Hole Sot

jak · November 28, 2016, 11:32:55 AM

I am very happy with my 2006 tracker pro170, 40hp four stroke other than it takes forever to get on plane. There is a tag that says 13 x 26 pitch (for the prop). Is there another prop / different pitch that I could install to help my hole shot but not affect top end? Thanks

Bud Kennedy · November 28, 2016, 11:52:31 AM

Jak, not a lot of horses to get a great hole shot. But first we would need a bit more information about what RPMs are you able to achieve, Any information about the weight load you are carrying. Your boat has been a very popular model for tracker for a number of years. My first blush is that your prop might just be a bit tall for a 40 hp. What motor are you using? Could be that given what your load may be and only having 40hp you might be doing about as good as any. Some of your issues could just be weight. We will wait for your reply.

jak · November 29, 2016, 08:13:03 AM

Thanks, this is new to me. I get 28-29mph @5200 rpm, that is alone, with a passenger 26-27mph. (I am no light weight 250lb) After reading your reply's it is noticeably worst with a passenger(he is about 180lb) to the point that at times he would have to sit on the deck to get the nose down. Once on plane it runs great. I do start with the trim all the way down and other than adding a battery (24 volt trolling motor) just normal gear and most is stored in the front compartments. Maybe I am expecting too much? My last boat had a 70hp two stroke. I assume the prop is original and the affixed sticker looks to be factory applied. There is no indication that the motor has been raised or lowered, I am the second owner (motor has less than 15hrs.) So should I change the prop what would you recommend? Thanks again.

Princeton_Man · November 29, 2016, 08:35:53 AM

I don't know much about the four stroke world. I had a Bass Tracker w/35 Evinrude (2-stroke) that maxed out about 30mph with me and co with gear. Just me and some gear I would come close to 35.

Looking at Tracker's motor options page for that rig the 40 ELPT is estimated 27-32 mph. The 50 ELPT which is the largest for that boat is estimated 30-35 mph. Based on what they're showing for estimated speeds, I'd say you're right in there. -Jim

Bud Kennedy · November 29, 2016, 08:42:18 AM

Jak, I think you may be good where you are. I would suggest comparing notes with others that have the same or similar set up. If the boat is doing well on plane and is fairly easy to keep on plane, I would not do anything until I compare notes. No need to get into a prop deal if you don't need to. Just kinda curious what kind of fuel load do you carry. Could be a lot of weight there that you may not always need.

Oldfart9999 · November 29, 2016, 03:00:32 PM

That's about right for speed with that rig, I don't think changing props for a better holeshot will not make you happy, you'll lose top end. It's a beginners boat, for the money it's a nice rig. The one thing that may help is something like a Dole Fin.
Rodney

Mike Cork · November 29, 2016, 03:08:55 PM

Looking up your WOT RPM it should be between 5500-6000. So you're running a little low. On some boats this can be motor placement, however you are running a very larger prop for that boat and motor. If you drop your prop pitch to a 23 or 24 your RPM's will increase and your hole shot will be much better. This doesn't mean you'll pick up more speed but it is possible.

West6550 · November 29, 2016, 07:18:29 PM

Quote from: Oldfart9999 on November 29, 2016, 03:00:32 PM
That's about right for speed with that rig, I don't think changing props for a better holeshot will not make you happy, you'll lose top end. It's a beginners boat, for the money it's a nice rig. The one thing that may help is something like a Dole Fin.
Rodney

I was thinking the same. Those little tails are pretty cheap for what they add, I put one on a center console I had and it was perfect. Before hand it took a little while to get up on plane.

Bud Kennedy · November 29, 2016, 08:29:51 PM

With reference to the prop and what Mike has indicated. 13 x 26 is at the top end for your motor. I agree with dropping to a 23 or 24 but other considerations would be to explore a bit smaller wheel. The ranger for your motor is 10 to 13. As I mentioned earlier I would weigh my options carefully to avoid spending money to buy props. Perhaps you have some associates that might have a prop for you to try as you continue to look for your sweet spot.

jak · November 30, 2016, 05:10:36 AM

Bud, what do you mean "smaller wheel" and "the range for your motor is 10 to 13" also I have a 7 gallon fuel tank, this motor sips fuel. I can live with the way the boat runs it is just annoying. I will check with a couple buddies and see what they have for a prop. Thanks to you all for the replies.

Oldfart9999 · November 30, 2016, 06:27:13 AM

Quote from: jak on November 30, 2016, 05:10:36 AM
Bud, what do you mean "smaller wheel" and "the range for your motor is 10 to 13" also I have a 7 gallon fuel tank, this motor sips fuel. I can live with the way the boat runs it is just annoying. I will check with a couple buddies and see what they have for a prop. Thanks to you all for the replies.

Try a prop if you can borrow one or return it if you're not satisfied with it. I used a Stingray brand stabilizer (whale tail) on 2 of my boats, one with a 35 merc and one with a 15 merc and the Stingray made a big difference in the holeshot and I didn't loose top end. A smaller prop may help because of the weight you're carrying on the boat. Also see if the cavitation plate, the fin just above the prop, is level with the bottom of the hull, you can check this by setting the more straight up and down and using some kind of straight edge to run from the hull to the plate, the distance should be close.
The stabilizer is easy to mount, just follow the directions, it will help you from blowing out on a hard turn also.
Rodney

jak · December 01, 2016, 07:24:57 PM

I pulled the prop off today and the only numbers I saw were : F10.5 x 13p there was also a "c" and an "m" stamped in the inner housing. I hope you fellas can tell me what this means. Thanks

Bud Kennedy · December 01, 2016, 07:35:53 PM

Jak, from your original post, this is quite a departure from what you originally stated. This indeed is a small prop and I can understand why your hole shot is not good. While I believe you can use a bit larger prop with a higher pitch, I don't know what it would be. For that you need to research by starting with your motor manufacturer what prop they would recommend for your model of tracker. I believe most have a section on their website that will enable that kind of research. Your next step would be to spend some time on various tracker forums and ask the questions of those you have a similar product to yours. Hopefully some of the tracker folks here while chime in with their set ups.

