Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

[bwady]

Hello,

I need propeller advice...

I have a 2006 Baja 192 Islander with a 5.0mpi, the 1.62ratio Alpha, Laser II 23p prop, no trim tabs, approx. 3-4 people in boat, full tank of fuel 35gal. At 4800 rpm boat hits 53mph. The boat is fast on top end..

However, It plows through the water to get on plane (trimmed down), and onces on plane I have to keep it fairly fast or it comes off plane.

I want a prop that gets me up pretty fast and keeps me up on plane at lower speeds. I don't care about being the fastest boat out of the water, I just want a respectable holeshot and slower plane speeds). I am not a speed freak so a lose on the top end wont hurt my feelings. However, I do not want a prop that is causing me to hit the rev. limiter easily. Please give me prop advice.....
Thank you..

 

[Flysfloatsor]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

This is pretty simple, Prop down a little and switch to a 4 blade. The only problem is your current wide open throttle, your RPM;s are where they should be.

So if you go to a 20-21 pitch 4 blade you will have to be careful about over revving, however with a fuel injected boat that new, you likely have a rev limiter.

Oh, and the the 5.0 (305ci Small block Chevy) is notoriously lacking in low end grunt. But with the prop change, you should be good!

Try and find a place that will let you test before you buy.

 

[bwady]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

Thank you..

Based on what you are saying.. do you think this is my best route,, OR... Should I be changing my views on Trim Tabs? I have always been under the opinion that if the boat needed tabs, Baja would have put them on at the Factory. But, I have read so many threads that support the use of them that I really don't know what to think. I know that by changing to a lower pitch prop it is basically like driving around in a car that has been downshifted.. which has it's issues as well.
Boy it would be nice to have a two speed tranny in these boats..

 

[Robbabob]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

Agreed ^^^^


found a thread talking about a Turbo 2+2 that worked well on a Baja.

Not sure of my limitations of adding a link from a different forum, but look up that prop... it may suit your needs.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

lasers do well on light bass boats and once in a while on a stern drive...not to many positive results..your combo gets 17% slip. A safe bet would be a 21p hr titan in a 4 blade and a reach would be a stilletto bay pro 11 in a 22 4 blade. Maybe iboats will allow you to exchange...That is try the Stilletto and if its to much then the Solas would be a great choice.

It would be really easy to pick the Bay pro since it generally will behave like a 3 blade in terms of slip and performance aka a 22 4 blade nets the same slip or performance as a 23p 3 blade. But in this case the laser has less blade area hence lighter boats and higher rpm and the Baypro is just the opposite with increased blade area and lot of cup and rake....maybe to much..You never know until its on.


One thing Baja's are heavy deep V's beautiful high speed smooth planing hulls....But dogs out of hole that is part of the beast..Do you have trim tabs?


And like every thread in here is your tach accurate within 200 rpm from 800 to 5000...Boat tachs are good looking and rugged...also flaky on good readouts take nothing for granted. Are you hitting your refv limiter if so plz explain

 

[ktrahan75]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

Laser II props are more for bass boats, not stern drives. There different in design for propelling the boat. Better to prop to a 21' 4 blade, like mentioned above. Find a prop shop to try before you buy. You also find good 3 blades to try also, you won't have as much drag compared to a 4 blade. Stiletto/Solas good props to try and good on the wallet.

 

[bwady]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

Thank u for the info. I wondered if I messed up putting the Laser on. I think first thing I should do is put my factory alum. 23p back on and run it to get a better baseline. Then take the advice mentioned above and proceed.
Thanks for the sanity check.

 

[bwady]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

No I do not have the trim tabs. I have looked at them.. I just hate the thought of drilling into the boat (good place for a crack to start runnning). I have mixed emotions... I think to myself that If they needed them,, they would have them on from the factory.. but I also know that the they were probably an option on the last page of the order form too.. LOL..

Can I get the performance without trim tabs or am I chasing a nickel with a dime??

Thanks

 

[bwady]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

Another question.. I have actually looked at the Solas HR Titan 21p 4 blade before posting. Is is safe to assume my WOT rpm will jump 300 to 400 rpm going from a LaserII 23p 3 blade to the HR Titan 21p 4 blade?

