Improving your I/O thread

pet575 · Posted: Aug 25, 2009 8:24 am Post subject:

A High 5 at the same pitch would be better just by way of the 2 extra blades at it being stainless v. aluminum. Don't know how important top-end speed is to you, but if you'd still stay in the proper RPM ranges I don't think dropping down in pitch would be horrible. Know that you ARE going to lose top-end speed making this change, though.

Not sure on your question about whether they make a LH rotation in the High-5.

kenpilot · Newbie Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 6

kenpilot · Newbie Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 6

I called my mechanic at the marina I keep my boat and talked to him a little bit about my prop idea and asked some questions. I came away from the conversation with a new Merc High Five SS prop installed for $450. Figured i couldnt pass it up! He suggested I drop down to the 17 Pitch from my aluminum 19. Let ya know how it goes!

easttexasboarder · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Posts: 42 City: waskom

Hey guys i`m going to change the subject. I was wondering how much a hydrofoil stabilizer helps out if any of you guys have one. Here is the one i`m looking at, let me know what you think. Let me know brand you used and how well it worked if anyone has one. Thanks

easttexasboarder · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Posts: 42 City: waskom

http://reviews.basspro.com/2010/91111/reviews.htm sorry heres the link its a stingray xp 2

skinny99 · Outlaw Joined: 27 Jun 2009 Posts: 119 City: Deland

We put one of those Hydrofoils on our 22' Four Winns and it helped the boat stay on plane at a little slower speed! Our boat didn't like to go between 19-21mph very well and this made a big difference. With a little bit of trim it is really nice and clean wake.

easttexasboarder · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2009 Posts: 42 City: waskom

what stabilizer did you use? did it help all around everything?

kartman · Posted: Sep 24, 2009 2:14 pm Post subject:

a bump for a guy who just bought a 99 bayliner 2050. it has a 4 blade alum prop, and a fin. more to come when it is delivered.

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

I see a lot of people are really weighting down their I/O here.

I have a 06 Bayliner 195xt and it is only rated at 1200 or 1300 pounds. Are you all going over the weight or is my boat just not rated as high?

I really don't want to exceed the weight b/c of saftey.

Am I missing something here?

dbismyname · Posted: Jan 22, 2010 12:43 pm Post subject:

Almost all of them are going over their load rating. Really just depends on HP and freeboard. Some boats are really deep and can just naturally hold more weight without taking a wave over bow or stern

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

I thought so, thanks for the reply.

How much freeboard is actually required or needed to be safe?

My boat is a deep v-hull by the way.

SilverMustang35 · Posted: Jan 23, 2010 8:13 am Post subject:

When we had our Tahoe, We weighed it down to about 1960lbs. The weight limit sticker was 1900 INCLUDING persons and gear lol....It drove fine but on turns you just had to be a little more careful. We were using a 4 blade SS 18 Pitch and Perfect Pass held it within .3+- mph. Ours was a 4.3L 190hp carbed. We only dunked the bow a handful of times, but it was more on purpose to play around than accident, ie. dunking bow and covering the front passenger with water haha...We didnt use a stabilizer but ive heard mixed reviews...My prop switch was the biggest thing that helped it plane out sooner and hold speed. Recommend perfect pass if you have the funds...its a relationship saver..I got my SS 4 blade 18pitch for about $270 shipped off Prop MD

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

You had 2000 in weight plus people and gear in the boat?

I know I have exceeded mine before, but never that extreme.

I really need to change props before doing that. 3 blade alum. at the moment

SilverMustang35 · Posted: Jan 23, 2010 1:31 pm Post subject:

Yeah, we easily had 2000 plus in total weight. I still had quite a bit more I could have added before it got too low in the water. Hole shot really wasnt bad at all with that 4 blade. Im sure that helped. The boat made a nice wake for sure at about 23.7 and trimmed almost half up...No wash or anything...Pic is 3 ppl in boat and 1950 in weight, trimmed half up and 24.5mph. My buddy is the one on the board.

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

What length was your Tahoe?

SilverMustang35 · Posted: Jan 23, 2010 1:54 pm Post subject:

It was a 21.6ft boat. It was a Q6 Sport. Sold it about 2 months ago...waitin for my new boat to be built

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

I am actually doing a wrap around seating swap next month on this boat and also taking the walk through in the front out and changing it to one big front padded area.

