Prop for Gambler

I have a 20' 6" gambler ski boat. When I bought the boat it came with two props. 1 Was a 28 pitch 4 blade stainless steel prop and the other was a land and sea torque shift prop. The man I bought it from said it would run 80 with the right prop on it and that the land and sea was the best one for it. However, It has a couple of parts on it that I need to replace before I can use it. I have been doing some research on the prop and have found a lot of people do not recommend it. I have read that it is not very easy to set up and that it has a tendency to throw blades or throw them off if you hit the bottom or get the prop out of the water.  I am wondering what you think is best?  I was thinking of going with a 3 blade 26" pitch chopper series prop? Or should I rebuild the torque prop and see how it works out?

Thanks,
Brandon White

The Land and Sea prop is ok if you maintain it every time it is used. More trouble than it is worth in my book. Try a chopper or even a trophy 4 blade.

Randy

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ECU for Optimax

I am in need of an ecu for my optimax. Are these things rebuildable. I have two of them so far and neither are any good. I've never run the motor and just to get it going to see if its worthwhile. It came out of the Mil. surplus sale so no telling what cond. the engine is in.  Any ideas? It’s a 2001 150optimax

Short of finding one used on the net, you are stuck with paying full boat for a new one. I would make sure the engine is in running shape first.

Randy

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Repowering a Valero YT

Randy

I have had my 18ft Valero Bowrider YT hull since about 1991.  I am interested in putting a new motor on my boat.  I am looking for reliability #1, user friendly #2, top speed #3. I have the opportunity to buy a New leftover Johnson 225 HO, but I am thinking that the new Mercurys might be faster and equally reliable.  I started out with a 25" Johnson 200, then bought a Mercury 2.5, and finally have a Johnson 225 with Bob's machine shop sportmaster lower unit and a land and sea transom lift.  The boat is rated for 175 hp but as you can see, every motor I have had on the boat was over that.  I have a lot of experience driving this boat with all kinds of motors on it.   I can't get over the thrill of that mercury but it was with problems ( ecu unit ), ( changing the spark plugs every time I took it out, probably because I like to cruise around slow too ).  What is the motor or best 2 new choices you would recommend repowering it with?  Also, what kind of new transom lift would you recommend and should there be a set back?

Thank you,
Frank

The 225 HO would be a nice project. The set up is a little pickier but overall it fits the bill pretty good. One of the new E-Tecs would be more user friendly. Due to the weight of the new engines and the fact the transom height is 24” to begin with; I would probably bolt it to the transom.

Randy

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Porting it to 115 Spec?

I came across this:

"If it is one of the old crossflow 90' V-4's, you could port it to 115 spec. and see a decent gain in performance. "

Can you elaborate on this please?  Does that mean I can turn my old crossflow 90 into a 115 or something close?

Thanks for all the excellent info!

- Sporky

Yes – a 90 block can be ported to 115 spec. It is quite the project though. Not something for the backyard mechanic as the port layout has to be exact. One slip and your block is a nice flower planter.

Randy

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Prop Slippage

I have a 18' stratos with a 150 johnson o/b , having a problem when boat is turning right when on plane , with prop slipping , having to slow down so prop can catch back up , trimming down helps a little bit , no problem turning left at planing speed .boat just started doing this .prop and skeg looks normal.

Sounds like you might be a little high on transom height. You could try adding some up to the prop. The Stratos boat tends to have a transom with a little too much height.

Randy

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Vector with a 2.5 Merc

Randy

My name is Casey Goff, from South Mississippi . I have recently purchased an '81 Vector in good condition. I have owned several hi-performance boats in the past, including an Allison 2002 and a Stratos 200 VT tunnel hull, but never a Hydrostream. I have retained my '97 2.5 ProMax 225 that I will be mounting on my Vector. The boat has dual opposing steering, a hot foot, and a 6" jacking plate.  After reading Tech-Talk about similar applications, I will be removing the jacking plate. If you have any more suggestions on "set up" such as shaft height, prop and fuel tank location, etc., I would appreciate it.  The boat will be used for recreation, [skiing, riding, and occasional playing fast with other river racers], but not hard core racing, just fast fun for The Goff Family. I have a passion for boats, and have always like the looks and speed of a Hydrostream. I am interested in joining the Hydrostream registry, but I will wait until I can send pictures, and boat facts, in with my Vector. If you can help save time, and get me close on the set up, I can fine-tune it.

Thanks in advance,
Casey

Sounds like your set up is going to be good right off the bat. Mount the motor in the highest hole and get some 30” props. The last Vector I did with a 200 ran over 90 with nothing fancy. You should be near 100 pretty easy.

