Motor height

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willy13
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Re: Motor height

#16 Post by willy13 » Wed Jul 22, 2020 8:20 am

Check cavitation plate at full throttle and you will have your answer. You should be able to see it, though it can be annoying on a pontoon due to more splashing from pontoons. Put orange tape on it to make it easier. If you can't see the orange tape, raise it.

jonboy2542
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Re: Motor height

#17 Post by jonboy2542 » Wed Jul 22, 2020 6:06 pm

So i took the pontoon out today after raising the motor and not so good. I checked the gps speed and I am now at 16 from 14 and at 4200 to 4300 rpms. But still blows out. I can see the ventilation plate just a little. I cant go higher as I am at the highest point and I cant go lower as I have been at the lowest point. Not sure what my next step should be. It gets annoying when trying to take the family out and relax.

onlybillhere
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Re: Motor height

#18 Post by onlybillhere » Thu Jul 23, 2020 5:38 am

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I asked this before and got no response so we'll try again....what's going on with this? Is this bent for a reason?
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
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wwind3
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Re: Motor height

#19 Post by wwind3 » Thu Jul 23, 2020 6:26 am

Re: the bent motor pod.. Looks like it's built that way unless you can see any damage---i would think hitting something might crack it. Maybe it's to channel the water around the cavitation plate--create a smooth flow like air over a wing. Mine doesnt bend.

jonboy2542 As far as your speed and rpm's I'm at a loss unless you are woefully underpowered & you cant get enough bow lift to increase speed. My engine is still a little higher than yours--but dunno if raising it another inch or 2 will help that much..... if you could--looks like you are maxed out as far as raising. Could you put a block of wood on the top of transom to set the motor on and still be able to bolt it down? Maybe a 1x1 or 2 1x1's ?

Double check your prop --diameter and pitch. Each increase in pitch might cost you 400 rpm/inch. Not sure what prop diameter will do.

May need a short shaft motor--probably a little pricey tho'
Last edited by wwind3 on Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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willy13
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Re: Motor height

#20 Post by willy13 » Thu Jul 23, 2020 7:06 am

If you can just see the cavitation plate the motor height is good enough. My guess is you need a better prop that had cupping and is less effected by the aerated water that pontoons can cause.

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Marc K
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Re: Motor height

#21 Post by Marc K » Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:03 am

jonboy2542 wrote:
Sat Jul 18, 2020 12:39 pm
I have a 2002 Palm Beach pontoon with a Mercury 50. Does this motor seem to low? I can be underway on the water and it will run fine the it blows out all of a sudden. Rpms go up and boat slows down. Back off throttle and back to cruising. It happens at random times. I thought maybe the motor is to low. Please help thanks
The same thing happens to me when properly trimmed up to get a little bow lift on smooth water - then crossing a wake - especially with people riding front. The stern lifts and the prop loses its bite on the water. When running in rough water the problem would be continuous, so I am forced to run a neutral trim position.

Marc
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wwind3
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Re: Motor height

#22 Post by wwind3 » Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:08 am

jonboy2542 -- looked at my setup again this morning. the SMALL plate above the big cav plate is even with bottom of motor pod. I misspoke. Hope this helps....
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wwind3
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Re: Motor height

#23 Post by wwind3 » Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:17 am

jonboy2542 wrote:
Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:52 am
As far as hole shot, not the best but not the worst. It climbs up on rpm but its not fast. Coming out of a no wake zone and give it throttle, it just climbs up to 4000 rpms. The interesting thing is that it acts the same with 4 people as it does with 10 people.

The motor is a 2002 Mercury 50ELPTO
Prop is a solas 1311-110-15
22 foot palm beach

I would love to add a 4 blade but with the way things are right now, not the best time to be buying a prop. When i do, I may drop put a different pitch on it.
Most 22 ft toons with 8.5 ft beams and 25 in logs are rated for 115 hp.... What yr is your toon? Diameter of logs? etc....width of boat, etc. you are basically pushing a dumpster thru the water. I think that is your prob. To extrpolate--if you put that motor on a 30 ft toon---you would prob still get around 4000 rpm's --but maybe less than 10mph....... PLUS----you will spin out your hub in short order--I've had mine rehubbed twice in 10 yrs--and mine is pretty efficient for a toon.....
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jonboy2542
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Re: Motor height

#24 Post by jonboy2542 » Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:31 am

Thank you for all the help. Greatly appreciated.

As far as the transom. I believe the V shape or bent look is from the factory as I do not see any cracks or repair work. I have only had this pontoon for 2 months.

I rechecked the pitch and it is a 15p.

The pontoon is a 2001. The previous owner said that was the original motor to his knowledge. Not sure on the diameter of the logs or the width. I can check that this afternoon.