In the space in the front I will probably put a bag up there as well as the rear engine compartment.

It is recommended to distribute the weight 60/40 front to back on the bagged weight right?

I think I saw you were buying an axis. Is that correct?

I have been looking at them as well but I just can't justify one this year. I bought this new just 3 years ago. I will be seriously looking in the next year or two. Hopefully the changes to my seating will make my boat sell a little easier once it is time!!!

SilverMustang35 · Posted: Jan 23, 2010 8:51 pm Post subject:

We talked about doing a wrap around seating and doing this and that and just came to the conclusion that we are putting more money into it than it is worth.
We ran a bag under the bow filler cushion and it worked good. We had 300+ lbs in steel in the front of the locker and then a 700lb bag in the locker too. Be careful putting the weight in the rear. It will make it harder to plane if you put lots at the very rear.
Our weight distribution was almost a 70/30 split. It really liked front weight. When we put a 400lb bag in the rear seat, it didn't like to get up and go as much and I saw a less than acceptable difference compared to placing it above the locker door.
We are getting an Axis yes. I ordered it late last year and it should be starting build in 2 weeks or so.
We test drove one and I fell in love with it. I have ridden other wake boats so this wasn't just a jump at the first boat. The build is high quality and it performs great, and with 2250 in ballast and another 1000lb as wedge, 3250 is nice weight Smile

We wanted to surf a little here and there and of course we cant with an I/O. We also started getting tired of filling bags all the time and bags sitting on the floor everywhere...
I would be careful and maybe make your seating removable if needed. The reason being it could be harder to sell it since you are hitting more of a niche market. I posted in a section on DIY I think about putting wrap around seating when I had the Tahoe. I put some ideas to make it removable and fully functional.

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

I thought about the niche part as well, but that boat really is niche only now.

Google up 2006 bayliner 195xt for a picture. I am on my iPhone and cant put a pic in this otherwise I would. The boat has graphics and a tower from bayliner. I really don't see someone not looking for a cheap semi capable wake boat buying it. My thought is it should only enhance an interested buyer.

I bought it as a 1st boat to see if my wife and I would use it. I really didn't want a 7 year old vdrive and since it was a 1st boat I didn't want to throw 70k or even 50k at a new or newer one.

Hopefully when the time is right I will get a decent amount out of it.

SilverMustang35 · Posted: Jan 23, 2010 10:14 pm Post subject:

You sound about like me when it comes to the first boat...my boat was a 2008 Tahoe Q6 with Factory tower...Then we added Perfect pass, heater, etc...
Mine was a buy before we realized we would be into wakeboarding as much as we are. We bought it to tube (now the thought makes me shiver), waterski, etc...Before we traded it in, it was a wake machine and thats all it was used for lol...It sickened me to see the resale on my boat as compared to what I bought it for near the end of 07...
I had a 1973 Starcraft as my official first boat, but kept it 3 months and traded for the Tahoe, so it doesn't really count haha...
BTW, I have a prop from the Tahoe for sale if anybodys looking...its a 19pitch 4 blade aluminum with hub kit...$70 Shipped...Pics in the classifieds section. Have one person that was interested but havent heard back from them...so I guess its still up for sale...The pic I posted above was with that prop and it held speed great...Couldnt see a diff between SS and that one...

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

Did you buy your axis up in Johnson city? I spoke with them on the phone and they seemed to be pretty cool and easy to deal with.

My winter project will be:

wrap around seating
changing to a full padded area in the front of the boat
fat sac the front and rear of the boat. 800-1000# total
upgrade the boat speakers and radio
high 5 prop
make the engine compartments run all the way to the top of the sundeck pad to have fully enclosed compartments.

Any thing else I might want to consider?

SilverMustang35 · Posted: Jan 24, 2010 9:25 am Post subject:

Yeah, I got mine through CBK Watersports in Kingsport. They were great to deal with and made a customer for life out of me. We are going to be using the Axis in a couple more lakes this coming year...We are going to try to hit Douglas and Norris, and Watts Bar...I'll PM you when we are up that way...
Something else you may want to consider is a little mod I did that kept our towels, and sometimes food, warm in the engine compartment. I got a 2nd Story Washing machine drip pan tray and some metal brackets and formed it to sit on top of the engine. That was my favorite mod and was under $30. It kept our towels warm and actually would keep food warm and nothing slid around.

kartman · Posted: Jan 24, 2010 10:21 am Post subject:

SilverMustang35, i think i will have to do that while im redoing my boat this winter. great idea

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

How much difference is there between a 4 blade stainless and a High 5 in respect to holeshot and the boat holding its speed?

