run on that set up , probably a 25.

[getfished]

I think the 25 Tempest or even the Fury would be the ticket. Be forewarned , for some reason the 26 Tempest has a reputation for being full of slip, even new out of the box.

If you can swing it I would try a Fury 3 blade 25. Before installing it I would send it Mark Croxton for making sure it is in specs. That in itself can make a world of difference. I say this from experience. Several times with several Champions I would send Mark a nice looking shiny prop. What I got back was a nice looking shiny prop but it completely changed my boat performance. Just because it looks nice doesn't mean much of anything.

Your prop to pad should be somewhere around 3.5" with your jackplate in the center, halfway up and halfway down.

[hoos202]

Think I said it in the other thread, but maybe not. These spot lock TM’s kill these boats, and lithiums in the rear also hurt. They like a light bow and a heavy ass. Now here’s your conundrum, you should be hitting the rev limiter with a 23. If you can’t turn a 23 to 6k+, then you’re only going to turn that 26 to 5400 +/-. The motor is supposed to be run near max rpm’s.


Go to the 3.0 merc forum and read through all of Dons performance tips. He says how to check the hotfoot cable, clean all the filters and VST, change old fuel lines, etc. You will be chasing your tail on this, if you don’t know if the motor is running 100% and it sure doesn’t sound like it.

link to merc page. https://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=22038



Do you have a Merc monitor to verify that your RPM’s are correct?

You should listen to this man! He is giving you very good advice. If you can't swing a 23 Tempest, you're not going to swing a 26. You want that engine to run as close to the rev limit as possible. This is where it is going to generate the most power. I can't emphasize enough the negative effect of a spot lock TM and multiple graphs on the bow of a Champion as Bass in the grass mentioned. The only other thing that I can add to what Bass in the Grass said is you mentioned that your prop is rough. The Tempest is the right prop to give bow lift. The Tempest comes out of the box with a little cup on the edges. The cup really helps with bow lift. If your edges are damaged and you have lost cup, your prop is not going to perform. Once you have verified that engine is performing correctly and that your rpm readings are correct, you should consider sending the 23 Tempest off the Croxton to be examined and possibly repaired. It sounds like your Tempest might have been tinkered with or repitched.

I have a '95 Champ 202 with a 2.5L 225x. I was able to swing a 25 Tempest until I put a Garmin Force on the bow. I have just one 9" graph. This added about 30#. I lost about 300 rpm and 3 to 4 mph on the top end. I tested several props and settled on a 23 Tempest Plus that I sent to Croxton to have blueprinted. I was able to recover some of the lost performance but not all.

Sounds like you have a nice boat. I wish you the very best!

[STLBassBuster]

The Yamaha M series is another really good prop for our champions and will lift better than a tempest. Personally, I like a 4 blade for the best hole shot and rough water handling and run a Fury 4 blade.

[Ed R]

I like four blades as well. Fury 24/25 4b, Turbo TXP OT4 24/25 4B, Power Tec OFS 4B 24/25. Fury has the best hole shot, TXP OT4 is very good at carrying a load. The right Power Tec will surprise on the top end.

Just my experience with props on my Champ. I'm running a 25 Fury 4b right now. 225 standard Optimax (non XS) 5750 limiter. I'm turning the 25 Fury @ 5500-5525rpm right at 67-67.5 mph. The old girl is getting tired, 1150-1200 hours on it right now.

Yeah, I lost some performance as well. Lowrance 52" Ghost, Carbon 12 and 9 up front. Four Ionic Lithium batteries in the rear.

[smokewagon]

Hey guys, I'm new here and to glass boats. I picked up a 2011 202 Elite which, to my knowledge is a 198 hull more or less with a 210 top cap. I got all of my electronics swapped over and got to take it out today. I'm in love with the boat, so glad I got that instead of the much narrower Pantera I was looking at. The one and only thing that left me scratching my head today was the top speed I was able to get which is only 60mph running around 5750rpm with the 23 p tempest plus that came on the boat. Holeshot was there and it was a 2 to 3 second deal to get on pad.

Motor is strong and I personally tested it myself. Compression was between 118 to 122psi on all 6 cylinders with a new Mightyvac gauge. It has 411 hours. I'm confident it's not motor related as this dude feels extremely strong. I have an ultrex up front, 36v worth of lithium in the rear, and one agm cranking battery. I have a 30ah lithium battery for my livescope and that's all that was in the boat other than 4 rods and 2 bags of ice on some drinks. I don't feel like this is weight induced either. I'm not a small dude but not huge either, I only added 220lbs.

I've never had a jackplate so I'm not sure if this is normal but I believe I have a 10" Atlas on the back. The best performance I was able to get was with it was all the way lowered to slightly raised around 1". As i raise it, the rpms will go up but speed goes down. It is equipped with a hot foot but with me getting 5750rpm I'm not inclined to think it's adjusted wrong. But maybe it should be getting more?

I've read plenty of reports of this boat getting up near 70mph and over. The one and only obvious solution is the prop in my eyes. From my research, a 26p Tempest seems to be the ticket. I have one showing up next week so hopefully that's the solution. I want to try it stock but I'm willing to send it off to get balanced, blueprinted, and adjusted if need be. I just felt like it was an odd deal so I wanted to give as much detail as possible and see if anyone had experienced this or had any ideas.

Thank yall!