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wwind3
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Re: Motor height

#25 Post by wwind3 » Thu Jul 23, 2020 2:54 pm

jonboy2542 wrote:
Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:31 am
Thank you for all the help. Greatly appreciated.

As far as the transom. I believe the V shape or bent look is from the factory as I do not see any cracks or repair work. I have only had this pontoon for 2 months.

I rechecked the pitch and it is a 15p.

The pontoon is a 2001. The previous owner said that was the original motor to his knowledge. Not sure on the diameter of the logs or the width. I can check that this afternoon.
The beam is 8 feet on the 2001. Rated for 100 hp as nearly as I can determine. Logs back then were usually 23 inches. I think you are whipping the proverbial dead horse by being so underpowered... Only thing a pontoon boat understands is power!
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jonboy2542
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Re: Motor height

#26 Post by jonboy2542 » Thu Jul 23, 2020 5:18 pm

Well I'm screwed. Motors are high priced. Not much else I can do then

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Liquid Asset
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Re: Motor height

#27 Post by Liquid Asset » Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:57 pm

There's nothing wrong with your boat. You simply need a prop. An aluminum prop is around $125. The closest example I have hands on experience with is a 20' Sweetwater ( couple years old) and with a Yamaha 14"x11" prop he's running normal rpms. I have another friend with a a 2 log 22' tracker (late model) with a 60 mercury Bigfoot. It came with a 4 blade from the dealership. I'll try and find out what pitch .

I have no clue how you have the motor trimmed when it " blows out" but it happens. I trim mine up to the point it's about to be out of the water when doing a speed run. If I don't trim down enough it blows out when I make a slight turn.

Every inch of prop changes your rpms 200 as a rule of thumb. My 22' tri toon with a 175 is only turning a 14" pitch. Your boat has the wrong prop. Nothing wrong with that motor.
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wwind3
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Re: Motor height

#28 Post by wwind3 » Fri Jul 24, 2020 3:57 am

Liquid Asset wrote:
Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:57 pm
There's nothing wrong with your boat. You simply need a prop. An aluminum prop is around $125. The closest example I have hands on experience with is a 20' Sweetwater ( couple years old) and with a Yamaha 14"x11" prop he's running normal rpms. I have another friend with a a 2 log 22' tracker (late model) with a 60 mercury Bigfoot. It came with a 4 blade from the dealership. I'll try and find out what pitch .

I have no clue how you have the motor trimmed when it " blows out" but it happens. I trim mine up to the point it's about to be out of the water when doing a speed run. If I don't trim down enough it blows out when I make a slight turn.

Every inch of prop changes your rpms 200 as a rule of thumb. My 22' tri toon with a 175 is only turning a 14" pitch. Your boat has the wrong prop. Nothing wrong with that motor.
Prop may help a little--but a 22 ft running at half the rated HP with maybe 2 23in logs --I go back to whipping a dead horse...or pushing a dumpster thru the water with an egg beater. The only thing that boat understands is horsepower---lots and lots of horsepower.. Boats back then were not built for performance....

Friend has my same boat in a 22 ft(Lowe) with a 135 Optimax , 2 toons-25inch, and lifting strakes. I can get 34-35 out of his. So he is 6-7 mph faster than me. With a much more efficient setup. Lot of cost for 6-7 mph-- With no strakes I suspect he would be close to 30 tops.
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Liquid Asset
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Re: Motor height

#29 Post by Liquid Asset » Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:58 am

Pontoons around here are sold with tons of 40 and 50 h.p. motors. You don't need a big motor. The motor simply needs a prop that allows it to run in the proper rmo range.

I blew up a 115 on my old tritoon. Rather than sit out I put the 50 mercury that it came with back on the boat. I ran an 8" 4 blade prop at 500 rpms. It pushed a 20' tritoon 17 mph! Better than watching from shore !!!
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wwind3
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Re: Motor height

#30 Post by wwind3 » Fri Jul 24, 2020 11:21 am

Liquid Asset wrote:
Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:58 am
Pontoons around here are sold with tons of 40 and 50 h.p. motors. You don't need a big motor. The motor simply needs a prop that allows it to run in the proper rmo range.

I blew up a 115 on my old tritoon. Rather than sit out I put the 50 mercury that it came with back on the boat. I ran an 8" 4 blade prop at 500 rpms. It pushed a 20' tritoon 17 mph! Better than watching from shore !!!
Did you mean 5000 rpms? Was that Wide open ? Isnt rpm range on a 50 around 5800? Just curious. I cruise at 18mph at 41-4200 rpms with 2 logs.. 28 mph WOT at 5800 for comparison. The old 50 Mercs were strong motors...blow the doors off the Johnrudes..
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