Engine height help

[MikePA]

Curious if you guys have insights into making my hole shot better.. compared to other campion 542's I have seen get on plane.. mine seems a little slow (4-5 seconds).. once on plane, cruises at 30mph at 4000 rpm, 48mph at WOT, ~6000rpm. It's a Yamaha 150. My prop is an aluminum 14 x 19. I tried a stainless Yamaha reliance that was 14 x 17 and it lost 4-5 mph at cruise and hole shot wasn't really any better. Thoughts on engine height/different prop?

 

[Aquaholic]

With the aluminum prop, are you cavitating at all with that current engine height? It’s a little hard to tell with that straight edge because you are slightly on the dead rise upside to see if it truly does align with the cavitation plate.

Going down two inches in props, you were definitely going to lose top speed, but you should’ve gained a better hole shot. I would try another 17” prop, maybe aluminum for some blade flex and I would also look at a four blade propeller.

How’s your weight distribution?

Get ready for the trim tab crowd to chime in, but you should be planing easily with a 150 horse on that size of boat.

 

[ship happens]

Engine height really has nothing to do with hole shot. At least not your situation

Try a 4 blade 17.

 

[MikePA]

With the aluminum prop, are you cavitating at all with that current engine height? It’s a little hard to tell with that straight edge because you are slightly on the dead rise upside to see if it truly does align with the cavitation plate.

Going down two inches in props, you were definitely going to lose top speed, but you should’ve gained a better hole shot. I would try another 17” prop, maybe aluminum for some blade flex and I would also look at a four blade propeller.

How’s your weight distribution?

Get ready for the trim tab crowd to chime in, but you should be planing easily with a 150 horse on that size of boat.

That's with three guys on board and fishing gear, but even with me alone I feel it should be better. I also do have electric trim tabs.

 

[MikePA]

Engine height really has nothing to do with hole shot. At least not your situation

Try a 4 blade 17.

Interesting, I thought it would. I'll try a 4 blade prop. The issue is in Nanaimo there's nowhere to trial props so it gets expensive buying a new one then trying to resell. Thanks for the advice.

 

[ship happens]

If you were on the mainland I would let to try some shop props. Maybe there's a shop over there that operates the same way

 

[MikeyL]

That's with three guys on board and fishing gear, but even with me alone I feel it should be better. I also do have electric trim tabs.

You should utilize the tabs by engaging them fully then retracting once your fully planed. You can also try hydrofoils to help with hole shot. They worked great on my last 18.5 explorer.

 

[Brando]

prop selection, anything else is a bandaid. You shouldn’t need to drop to a 17 to switch to stainless if you stay 3 blade.

 

[MikePA]

If you were on the mainland I would let to try some shop props. Maybe there's a shop over there that operates the same way

Thanks. Haven't found one yet.

 

[SpringVelocity]

I would just put a cheap hydrofoil and see if that makes it better. You a get a drillless one at HC for like 160 I think.

I have same as you trim tabs etc. With combination of hydrofoil and tabs up on plane instantly.

That 4 blade stainless are expensive just to fix a few seconds of planing. Just my opinion.

 

[MikePA]

I would just put a cheap hydrofoil and see if that makes it better. You a get a drillless one at HC for like 160 I think.

I have same as you trim tabs etc. With combination of hydrofoil and tabs up on plane instantly.

That 4 blade stainless are expensive just to fix a few seconds of planing. Just my opinion.

I do get on plane quicker with the tabs down.. just don't like that routine of down/up with them.

 

[SpringVelocity]

I do get on plane quicker with the tabs down.. just don't like that routine of down/up with them.

Yeah I don't use tabs until up on plane. Only use for side to side with loads etc.

 

[beemer]

Engine looks like it is one hole too high. I like to have the cavitation plate 1inch above the transom. I would try a 14x19 stainless . 4 bladers May give you a tiny bit better holeshot , but you will lose top end and fuel economy.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Here is re post of that diagram I found a while back.

 

[ship happens]

Engine height looks fine to me. 4 blade will actually improve economy. Who the hell wants to travel at speeds higher then 30mph anyway. Just burn fuel and conditions are hardly ever nice enough for that anyway.

 

[salmonkiller01]

Curious if you guys have insights into making my hole shot better.. compared to other campion 542's I have seen get on plane.. mine seems a little slow (4-5 seconds).. once on plane, cruises at 30mph at 4000 rpm, 48mph at WOT, ~6000rpm. It's a Yamaha 150. My prop is an aluminum 14 x 19. I tried a stainless Yamaha reliance that was 14 x 17 and it lost 4-5 mph at cruise and hole shot wasn't really any better. Thoughts on engine height/different prop?View attachment 85857

Engine trimmed all the way down your cavitation plate should be 1” above your keel. Try a four blade as been said. Will make a world of difference but you will lose some speed

 

[Squire]

Your engine height looks close to where it should be. In order to know for sure you have to have someone look at your engine in the water while you’re up on step. The cavitation plate should be riding right along the top of the water when you’re cruising at 30 mph.
You should have your engine trimmed in as tight to the stern as possible when accelerating to get up on step, then trim it out until you feel it hit the sweet spot. Trimmed up too far will first cause some porpoising then actual ventilation.
The biggest single improvement would be found in the right prop. The right four blade stainless may be your best bet. A lesser pitch may be evened out by the extra blade and greater diameter, still achieving your current top speed or close to it. A new prop with different blade diameter and angle might hit your trim tab anode; you may have to replace it with an offset version.

 

[Aquaholic]

Modern aluminum four blade propellers have so much bite, there’s no real advantage in going to stainless now other than strength, and then it comes down to the old sacrificial part, do you want to break an ear off of your aluminum propeller or do you want to potentially damage your lower gear case and shaft with stainless?

Within the last two months, as I have a Merc outboard, I have gone to the Mercury Spitfire four blade with great satisfaction. What it does best though is when you’re in the big NW seas and you have to climb a hill repeatedly, the four blade keeps it on plane with an incredible difference compared to the three blade of the identical pitch that I had on.

Faster planing, lower rpm to plane/stay on plane. Same rpm max within 100 revs. I lost 1.5 - 2 mph, so now it does just over 34 instead of 36. The maneuverability at low speed is a world of difference too. Old was 13.5x17, Spitfire recommended was 13.25x17.

A no-brainer for my situation.

 

[N2013]

Try calling Victoria propeller. They might be able to help you.

 

[Bearded wonder]

Try calling Victoria propeller. They might be able to help you.

They have a shop in Nanaimo. Down in Brechin area. Got a new prop for my kicker and they were great.