Randy

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Vector with Merc 175

I just purchased an 81 Vector. Its got a Merc 175 on it. The speedo isn't hooked up right now and I know props make a difference, but on avg. what would you say the top speed is that I could get out of this boat with that motor on it. Right now there is a stainless 4 blade prop on it. Any recommendations. I noticed it beginning to fish tail a bit to when I was at top speed. I do believe it was b/c I was trimming the motor up a bit too much and lost control with the skeg not having as much contact with the water. I’m also interested in locating a windshield for the boat could you point me in the right direction. Any performance tips or any heads up would be great. Thank you!

Most Vectors with 175 like three blade choppers and such. They tend to run “75ish” without too much trouble. The windshield is a problem. Not much out there except used ones.

Randy

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150 XR2 on a Vector

Hi there! I'm the owner of a 1982 vector with a mercury 115 inline six. I’m currently looking at a 1986 mercury 150 xr-2 with power trim and tilt. It also has a 20 inch shaft. Would this motor work on my vector. My father recently passed away and it was his dream to put a 150 on this boat. I would like to make that dream come true! Would the prop I currently have work on this 150. I’m running a chopper prop. Couldn’t tell you the pitch of the prop. Thanks again for the info.

Chris,

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Not happy with V-King

Randy, I am working on a 1984 vking, I installed a (new to the boat) 1989 Merc Black max 175hp long shaft. At what height should the motor be mounted? It is currently one bolt hole down from the highest, that puts the cavitation plate about 3/4' above the pad, it is mounted directly to the transom. The prop is a 25" michigan wheel raptor. I am not happy with this set up at all, what is wrong? Do I need a jack plate?
Help. I have a lot of work invested in this boat...new floor and transom...much like the "saved from the junkpile" article, I used the pourable transom...it worked great.

Steve

Run the engine mounted 2 ¼” up on the transom. This is the 4^th hole from the top if the transom was drilled correctly. We always ran a 14 ½ x 26” chopper at that setting and you would have a nice 75+ mph boat straight out.

Randy

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Setup for Vector with Bridgeport

Randy,

Let me first thank you for offering your expertise to myself and all the other boaters on this site trying to set-up their rigs. I have been an avid power boater for the last 35 years and have always had a soft-spot for Hydrostreams....

I currently have a 1981 I purchased last year.... I have replaced the rotten floor, reinforced the transom with additional knees. The boat was already partially set-up as a drag-boat. It has opposing center steering with dual cables, a hot-foot foot-throttle, turn-signal "type" trim switch on the wheel and both the battery and fuel tank are to be mounted behind the drivers-seat and placed in the center of the boat. I have just purchased a 1986 2.4 Litre Mercury Bridgeport EFI racing motor. I have both a manual and a hydraulic jackplate I can install on the boat. My first question is which jackplate do you recommend I install, secondly where should I have the engine height based on the pad of the boat (as you know the engine already has a nose cone with low water pick-ups to allow higher engine mounting heights...I have been in a couple of Vectors and Vikings in the past and those boats always seem to be prone to "chine-walking" once about 65-70mph was reached.

Third...what items can I have done to the engine to improve it's life and performance?

Finally...what type of prop can you recommend for my application..I am strictly looking for top-speed..I have a 28 pitch big-eared Mercury chopper that I can experiment with...

Thank you for your time...

Sincerely,
Joe

You sound like you’re going the right way with the set up and rigging. You can start with the prop shaft ½” below and see how it takes a set. If too high the engine will pull like it wants to make a right hand turn. The chine walk is a function of you correcting the actions with steering input. It won’t go away – you must control it. Try the chopper and get some first impressions.

Randy

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Ventura Setup

Randy,

I bought a 74 Ventura last year and after much restoration work it’s looking pretty good. I put a 2003 Merc 125 with a 9 inch manual jack plate. And setup with cavitation plate set approx 2" above bottom. The prop is a 19 pitch aluminum.   I am planning on getting a stainless but do not know what prop to get. When up to speed it only hit about 40 and motor was rocking. Was this due to the aluminum prop and what kind of speeds can I expect. I really appreciate the help and plan to join IHR. Also motor max rpm is 5200 , And I probably don't want to spend more than 400.00 on a prop.

Thanks,
Chris

A 20 or 22 Laser II would be a good start. The rocking was probably the rubber mounts flexing. I do not know of anybody that makes solid or rigid mounts for that engine. Your set up sounds fine. A Laser should pick up the boat better and give you some more top end.

