Correct prop?

dartman · October 24, 2008, 04:52:33 PM

I just bought a 1994 Stratos 284DC. It has a 5 1/2" manual JP with a 1994 Evinrude Intruder 150. It came with a 13 1/2 x 25 Renegade 4 blade. Is this the correct prop? Thanks for any help.

Jdaddy · October 24, 2008, 06:20:01 PM

In order to answer that you will have to add some info: Run the boat and see how is your hole shot, then test your top speed and remember what is your RPM and water pressure at top speed.

Come back here and post it .

By the way, Welcome to Ultimatebass.com, good to have you.

dartman · October 24, 2008, 09:34:36 PM

Thanks for the welcome. I'll let you know as soon as I can.

dartman · October 28, 2008, 01:03:15 PM

I now have some more info. Prop to pad 4 1/2". Top speed 54MPH at 5,000 RPM. Water pressure 30. Hole shot great.

Mike Cork · October 28, 2008, 01:44:34 PM

Sounds like you might have the right prop but with the WOT of 5000 RPM I would say that you could come up with the jack plate some. 4.5 inches seems a little deep. I would look at comming up at .25 inches at a time and watch the water pressure.

I don't remember what the recommended water pressure is for that motor. I am thinking you want to try and reach 54-5500 RPM at WOT.

A great hole shot also indicated that you may have room to come up with the jack plate.

dartman · October 28, 2008, 02:02:30 PM

Thanks Mike. I fish with a buddy who has a Basscat with a 200HP and other guys in my club with similar boats and I was really surprised at how fast this boat came out of the hole. Much quicker than any of theirs. I've been told that I should get about 5,500RPM at WOT. Also told that that the prop should be at 3.5. I'm hoping to get out this weekend and I'll bring it up .25 at a time as you recommended. A guy I know who is pretty good with boats said no less than 12 to 15lbs. water pressure. I'm not experienced with high perf. bass boats, but I thought this boat should do more than 54MPH. Thanks again for your help everyone.

Mike Cork · October 28, 2008, 02:11:48 PM

Water pressure is the key, you can't let it get to low or you will hurt your motor

dartman · October 29, 2008, 09:53:36 AM

I have more questions. To raise the motor how exactly do I do it? Do I have to loosen the side bolts on the JP (2 on each side) or do I just turn the 2 bolts on the threaded rod on the bottom? Also how do I know how much I've raised it? Do I make a mark on the side of the JP where it is now and measure from there? Do the bolts, any and or all have to be torqued to a specific ft. lb. to tighten them back up? Thanks again.

-Shawn- · October 29, 2008, 10:29:54 AM

To get your correct measure ments you need to unhook from you tow vehicle and jack the trailer up or down to level the pad of your boat. once you have leveled the pad then lower or raise your engine trim to get your prop shaft level. now measure from the back of your pad to the ground then centerline of your propshaft to the ground.
The difference in these to will give you an accurate measurment below pad. Make sure you do this on a level surface. Now that you have that measurement you can measure at the ramp. just lower your engine utill propshaft is level with the ground. take a measurement what ever it measures you now have something to work with. Say your original measurement was 4.5 but hooked up to your tow vehicle on uneven ground it shows 3.75 it doesn't matter because all you are using the tape for is measuring 1/4 in .

Now, loosen the bolts on the side of the jack plate and use the screw to raise 1/4 in. tighten the bolts back down and go run the boat. Pay attention to water pressure!!! I do not like less than 15lb personally. You want to keep raising untill you hit one of 2 breaking points. You lose water pressure or top end speed. once you hit one of those 2 points then lower your motor 1/4 inch and you are good to go!

Ron Fogelson · October 29, 2008, 10:42:50 AM

Shawn's advice should get you lined up!

dartman · October 29, 2008, 12:07:11 PM

Thank you Shawn. When I did my measurements I was going to unhook my trailer but before I did I put a 4' level on the trailer and surprisingly it was perfectly level. I then put a torpedo level on the cav. plate and trimmed the motor down until it was level. Then I took my measurements. I assume since everything was level that this was a correct measurment. Was I correct or for some reason do you have to take the trailer off the truck? I was on level ground. Do I just tighten the bolts as hard as I can, I don't need to use a torque wrench to some specific tightness? The threaded shaft has 2 bolts on it any idea why, does the bottom one simply keep the other from backing off? Also do you have any idea approximately what top speed I can expect from this boat? Thanks for being patient it's my first HP bassboat so I'm kind of lost with no one here to give hands on assistance and I don't want to screw it up.

