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i have a 2000 bass tracker 175...it has a 25hp motor...what can i do to get more out of this engine???? best prop besides stainless??? can i put a bigger carb on it??? is there anyone in the springfield area that can work their magic on it?? i hit 5500 rpms and boat will not get up on plane...i know this boat is under powered...not looking to scream down the lake...just wanting a few more mph...also...right now i have a 9.5 pitch 3 blade on it
Does the nose of the boat go up when you start, then go down as you come up to speed?
IIRC, that size motor usually turns around 6000 but a 9.5 pitch prop shouldn't be a huge load on the motor. Do you know what the rev limiter is set for on that motor? If you are hitting the rev limiter, you may want more prop. If you aren't maxing your RPMS, you may want less prop. Your prop should have two numbers. Pitch and diameter. May say something like 9.5X11.
A Doel Fin or other type stabilizer may be worth a look too.
Make sure the boat is loaded evenly. If that is good try raising the motor 1 notch.
thanks guys....i get up to about 5500rpm with the prop on there now...tried a whale tail and doesn't do any better...have tried every hole that is my "trim"...my boat does not nose up and then level out...and this is with me by myself or if there are 3 of us in it....just under powered im told....will live with it till i can trade up
that boat should have a 40 or 50 horse on the back
Still don't sound right to me.. I have a 16.5' astro, just like a tracker. It came with a merc 25 and would plane out and run 26mph. I upgraded to a 50 merc and can now get 38.
i agree that a bigger motor should be on the boat...but cant change that right now...stupid question but if the diameter of the prop is not posted on the prop how do you measure it??? measure from center of hub to end of one of the fins and double that??? should i be using an 11" prop??? i have seen lowes and other boats equiped like mine and they blow right by me....something is gotta be off
Yes that is the way to measure the diameter of the prop. However, the diameter affects it very little. Its the pitch that matters.
That boat is way too heavy for the 25hp. You will just have to live with it until you can get a bigger motor...Doh
i would have to agree with you that i'm stuck till the new boat can be bought....i will say that i bought the boat for sangchris...and i'm glad i did...i am learning a new lake and getting some good results...but the next boat will be too big for that lake so for now i am going to enjoy it....i might try a 9 pitch blade and just watch the rpm's as to not over run the motor
With the right prop, that motor should plane off. I would call a prop shop, and talk to them. Tell them how many rpm's you're turning, your current prop, and approximate load. They ought to be able to find a prop to get you planed off.
I know you dont want to invest in a stainless, but the aluminum props really flex causing loss of hole shot and top end., Im really thinking you have a wrong prop. Could just be a bad prop, there is no two the same, even with stainless you might get one great prop out of 4
Years ago I had a heavy 14' aluminum with a 28 and it would pop right up and get 26mph loaded.
i have someone finding me some props to try....changed the spark plugs and gained 200 rpm on top end...was running 5800rpms wich is about to the limit....got up to 17/18 mph with the wind....i even tried every notch for trim options...found that third hole from bottom gave me best results...i agree with bad props...been through enough of them all ready...will keep ya'll posted and thanks again for everyone's help!!!
i have a 2001 175 bass tracker, and it has a 50hp mercury on it and it planes out well, it also gos around 35mph, so a bigger motor is what you need
Talk to a prop shop. They may have a reworked prop or two you could try out to see if the different pitches help. I would think the best thing you could do is to redistribute your weight//batteries/fuel and tackle further forward and see what bumps.
aj
Another thing to consider- an aluminum boat with a wavy or dented bottom may be disrupting the water flow to the prop. If you're not getting enough clean water to the back of the boat, your prop is never going to reach its potential. Get under the boat and look for any obvious obstructions, big dents, or waves. If this is the case, it may take a welder to get creative with smoothing out your bottom.
Next, check out the balance of the boat. Take out any extra batteries and coolers and see what happens. Boats with limited power need to be balanced correctly. I would not presume that the folks at BPS keep that in mind when they lay out their boats. Truthfully, I would take everything out of the boat that wasn't necessary and/or legal and at least TRY to get on plane. Unless something truly funky was going on, you should get on plane- slowly.
Finally, if you have a lot of wood decking and/or foam, you may want to make sure that you're not full of water somewhere. If you have the inclination, take the rig to a scale and see what it weighs, then take just the trailer and see what it weighs. If you're over 1,200 lbs. boat and motor, I'd suspect you have a lot of water somewhere.
Generally, Merc 25's are what you see is what you get kind of motors. Not a lot you can do to squeeze more motor out of them. Additionally, I agree with previous posters- stainless is the way to go. I'm partial to Power Tech props. Give them a weight, motor, and max rpms and they can do a great job of setting you up with something.
Good luck.
You sure that you didn't spin the hub on your prop? Also, based on rpm's it sounds like the engine is firing on all pistons, however how do you know its firing on all pistons?
Check to make sure your motor is properly vertically set to teh water when up to speed, if the motor is leaning forward of back you may never get on plane, even with a 50hp.