Randy

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Vision Blew Over

Hello Randy,

I have a 1989 Hydrostream Vision Canadian edition, with a 90 hp V4 Evinrude, The Boat blew over in a bad storm and caused the bottom fin on the lower unit to bend. The bottom end, Motor and Transom all seem ok But I am just wondering if I should worry about this at all and if there are any problems with this how would I fix it ? Also I bought the boat late in the season and have not had it on the water, what should I expect for numbers? I was hoping at least high 40's low 50's MPH is this realistic?

The speeds are realistic. You will have to apply heat to the skeg to bend it back. Be careful and go slowly, not trying to bend it back all at once.

Randy

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Old Cajun with Pro V 150

Hi randy,

What a neat site!!! I just got an older cajun bass boat with a pro V 150 Yamaha on it. It has sit for about 1 1/2 years without being run. I am cleaning the fuel cell, have took the bottom screw out of the carbs and sprayed carb cleaner into them and got a bunch of gunk outta them. I have removed all dirt dobber nest and am curious to fill it with fresh gas and crank it? Also is it possible for a rookie mechanic like myself to put a new water pump in it?

 The friend whom I got it from says the boat ran like a champ when he parked it. Thanks for your helpful site and advise.

John Fisher
Pineville, Missouri

It would be best to take the carbs off and clean them. Get a service manual and the info will be there. Take your time and read the instructions over a few times. You should be fine.

Randy

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Viper Windshield

I’m restoring a Viper and the windshield is broken on it, would you know of any places that I could find a replacement? I live in Mass so the more local the better however, anything will go

Andy,

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Hook in Voyager Pad

Randy,

I have an 88 Voyager with a "v" hull. Should this hull have a hook in the pad? If not, what is tolerable for performance sake?

Thanks 

Steve
Seattle , WA

Flat as you can get it. If its not, get out the sander and get it as close as you can.

Randy

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SST45 needs more Speed

Hi Randy

My Dad and Lil Bro have just finished setting up a new hoffman running a SST- 45.  In New Zealand our F3 class is up to 1000cc outboard tunnel meaning that we have to contend with the very few SST-60s competing.  Are there any mods to get more horses out of the 45? We have done every modification to the engine that anyone here can think of...twin carbs, head work (180lbs compression), behind the sleeve porting.... On our old hull the engine used to run regularly at 7500rpm sporting a 7 1/4 X 11 propeller, I have heard that in the States the stock SST-45's are pulling 10,000 rpm!! Is this fact or fiction?

Cheers
Julian

Julian,

No one is turning 10,000 in the states. If they did it would only be for a few seconds before the parts flew out of the hood.

I would try to get the compression up over 200 PSI and see if you could pull a 12" prop the same 7500, with 200 - 210 PSI the punch will be better.

The bad thing is a 3 cylinder has much better exhaust tuning than a 2 cylinder. You are always going to have an uphill battle.

Randy

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'88 Johnson 150 Shift Problem

The problem I am having is when I shift to reverse I get nothing. When I tried adjusting cable I lost drive and got reverse. There seems to be no happy medium can not get both gears engaged only one or the other. Do you think my controls are bad or cables?

Sounds like the control box doesn’t have enough throw.

Randy

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Evinrude 70HP Dies

Cheers Randy

My 70hp evinrude1993 sometimes dies to a walk while traveling along. I put it back to neutral give it a couple of revs with warm up lever and away I go. This is not regular but happens sometimes and other times I do a trip and it is fine. Would appreciate some advice on chances of it being the bulb, fuel filter or carbies.

Thanks,
Gary

Gary,

I too, would tend to believe it is a fuel problem. Replace everything from the tank to the engine first and give it a try.

Randy

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Setup Struggles

Greetings,

I have a 2004 PRO 205 with a 200 Mercury carbureted, 24 Tempest Plus (worked), 6 inch Hi-Jacker jack plate, drawing about 15 psi water press. At 5700 rpms WOT. I have the motor as high as I can get it without going to the last set of mounting holes.

The struggle… 55 mph max gps with two people, full gas, live wells filled… everyone else seems to be in the mid 60s to 70s with similar set up/boat.

I don’t know if I need to go to a 25/26 prop, or get it higher/lower???

I have a great hole shot with no top end…. HELP!!

Don’t be so concerned with jacking the engine up. You are probably too high by a long shot. I would lower the engine about an inch and try to find a Trophy 4 Blade with 23 – 24 inches of pitch. I’m thinking your boat is not lifting the extra blade will help.

Randy

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Skiing with a Valero

Hi.

I am interested in purchasing a 1985 Valero with a V6 200GT Johnson currently using a 26 prop.  I was wondering if this boat with a different prop could be used for family water-skiing on weekends (& speed on other days with the existing prop!).  What do you recommend? 

