Re: Optimize performance
Apparently your best performance was with the stock prop and no wedges, and the motor lower in the water. However you had porpoising issues. <br /><br />Now you have tried all of the "Popular" recommended solutions for more speed and reduced porpoising, and you are worse off. <br /><br />I am truly sorry to see this happen to you or anyone. Although experimentation is required to optimize performance, everything that has been done and that has been recommended to you revolves around the "Prop". Changing pitch, Diameter, raising the motor and the transom wedge all are trying to improve the performance, AND fix the handling problems with the prop. Just how much more can be expected from one single devise that was only designed to "Propel"?<br /><br />Stainless Steel props are sexy, macho, cool, and a status symbol, but not the "end all" solution to performance. The next thing you will hear is to increase the HP.<br /><br />Everyone is totally ignoring the other half of the equation. The Hull. You would not build a 1000 HP engine put it in a mini van and enter the Indy 500.<br /><br />The initial problem of attaining more speed was porpoising. It was apparently so much of a problem that you needed a transom wedge to tuck the motor in further to reduce the porpoising. Next, the engine was too low (could be) so you raised it and the porpoising is nearly gone. What have you done in reality? Tucking the motor under more only served to increase the running angle of the prop. The prop is most efficient when perpendicular to the surface of the water (square). Tilting the prop to push "up" on the stern (and down on the bow to reduce porpoising) slips the outer edges and reduces forward thrust. The transom wedge allows you to increase this inefficiency. <br /><br />Increasing the prop pitch and diameter plus the other changes seems to have caused the engine to fall outside of it max torque curve, or raising the engine the extra hole is causing the prop to ventilate. <br /><br />The first thing you need to do it fix the hull. Fix the porpoising, but not with the prop. Yes I am going to recommend Smart Tabs, not simply because we make them, but because they will remove the job of correcting the handling issues (ie; porpoising) from the prop. The tabs will allow the boat to run cleaner, and then the correct prop can be chosen. By adding Trim Tabs you are adjusting the hull design to compensate for the changes in speed, weight, water, balance etc. Porpoising is a balance issue! In the case of Smart Tabs there is an added dimension, the system is active and "tunable" to the individual boat. You would have achieved the extra 2 MPH with Smart Tabs, and done so without any other additions or changes. We guarantee it! Then you can raise or lower the motor to achieve the optimum X dimension, and experiment with props to get even more speed. <br /><br />I understand that this is not the conventional, popular, or macho approach, and trim tabs do not enjoy the performance image of a stainless steel prop but they work. Note that an F14 and Indy cars have adjustable "wings". Use the prop to propel - period. Give them a break, they are over worked!