Beyond the prop deal you should also check your prop to pad measurements just to know where you are and most likely you will be asked this information as well. If you need to check your prop to pad you can get that information in the Prop Shop Forum there is a post with a tutorial on how to make the
measurement.

Here is a link to the post titled Prop FAQ http://www.ultimatebass.com/bass-fishing-forum/index.php?topic=131178.0

Princeton_Man · December 02, 2016, 07:23:10 AM

Quote from: jak on December 01, 2016, 07:24:57 PM
I pulled the prop off today and the only numbers I saw were : F10.5 x 13p there was also a "c" and an "m" stamped in the inner housing. I hope you fellas can tell me what this means. Thanks

That sounds like a 10.5 inch 13 pitch. No idea for sure what the letters mean. F could mean 4 blade (is it?) and the M could signify the material Mercalloy. I THINK Mercalloy is supposed to have less flex than aluminum and a little harder than aluminum.

jak · August 22, 2017, 05:48:29 PM

FYI, I installed the Dole Fin and what a difference, pops right out of the water and I gained a couple MPH on top end. Thanks for all the advice.

FloridaFishinFool · August 22, 2017, 06:53:01 PM

It is a 10.5 X 13 pitch according to his numbers.

To get to the proper pitch for your setup, you should hook up a tachometer and then using your factory stated maximum wide open throttle rpm, the pitch chosen should target that maximum rpm at WOT.

If you over rev your engine, then your pitch is too low. If you can not achieve the factory stated maximum rpm for your engine, then your pitch is too high.

Doing the adjustment this way takes into account the weight and hull to water resistance that your boat has now.

When I had my yamaha 4 stroke I actually purchased 3 different props so I could dial it in. One of those props was never used and I still have it which reminds me I need to dig it out and get rid of it now that I am using a different outboard.

Speaking of which, it came factory with an 11 pitch 10.5" prop and now I have a 13 pitch 10" prop on it so I can reach maximum rpm's at WOT. I increased pitch, but dropped diameter size so I get better top end.

But, engineers created a unique shaped prop for this type of thing... there are basically two shapes of boat propellers. One is the constant fixed pitch propeller or flat fixed pitched blades, and the most common is the progressive pitch propeller which is actually a variable pitch propeller:

And today I use a progressive pitch stainless steel propeller that gives me the best of both worlds in one prop.

As I said, it is best to do a prop pitch test on your setup with a tachometer and choose the pitch prop for your setup that gets your motor to its maximum factory rated rpm at WOT and leave it right there no matter what it does for the hole shot. It is best to set it up so you don't damage your engine.

Please keep us informed as to your results. So you are now at 13 X 10.5? Is it a 3 or 4 blade prop?

FloridaFishinFool · August 22, 2017, 07:04:08 PM

Quote from: jak on August 22, 2017, 05:48:29 PM
FYI, I installed the Dole Fin and what a difference, pops right out of the water and I gained a couple MPH on top end. Thanks for all the advice.

Oh, ok. I see now what you mean. You added the hydrofoil stabilizer. I use one too. There are different types and sizes made for various HP motors.

They really do add stability, but they can also dig in on sharp turns so be aware of that. I use the Stingray classic.

But usually these slow the top end down by a MPH or 2 or 3. And you say you actually got more top end?

This make me wonder if your boat setup had another problem... cavitation, or the sucking of air and the prop not getting a solid bite on the water due to too much air being pulled in.

I also had a cavitation problem but adding the hydrofoil stabilizer seems to have solved that problem.

My issue is that I over powered my 14 foot aluminum v-bow. It was rated for a maximum of 20 hp. But I rebuilt the transom so it can now handle more than triple the HP, but for now I have a 35 on it. And due to the extra HP I had to trim it all the way in or when I am out in it by myself trying to go full speed it would porpoise on me. Trimming it all the way in reduced that to a minimum, but it then developed a little bit of cavitation.

Adding the hydrofoil stabilizer eliminated that problem for me. But I still have enough power at WOT to get just a little bit of porpoising if I let it which I don't.

If adding the hydrofoil stabilizer added speed it just makes me wonder about the other...

I would still recommend that you do a prop pitch test to see how close your WOT rpm's are to the factory stated maximum rpm is for your engine. If you are within a couple hundred then not a big deal. But if you are say 500 rpm's low or more then you might consider adjusting your prop pitch so you can achieve maximum horse power at the rated maximum rpm for your engine just to get it dialed in.

As a standard, each change in pitch of one number say going from a 13 down to a 12 will change the rpm at WOT by about 150 rpm's. So if you are off top end rpm by 500 rpm's low, then a change in pitch of 3 down is a good target so you can raise WOT to factory stated maximum power rpm's.

This chart shows as an example of outboard power developed by rpm. Maximum HP is only achieved at maximum rpm. Lower rpm means lower HP. This is why correct pitch is measured by WOT rpm's matching factory stated engine maximum. Running an outboard too low of rpm and too high of rpm can be damaging to the motor.

I used two props on my yamaha, one pitch for just me in the boat, and another lower pitch for when I increased the load with two men or more, or I was pulling kids behind the boat.

jak · August 23, 2017, 09:10:13 AM

Thanks for all the info. I am actually quite happy with the way it is running now, and yes, I did gain a little top end. I went fishing with a fella who is 200lb and it got right up on plane, last season he would have had to sit at the front of the boat.