Has anyone compared them?

Especially with a boat loaded down and the 4.3 Mercruiser carb model.

Last year I had a 3 blade Aluminum 21 pitch. Factory was a 23 pitch.

get_sum · Soul Rider Joined: 04 Aug 2008 Posts: 395 City: Edmond

my 4.3L cardb'd with a High 5, 3 sacs, two people in the boat,and a cooler full of beer, works like a champ out of the hole. However, I lost about 8-10 mph on the top end speed. The engine NEVER seems to "lug" or "bog" down.

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

Anyone have any ideas on what caused this to happen last summer on my boat?

We had 6 people in the boat, maybe 800 pounds of human weight. Human weight was split about 50/50 in the boat maybe 40/60 frt to rear. We put a fatsac in the ski locker that was maybe 500 pounds or so.

When we would take off, the boat would start to get on plane then it would stop pulling almost like the prop was spinning out of the water. We drained about half of the fatsac and it fixed the problem for the rest of the day.

It did come on plane a couple of times out of the 10 or so times we tried it before draining half of the fatsac.

Was it to much forward weight?

Prop?

Thanks for the help.

Specs: 195 bayliner 06 4.3 carb model 3 blade 21 pitch aluminum prop.

dbismyname · Posted: Feb 16, 2010 10:16 am Post subject:

Definitely way high pitch for that much weight in the boat. Start by going to somewhere around a 4 blade 19-17 pitch would make a HUGE difference in the way the boat handles weight. But will also cut down on your cruising speed.

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

SilverMustang35 · Posted: Feb 16, 2010 11:27 am Post subject:

Prop change is def a required for better results lol . Good job on the High 5 order... We used to run an 18 pitch (Alum & SS, no big differences noted) and we ran almost 2000lbs with 3-4 ppl in the boat. We planed out every time and got up and moving. Top end was lost, but we never went over 30 anyways. I would claim the pitch and blades to the issue. 21 is way too high for any low end torque.
We also had the same engine you have in yours.

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

Silvermustang,

I think you are right but the way the boat acted really concerned me. Maybe the weight in the locker only was the cause who knows it really felt like the prop was free spinning or even it was disengaging and not spinning....

Tcannon521 · Newbie Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 City: Knoxville

The crazy thing is with the stock 23 it did really good coming out of the water and ofcourse the 21 was better.

I am really excited to see how this 19 high 5 does.

Now if only the snow would leave and the temp would increase 40 degrees lol

SilverMustang35 · Posted: Feb 16, 2010 11:56 am Post subject:

You were probably just getting prop spin or just not enough torque with that prop...we always weighted our I/O 70% weight in the front and 30 in the rear May want to try that too, move a little weight up front and less in the back due to the engine weighting the back. Each boat is different and plug and play on it. We had a Tahoe Q6 and put 350 in the walkway in the bow, 700 bag in the locker, 360lbs in steel in the front bow part of the locker, and other 350 above the locker door and then (2) 85lb bags to counter whitewash.

SilverMustang35 · Posted: Feb 16, 2010 11:58 am Post subject:

Trust me man, I am ready for Spring, we go to pick up our new boat next week and it sucks cause we can't even ride haha...just dont want to re-winterize everything. I have a drysuit but eh, im just trying to be patient. We are just 2 hours from you and the temps are the same way...maybe a couple degrees cooler...

Dredd · Outlaw Joined: 19 Jan 2010 Posts: 117 City: Wichita

Call me a newb.. but how are you guys not destroying your hull's integrity by adding 2-3K lbs of ballast to boats that are rated for around 1300 lbs... half what you're talking about putting in them before all the gear and people!?

SilverMustang35 · Posted: Feb 16, 2010 1:06 pm Post subject:

LOL, my capacity rating was 1700 lbs and we had 1900 or so in ballast and then gear and persons etc. Our boat had high freeboard...even with that much weight we still could add more and be ok. Turning was a little tricky since we had so much weight and it acted like it wanted to roll a little bit. As far as the hulls integrity, its pretty solid and many layers of glass and gel. My solution was to step up to a V-Drive with fully hidden ballast lol Razz