-Shawn- · October 29, 2008, 12:13:42 PM

The trailer being level doesn't matter. The pad is what you have to get level. Usually your trailer will be running down hill towards the toungue.

dartman · October 30, 2008, 02:11:01 PM

Thanks again Shawn . I still need to know about the bolts. Don't forget I'm a newbie.

Mike Cork · October 30, 2008, 04:41:47 PM

There probably is a torque value somewhere printed for your jack plate bolts. Where to find it, I have no idea. In your situation I would put a good smoke on them and then, they would always be part of my pre fishing checks. I run a 08 Legend and when I am taking the straps of the boat to trailer I am looking over the motor and JP just to make sure everything is good to go

The double nut on the threaded jack screw? I would imagine that is a safety feature.

dartman · October 30, 2008, 06:43:41 PM

Thank you Mike. I checked the JP and found the manufacturer Cook Man. Co. in OK.. Checked online and they had a manual I downloaded. !00 lbs. torque. Glad I checked because when I put the torque wrench on the side bolts they were less than 20 lbs. each! After some more searching I contacted a Stratos dealer in TN that was able to give me the other info I needed. With the 4 blade Renegade 13 1/2 - 25 he said to run it 3.75 below pad which should give me 60 -62 MPH at 5,500 RPM with 20 lbs. water pressure. I sure hope he's right. Thank you again to everyone I would really have been lost without all of your help. I'm glad I found Ultimate Bass.

Mike Cork · October 30, 2008, 06:48:52 PM

If your going to run your prop all the way up to what they recommended (which is fine as they should now best) be sure to take it easy working your way to WOT (wide open throttle) and keep a very close eye one the water pressure. Most boats to run best around the 3.75 range unless you are talking about super light boats or supermodifieds. Good luck and keep us posted.

We are glad you found Ultimate Bass as well

blake711 · October 30, 2008, 06:54:19 PM

The double nut if its on the same side of the bolt sounds like a jam nut so it won't back off but it doesn't put any pressure on what its holding. Its simply friction between the two nuts.

dartman · October 31, 2008, 09:16:15 AM

Thanks Blake, thats what I thought.

dartman · November 21, 2008, 08:33:37 PM

I took the boat out and tried it. I leveled the pad just like Shawn said and set the motor at 3.75". The boat ran 53 MPH at 5,500 RPM. I then set it at 3.00" and it ran 53Mph at 5,500 RPM but blew out in the slighest turn. I talked to Stratos and they said the boat should run 62 to 65 MPH WITHOUT the JP. Also the boat doesn't seem to be up on the pad. The spray seems to be at or in front of the consoles. Any thoughts?

fishingteach · November 24, 2008, 07:50:59 PM

dartman,
I have a 1995 stratos 284 single console with a 150 evinrude intruder. It has a 5 1/2 inch cmc jack plate. My boat does 61mph gps @ 5200 rpm with a 14 1/2 x 24p raker that I had extra cupping put in. The motor is set at 3.5" below the pad. The spray is behind the drivers seat.

dartman · November 25, 2008, 09:55:01 AM

Thanks. I was wondering if I was the only one who owned one of these. Did you ever try it with a Renegade?

traveler · November 25, 2008, 03:52:28 PM

Just my 2 cents but doesn't sound like you're trimming it out far enough or the hook in the hull is making it plow. That 150 on my 275 stratos would turn 5600 and run 64 gps with that 4 bladed prop.

dartman · November 25, 2008, 04:57:16 PM

I checked for any hook in the hull with a 4' level and couldn't find any. Seemed nice and straight. I was trimmed out as far as I could go. When I first got the boat it was set at 5" under and ran about 54MPH at about 5,200 RPM. Is there anything that limits the trim because I couldn't trim up to blowout at 3.75" or higher?

fishingteach · November 25, 2008, 07:09:40 PM

No, the 3 blade Raker is the only prop I've tried on it. The trim on mine seems to be the same, it has no end. The steering gets a little stiff but the speed keeps gaining, and no prop blowout. One word of warning, trim it down before letting off the gas. I let off the gas a little before trimming down. The keel dug in and the back end spun around the front. From that point on I trim it down to just above level before cornering.