Replacement Prop Question

BossCittyBass

Recruit
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
2
I recently bought a 1996 17 ft Nitro Rick Clunn Edition 170 TF with a 1996 2 Stroke 90hp ELPT Tracker by Mercury Outboard. The prop that came on it is a quicksilver laserII 13.5 X 22. i read that the LaserII is for 135hp models and up so im wondering if there is a better one out there. im more concerned with top end speed and no added strain on the motor.
Boat weighs 1229lbs, Motor weighs 280lbs with a max rpm of 5250. I dont know exactly what rpm it runs at full throttle but i know its lower than 5000. Any information would be greatly appreciated. thanks
 

Texasmark

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
14,819
Re: Replacement Prop Question

The prop fits your 4 1/4" lower unit at 13+ inches diameter. If the prop were for the larger engines, the outer diameter of the hub would be larger and it would not fit your engine without a spacer to keep it from grinding off your lower unit casting. Additionally they are 14+ inches in diameter.

I run the same engine and sounds to me like you are propped just fine. Where did you get your rpm numbers? My 2002 90 triple Merc is rated 5000-5500 as is the same engine in the '94 Merc sales brochure so one can just imagine that that all the triples were rated there. With that prop on that boat you should be running some nice numbers at the upper limit of your rpm range if not higher. My boat is not that far from yours and with a 24 XL Ballistic I easily run 5600-5800 at wot.

How do you trim your boat at wot? The way I trim mine is to get on plane and trim out until it starts blowing out....rpms increase with a drop in speed, then tuck it back in till it gets a solid bite. If you are running nose heavy....trim tucked in too far it will severely impact your top speed and rpms.

Mark
 

BossCittyBass

Recruit
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
2
Re: Replacement Prop Question

Thanks for the info. Let me first say that i am a tournament angler with flw college series so my knowledge is more what to do after the trolling motor is down. With that said, I found the max rpm(5250) on the tag with the serial # and weight, just to clarify its a '96 Tracker by Mercury, Force Power Series 2 stroke 90hp.
When Trimming i usually start with it trimmed all the way down then i start trimming up when it sounds and feels ready if theres a better way im all ears.
 

Texasmark

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
14,819
Re: Replacement Prop Question

Thanks for the info. Let me first say that i am a tournament angler with flw college series so my knowledge is more what to do after the trolling motor is down. With that said, I found the max rpm(5250) on the tag with the serial # and weight, just to clarify its a '96 Tracker by Mercury, Force Power Series 2 stroke 90hp.
When Trimming i usually start with it trimmed all the way down then i start trimming up when it sounds and feels ready if theres a better way im all ears.

I do it all kinds of ways and I can as I have a light boat with an easily planing hull and lots of whoopie behind it. Unless you are in rough water, I can't see the need for "boat in the water" so I run as much trim as I can, for a given speed, just before it starts to porpoise.....just makes the best of the mpg. If it's a chop, I tuck her in till the ride smoothes out and adjust the speed to correspond to the waves for the ride. Rarely do I tuck it all the way in on the hole shot, usually vertical to the boat and sometimes pushed out so that the engine will deliberately blow out. This is fun because it starts porposing coming out of the hole, and every time the prop gets another good bite, the engine rpms are much higher than previously and the boat lurches forward. About 2 or 3 of those and I am gone. Lot of fun, but I am in calm water with the lake pretty much mine; I show others the courtesy of avoiding them.

Mark
 
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