Just bought a Champ, have a few questions

[70ss496]

I'm posting this for my dad, he just bought a 1989 184DC. It has a Mercury 175 Black Max. If we had to guess by the wear on the interior and exterior the boat may have been in the water 15 times in it's life! We took it to Truman Lake last weekend for the first time and now we have a couple of questions.

1. When we fill it up with gas you have to go extremely slow and it took me 20 minutes to get 10 gallon in it. It's almost like the tube that is laying horizontl gets full and it backs up the nozzle. Any ideas on this or is this normal?

2. It has a Mercury Chopper prop on it right now that we would like to change. We've heard go with a 24 tempest plus or a 25 tempest plus, any recommendations?

3. Also, it still has the original trolling motor on it, Mercury 28 12/24 volt. Do you have to drill new holes or is there a certain brand of trolling motor that would utilize the same bolt pattern to replace this with a much stronger one and what is the minimum thrust you would recommend?

Thanks for any help you guys can give me, this was a really nice boat, best ride we've ever had in a bass boat. The water on truman was extremely rough last Saturday and this boat just road across it great!

Matt

[shootincyclone]

1. My 1988 Champ did the same thing. Thats just the way they had to design it to get everything to fit back there. I agree, it isnt the best idea.

2. 25P Tempest is what I ran on my 175 Black Max...64mph tops on GPS at 6,000rpm.

3. Most likely you will have to drill new holes if you decide to switch trolling motors. Motor Guide has their bold pattern, Minn Kota has theirs, and so on.. Im not sure what the Mercury trolling motor looks like..

Good luck to you and your dad with that new boat!!!

[buzzzzbait88]

Congrats on the new boat. We all love to see pics. Sounds like you got a great find.

1. It'll do that, but if you get the nozzle just right it will fill with no problem. Trying putting it in farther or pulling it out alittle bit.

2. 25" might work, but it might also be to big. I'd find somebody to loan you one and see what kind of rpms you get with each. if the Rmps are to low with the 25" then I'd say drop down to the 24", but a 25 should be pretty good.

3.not really to sure on this one. I would think some of the holes might line up, but I'm pretty sure they are all different. I didn't even know mercury made a trolling motor.

[Lea]

Welcome to the Champion Family!! Glad you joined us...

Sometimes, turning the gas nozzle upside down will help. Seems to be the nature of many rigs.

Recommend trying several props...Tempest Plus is generally a good choice, but you will need to experiment with size and also the vent hole size. (for hole shot only).

Not familiar with a Merc Troller....

And, yep, Champions are the best of the best for rough water performance!!!

[fk]

Congrats on your new boat!
I have a 88 18.4 dcr with a 88 175 Black Max Merc, 6 inch rite hite jack plate, mid 60's on the GPS and rides like a CHAMPION! I haven't had any problems with my fuel fill, I would check for any obstructions or a crimp in the hose. I run with either a 3 (lazer) or 4 (tempest) blade props and get excellent performance from both - just a bit quicker hole shot with the 4 blade, believe the performance is due to proper set up with the jack plate.
You've got a great boat and if you want I''ll measure everything in detail & send pictures of the jack plate offset. That probably won't be needed because there are guys here that know the proper settings by memory.
Congratulations on being a member of the Champion family and looking forward to postings of pictures.

[pmgoffjr]

Your vent hose is the culprit, make sure it's clear and free, and your fill issues should go away.

[billybass]

My Champ 193 did the same thing when fueling, and my new Stratos does it too. Someone recommended putting a 2x4 under the left wheels when pumping gas. I tried it and it works great. Just that little bit of tilt made a world of difference.

Good luck with the new ride, and enjoy!

[champ187xr6]

If you can't post pics I am just curious what color it is. It may be my old boat.

[70ss496]

It's red/black. It came out of Illinois. I'll try to post pics I'm not quite sure how to do it.

[pmgoffjr]

If it's an '89 motor, a 25M yamaha prop is your best choice, tempest is just a little too much diameter and rake for the little motor.

[70ss496]

Thanks for all of the replys, will a Yamaha prop fit right onto the Mercury? Yes, it's an 89 Black Max 175. Thanks for the info.