 

[bwady]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

Sorry.. one last thing. I was reading a post about the Rubex vs. the HR. From what I read the Rubex is like the HR but for thru-hub exhuast.
Well.... my boat has the Quick and Quite II exhaust and from what I read about it.. as the load/rpm increase the damper diverts some exhuast down and thru the hub instead of the hull pipes. So I would need the Solas Rubex HR4 wouldn't I???

Thanks!!

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

Tabs will without a doubt lift that boat out of the water far more effeciently than a prop....keep it on lower plane and may even increase top end with a full load....They wont crack your transom...i have never heard of that issue as of yet. Slow hole shots are just part of the design of a heavy deep v

As to exhaust issue there should be no effect on any type of prop...and rubbex who knows it is just a new design that makes a prop a universal fit...good ideal i believe.

It will be intresting to see if the alum prop performs like the laser....Question can you run against the rev limiter with the props your describing under a load?

 

[emilsr]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

A few years ago we had a Baja 202 with the same power; not exactly your boat but close. Here's what we found:

The 23p Laser II was the fastest prop at WOT but was a dog getting on plane and wouldn't keep the boat on plane at less than 23-24mph. At the advice of others with the same boat we went with a 22p Turbo 2+2TH and it made a WORLD of difference. Minimum planing speed dropped by several mph, cruise speeds at any given rpm under 4500 went up several mph and we only lost about 2mph at WOT. There are probably other props that will work well too (I went through about 6 props total), but that was the one I tried that worked the best on that boat.

As for trim tabs, Baja didn't put them on many 192's, 202's or 20 Outlaws as they were trying to meet a price point. IMO they are needed at least as much on the small boats as they are on the bigger Bajas. I've driven a 20 Outlaw with Bennet tabs; made a big difference but the tabs were slow to react. On our 202 we put a set of Lenco tabs and really, REALLY liked what they did for the boat. Again, just my opinion, but if I had a 19' or 20' Baja I'd install tabs before I ever put it on the water. It made the boat that much better.

With those 2 changes (prop and tabs), with a light load I could come up on plane at about 1/4 throttle with very little bow rise. Was even able to pull up a 200lb skier with 6 people in the boat. Minimum planing speed dropped into the teens and I could maintain speed pulling a skier all the way down to 21-22mph without rowing the throttle back and forth. Rough water ride was increased significantly as well due to being able to maintain slower speeds. It was $1,000 well spent as far as I'm concerned.

 

[bwady]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

Tabs will without a doubt lift that boat out of the water far more effeciently than a prop....keep it on lower plane and may even increase top end with a full load....They wont crack your transom...i have never heard of that issue as of yet. Slow hole shots are just part of the design of a heavy deep v

As to exhaust issue there should be no effect on any type of prop...and rubbex who knows it is just a new design that makes a prop a universal fit...good ideal i believe.

It will be intresting to see if the alum prop performs like the laser....Question can you run against the rev limiter with the props your describing under a load?

I have never hit the rev limit in the water. But only have been in this boat one season now which is to times so far. Thank you for the info. I am looking at the hr titan and a set of tabs now

 

[VtSteve]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

I thought I'd chime in here, since I go through this every year :facepalm:

I have a Stingray 220 CS cuddy. Mercruiser 5.0 MPI, 1.62 gears, 260 HP.
The boat came with the standard 3 blade Black Max 21". I switched that out to a Laser II SS 21". The end result was this. About 1 mph faster, slightly lower rpms, but far more pulling power for tubes. Overall, the best result has been more lift, better holeshot and cruising hold. Perfect conditions, My boat goes 58 mph GPS with a light load, sometimes 60 mph with a tailwind

I would not recommend a higher pitch number going from a aluminum to SS. I think in general, you'll lose 200 rpm from a 21" aluminum to a 21" SS prop.

But, it's still an Alpha One with a 3 blade. So docking in the wind, and maneuvering in reverse is as much fun in the wind as it's ever been This combination sometimes makes me feel like I've never piloted a boat before.

So every year, I go through the search for 4 blade props that won't slow me to a crawl. I'm perfectly happy (I think), to lose 2-3 mph if it means gaining slow speed maneuverability, and better bite in corners. Especially at the dock, because it's almost always windy here on Champlain.

I've read that the Volvo 4-blade is one of the best anywhere, haven't tried others.

