what pitch should i stsrt with

[rogerpbarlow]

i have a mercury 500 50 1977 going on a alumiweld 16 ft bass boat
i dont know what pitch to began tuneing

 

[pootnic]

Re: what pitch should i stsrt with

First thing people are going to say to you is get a tach.
Alot suggest a tiny tach.(aftermarket)
Is your boat fully decked or more like a jon boat?
Ballpark guess, if fully decked 13-14 pitch...jon boat 14-15.

 

[rogerpbarlow]

Re: what pitch should i stsrt with

thanks pootnic. yes it is fully decked out. 500 50hp should push this boat well write?

 

[steelespike]

Re: what pitch should i stsrt with

My 65 500 runs an 11 " pitch on a 350lb 18' bare utility.And pushes it well.
Your gear ratio is 1.7 :1 I believe mine is the same but haven't been able to confirm.
I don't think I would go any higher than a 12" for your setup.If you end up light with a 12 you can still run it by watching the rpm. If you end up too high with a bigger prop you shouldn't run it as the motor would be lugging through its whole rpm range.

 

[pootnic]

Re: what pitch should i stsrt with

Without knowing to much about your boat(condition),it should do fine.
If your boat is older with alot of wood and foam that can soak up alot of weight(water).
You may want to check your transom if it's getting older,especially if it hasn't been undercover.
Keep in mind what steelespike said,the opinion I gave you was based on what I've read and my experience with a 40hp on a 1652 aluminum decked boat(13 pitch).