Thanks
Tom

Tom,

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Viper Chinewalk

I have always wanted a hydrostream, and recently purchased a 78 viper with 76 135hp Evinrude.  Was propped poorly.  Got a 26" cleaver with the engine raised about 2" mounted directly to the transom and now run a scary chine-walking 62 at 5200 rpm.  There is more but I can't seem to steer out the chine walk.  The engine does have a skeg-guard which seems straight axially, but tilted towards the starboard side at the bottom.  I trimmed off the goofy wing on the bottom of it, squeezed the crossection down for less hydrodynamic drag and to tighten it nicely on the 1.3" of real skeg remaining.  I plan to but a new skeg on it, and possible contour it for torque steer, but there does not to be much torque steer until I get the engine trimmed way up beyond any real running trim.  Therefore I plan to use a normal replacement skeg.  Any input here?

I am now playing with weight distribution.  Winter is coming and I want to get a feel for what will work with battery / fuel tanks (2 x 6 gallon) placement.  Interior is nothing but a plastic drivers seat, which will become a 4 seater by spring.

Chine walk is the big issue.  Any tips to reduce chine walk in the Viper? 

I will recontour the hull this winter if necessary, but I was thinking a small trim-tab type damper at the chine if the skeg and weight distribution have little effect.

There is a small chunk in the starboard side of the pad (.25" deep from the side, 1.0" long positioned about 2" in front of the transom step) which has a nice rounded shape.   I doubt this has much influence on the walk. 

Some pictures attached. 

Regards,
Jerry Wagner

Jerry,

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Viking/Merc 175 Setup

Randy,

I am going to probably purchase an 81 Hydrostream Viking with 81 175hp mercury next monday and would like some advice since this is my first outboard boat.  I am buying the boat from the original owner and the boat is stock except for having the floor replaced, the cables changed, some brand of nose cone, a hydraulic jack plate (don't know the set back yet) and some aluminum prop of unknown dimensions at this time.  I will primarily drive this boat with my wife and we like to go fast safely, so I would like some recommendations on a prop that will not see skiers, but could have four people in the boat at one time. 

I have not yet driven the boat but the current owner talks about a lot of steering input to correct the boat at speed.  Should I look into solid engine mounts?  What else can I do to the boat to make it more user friendly.

I also would like to do some engine modifications and I was wondering what I should inspect first for wear and what order the modifications should be done in.  I would like to do small things like compression, reeds and maybe some exhaust.

Finally what do think the boat should run as purchased with a good all around prop.

I am sorry some of the info you need might be missing since I am new and do not have the boat in my possession yet.

Thanks in advance,
Jim Stevens

Most V-Kings with a 175 and 26” chopper prop would run 75 mph out of the box. Start there - modifying an ’81 engine is not going to be very cost effective. It is probably tired and modifying it would seriously affect its life span. If you rebuilt it then ok, but for that cost you could build a newer engine. Take it out and enjoy it. Find a chopper prop and see how far that gets you toward your goals.

Randy

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Please submit whatever questions you have to [Attention: at this time, Randy is not taking any more Tech Talk questions. If he resumes this column, then you can be sure that I will update this and reopen the e-mail...sorry!].  All questions and answers selected will be displayed on this page as they come in.  Please be patient for a response as Randy answers as he finds the time.  Note: though all boaters are welcome, priority may be given to I.H.R. members.  Randy can not be held responsible for any advice given.  Though his information and expertise is second to none, he has no control over what you do with your boat.  It is up to you to boat safely and act responsibly, and his advice is only to be used as a guidance for your high performance boat/motor of which you are the one responsible for the risks involved.

Please Note! Randy can not help you if you do not provide him with the necessary information.  Please include as much relevant information as you can.  For example, if you say, "I have a Vector with a 200 Merc and am running a 28" chopper.  How can I go faster?", that is not enough information to get an answer.  You should be supplying information such as how much setback you have, what RPM's you're turning, what gearcase, what modifications have been made to the motor, boat or prop, what is the motor height (propshaft height relative to the bottom of the pad), etc., etc.  You need to include as much data that you can think of that might be relative to your specific question.  In addition, please make an attempt to read his other replies that you think may be relevant to your hull or application and check to see if he has already answered your question so that it isn't duplicated.

Also!  Your grammar and spelling doesn't have to be perfect, but come on guys...some of the letters I have seen come through have been pitiful.  I know some people don't excel in writing, but all I am asking is that you make an honest attempt to make your letter readable so Randy doesn't have to spend extra time deciphering what is written and I don't spend as much time cleaning it up.  If Randy is taking the time to answer your questions, then the least you can do is take the time to write something legible and include background information regarding your application.  If you don't, your letter will not be forwarded on to Randy.  Thanks!

Thanks,
Mark C.

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