Getting back to your holeshot. When I first put my Laser II on, the holeshot was as abysmal as you've described, possibly worse. Then I learned about the Vent Plugs. Once I switched out the medium or large hole vent plugs (good for outboards, not sterndrives), I put in the Solid plugs (no hole). Varooooooom hole shot was back to great, lots of power, tubes pulled with little effort.

 

[bwady]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

I thought I'd chime in here, since I go through this every year :facepalm:

I have a Stingray 220 CS cuddy. Mercruiser 5.0 MPI, 1.62 gears, 260 HP.
The boat came with the standard 3 blade Black Max 21". I switched that out to a Laser II SS 21". The end result was this. About 1 mph faster, slightly lower rpms, but far more pulling power for tubes. Overall, the best result has been more lift, better holeshot and cruising hold. Perfect conditions, My boat goes 58 mph GPS with a light load, sometimes 60 mph with a tailwind

I would not recommend a higher pitch number going from a aluminum to SS. I think in general, you'll lose 200 rpm from a 21" aluminum to a 21" SS prop.

But, it's still an Alpha One with a 3 blade. So docking in the wind, and maneuvering in reverse is as much fun in the wind as it's ever been This combination sometimes makes me feel like I've never piloted a boat before.

So every year, I go through the search for 4 blade props that won't slow me to a crawl. I'm perfectly happy (I think), to lose 2-3 mph if it means gaining slow speed maneuverability, and better bite in corners. Especially at the dock, because it's almost always windy here on Champlain.

I've read that the Volvo 4-blade is one of the best anywhere, haven't tried others.

Getting back to your holeshot. When I first put my Laser II on, the holeshot was as abysmal as you've described, possibly worse. Then I learned about the Vent Plugs. Once I switched out the medium or large hole vent plugs (good for outboards, not sterndrives), I put in the Solid plugs (no hole). Varooooooom hole shot was back to great, lots of power, tubes pulled with little effort.

Thanks for the info.. That is good to know. I still think I will get a 4blade and a set of tabs. I boat on a lake that can get pretty rough in the afternoons. And one of my biggest problems with my current setup is when I slow down for rough water the boat sinks off plane and then I have to give "er" a big ole hand of throttle again to get going again. Very anoying. My last boat was Sea Ray 4.3l with 17p SS 3 Blade and it was a great old boat and handled nice. Just was getting a little old for us.

 

[SparkieBoat]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

get the tabs installed first...you may need to change the prop pitch after installing them.

 

[bwady]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

get the tabs installed first...you may need to change the prop pitch after installing them.

Is this based on experience? I was thinking about trim tabs and going from a 23p 3 blade to a 4blade 21p

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

Is this based on experience? I was thinking about trim tabs and going from a 23p 3 blade to a 4blade 21p

That does make sense, but if you can doing the tabs first and then see if you can hit 4900 or maybe 5000. If the boat does go up in rpm then a Stilletto bay pro 11 in a 22p would be the prop.

I have a similar boat..19' 8' beam 1.66 gearing but a 200hp v6 3500 lbs...two people and a 22 does 4500 @ 53....a 20 in the same blade does 55 at 4900...The fact that you have 260 hp may be just enough to turn the 22...And BayPro have more lift than a Solas..And midrange pop....Tabs may lift the boat high enough that less wetted surface happens and ups the rpm band a bit....Lasers do not lift like a Stilletto but the tabs will assist the lack of blade area...

Heres a pic of the lift...That hull print is 30" wide...

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l284/Tail_Gunner_2006/boat272.jpg

 

[mohead1]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

What are the vent plugs you are talking about in this forum? "putting in solid vent plugs" I just bought a Wellcraft 210 w 260hp 350cid Merc Alpha.....I havent put it in the water yet, but looking at prop info for reference once I test the boat. Weight I believe is approx. 2500lbs. without people/stuff. No trims on this boat either. I will test this coming week and will see about the tabs/prop needs.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Baja 192 5.0mpi 1.62 ratio gears, LaserII 23p ((Speed good , holeshot NO GOOD))

Is this based on experience? I was thinking about trim tabs and going from a 23p 3 blade to a 4blade 21p

Your boat is a little different than our 202, but I can tell you on that boat that ANY application of tab slowed the boat at higher speeds. At 50+mph the hull itself provided plenty of lift and the tabs just produced additional drag. The 192 has a little more beam though so, as they say, your mileage may vary.