You show a lot of prop slip. You need a prop in excellent condition and an accurate tach when doing a comparison test, along with proper engine height and trim. I have a 2012 Stratos 183 Elite with a Mercury 175 ProXS with a 1.87 gear ratio and 6,000 rpm max (for that year). Some may say apples to oranges. Your boat's empty hull only weighs about 100 lbs. more than my boat. I have three heavy group 31 AGM batteries that weigh 76 lbs. each. EVERY locker, other than the rod locker, in the boat is completely filled to the top with tackle. I guarantee my boat weighs more than your boat when you did the test. My little lead sled with 20 gallons of gas: Stock 23 Tempest plus 62mph @5,600 rpm. I would be around 65 mph if my little turtle could reach 5750 rpm, plus you have a 1.75 gear ratio. With proper engine height and trim your prop is the culprit. I would get a new 25 pitch if you're going to stick with the Tempest Plus. Run it to get some numbers, very important. Send it to Mark Croxton with the test numbers for a blue print and extra cup for bow lift. He can also down or up pitch according to the numbers you give him with the new prop.

[OKDennis]

I used to own a 200 which then became the 202. In my experience with that boat you need a wedge. I would start with trim extensions and see what results you get. If the results are good then install a 5 degree wedge. Trim extenders are a temporary solution but will help you determines if more trim degree helps. Next is your prop selection. I would recommend a 4 blade. A Bravo XS 24 or 25 is a great prop for this boat or you can try a Croxton prop. I did have success with a worked 24 Fury also. You’re going to need a prop that adds bow lift. If nothing else you need to send your prop in to get checked out and tell them your current situation. If none of those help then it’s time to get the motor checked by a good mercury mechanic.

[AR Champ]

Well bass in the grass was dead nuts. I got the 26p Tempest on there and ran it today. I had an extra person in the boat and I was able to get 62mph at 5400rpm. Thata with the jackplate about an inch from bottomed out. Raising it up gained RPMs but lost speed. Not sure what the problem is but I'm going to start with the hot foot and move from there. This is going to be a hell of a challenge. Fingers crossed its something easy. I still feel like I'm missing 3 to 400 rpms at the top. Whenever I find it, I will report back. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears. Looks like I'll be living in the 3.0 forum for a bit.

[Bass in the grass]

Start a thread there with your serial number, those guys will get you going. They’ll tell you to do all the fuel stuff first though, rebuild the pulse pump, check what kind of fuel line you have, VST filter, etc. Real asset to have those guys!

Check the roller on your throttle body, they can get a flat spot, not letting the butterfly open all the way.

Or get Croxton to fix that 23 and rerun it. I think you’ll end up with a 24 eventually.

[smokewagon]

Well bass in the grass was dead nuts. I got the 26p Tempest on there and ran it today. I had an extra person in the boat and I was able to get 62mph at 5400rpm. Thata with the jackplate about an inch from bottomed out. Raising it up gained RPMs but lost speed. Not sure what the problem is but I'm going to start with the hot foot and move from there. This is going to be a hell of a challenge. Fingers crossed its something easy. I still feel like I'm missing 3 to 400 rpms at the top. Whenever I find it, I will report back. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears. Looks like I'll be living in the 3.0 forum for a bit.

I support what Bass in the grass said about taking care of the variables, especially checking the hot foot. Is the 26 Tempest stock and not modified in any way? It shows a lot of slip (.18) as the 23 Tempest (.16) did. Optimum prop to pad distance and trim can really reduce prop slip. What is your actual prop to pad measurement when you tested the 26 Tempest? One inch from the bottom on your Atlas doesn't relay the actual prop to pad distance. One inch from the bottom is 5 inch prop to pad on my Atlas. It could be different on your boat depending on the location the Atlas was mounted on the transom and which holes on your outboard was used to mount on the Atlas.

[XRD]

Another possibility is the foam in the boat has water in it. That could easily add 3-400 lbs to your boat. Have seen it several times on boats of many brands.

[Bass in the grass]

Another possibility is the foam in the boat has water in it. That could easily add 3-400 lbs to your boat. Have seen it several times on boats of many brands.

I was trying not to go there, because I have been there. It’s not a good feeling to find.

[AR Champ]

Another possibility is the foam in the boat has water in it. That could easily add 3-400 lbs to your boat. Have seen it several times on boats of many brands.

I had thought of this too, my old tracker had this issue from a leaky keel. I really don't think that to be the case here but it's crossed my mind for sure because it does act so similar. I have yet to find any foam though as I'm wiring in all of my electronics. At least from console to the nose of the boat I haven't found any. It was stored inside and I bought it from the original owner. I see no indication that it's been water logged. There also isn't much that comes out of hull when you pull the plug so that makes me feel quite a bit better too. But you never know!

A brief look into the hot foot last night and snooping through the bilge and I found some tape on the fuel line right past the primer bulb. That's going to be my first fix then I'll change the plugs with some gapped correctly although they seem fine. I've had fuel leaks before and this is almost too consistent to lead me to believe I'll get lucky with a bad primer hose but I'll take what I can get! I also found a little oil on top of the fill tube cap that screws down onto the remote reservoir. Not sure if that's cracked or what but imagine I would have issues filling the on-board tank if it wasn't able to get good vacuum. The tank under the cowl seemed full but hard to get a great read on it.

The hot foot seemed to be operating just fine although the bolt that stops the pedal was set much too far out and wasn't even close to touching the pedal at WOT. The only bit that was off is that the mechanical stop was roughly 0.45" away vs 0.20" that the FAQ specs with the hot foot maxed out.

I'm going to keep digging, start a thread on the 3.0 forum and see what kind of crap I can find. Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I really appreciate it.

[kris_tx]

It needs to be adjusted at cable end at motor to get the throttle to open all the way. Make sure the pads where the trim rams contact aren’t worn bad.

[Bass in the grass]

The little cap on the motor reservoir will break if you over tighten it, finger snug is all it takes.

[XRD]

I have yet to find any foam though

You won't find any foam. It's under the floor and between the stringers. I have a thread on here showing a 191 that I did several years ago. It will give you an idea of the surgery required to remedy it.