Well typically here in the us people raise motors to find their x dimension in comparison to the bottom of the boat. and yes they do gain speed, but loose handling... how ever i have heard from numerous people to lower them significantly. especially on the bigger heavier layed up boats. Guys are running 21's in au and seeing really high numbers (like upper 80's). supposedly they are doing this by drastically lowering motor heights below the bottom of the boat. not raising them. Not sure what works best, was just seeing if anyone on here had played with both before we start messing around with ours, we haven't touched it since the new motor was put on and just looking for some advice. i think i have the right prop just need to find the sweet spot.
Paging 138?
On our longer and narrower non air packing hulls lower in my experience has gained more speed then higher. With the new motors I have tested boats that on the high end have been 8-10 MPH the lower I have gone. It is a weird idea but it is true.
That being said if you have a boat that packs air like crazy (my Allison or a light Tunnel) do not go crazy with the over adjusting the motor down it just make the boat bow steer more at slow speeds, and high speeds the boat has to be over trimmed. Over trimming affects the attitude of the nose and killing the aerodynamics of the boat.
Test time is always the best answer for best performance in all waters. Wildone, I would bet lower on your boat would do the same as it did on my similar bottom boat. I picked up using the same 4 blade prop 8 MPH and the motor was lowered 2.75? from some starting number.?? Good luck and if I can help just call I think I will be out at LE Thursday trying a few new things out, hope they work.
Crazy we have done the log and tried it all.. Time to think out the box. Hence this.
since switching to the fresh motor smaller gears and hydrolics the best we have seen with a skier is 70 and 80 with out.
We have tried a dozen props and nothing works better then a 26p bravo or a 26p 4 blade et. The heavier hull needs those 4 blades when pulling a skier.
Who told you to change to the smaller gears? and why? Your Hull is fine. 3 blades are fine if it is flat but just too much work keeping it on the pad in bigger water...I am a lot faster with a 3 blade but the time out of the gas to get them set after cross wash and waves is not worth it. I have a lower you can try that I think will get your numbers up. Spend some time and stop spending money on he says she says. Hay you are Bubba Army just ask? I know we can get you where you need to be. If you care for some help just ask.
thanks, meant to say the larger gears. its set up the same as stevie's belgium boat but freddy is getting about 6mph more with a skier. we just cant find the sweet spot since it was re rigged and he doesnt have the time to play with it anymore.
the 3blades have hauled ass for us before i have a 26 tempest that works great except with a skier it just turns on itself and cant pull me out.
Just wondering if you don't have access to an engine lift is there another way to raise and lower the motor on its mounts? For instance would the motor be able to rest on its skeg? I would think not but thought I'd ask. Or could you fill like a trash can full of towels or foam lower the motor into it and put a floor jack bellow it and adjust it that way? I have wanted to play with a few heights but wanted to avoided paying a shop every time to jack the motor up for all of 2 minutes.
A manual jackplate would work or you can get a chery picker from Harbor Freight for less than $300 bucks and you will have it a life time.
I've got four different mounting holes now on our Gil set back bracket. They seem to be about an inch away from eachother. Right now I am at the second tallest setting and the shaft is 2-3 inches bellow the keel
Do you think a cherry picker would be tall enough to lift a 250 opti xs?
This question got me thinking about how my boat performs. When running a high five or a bravo do you want the prop to surface or stay below water. I've always trimmed them up and let them surface a little. More so to get the nose up. I've always wondered though if I am just increasing slip and RPM and getting very little speed increase. Having the nose up helps a lot but I am not sure the prop needs to be surfacing or not.
If I were to lower the motor I could still trim the nose but would be able to possibly get more bite out of the prop. Am I correct in this line of thinking. I guess trial and error would be the best way to figure it out.