new prop coming...yippee!

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onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

new prop coming...yippee!

#1 Post by onlybillhere » Wed Apr 29, 2020 1:31 pm

So i have taken the pontoon out enough now to realize something isn't right...I normally have 3-4 people on the boat, there is an 18 gallon gas tank that normally is 3/4 full, 2 batteries, and maybe a small cooler and with the Mercury 60hp 2 stroke i cannot get over 12 mph. Another thing is at full throttle the engine is way over WOT rpm's...supposed to be 5000-5500 and if I let it go full throttle we get close to 6500 rpm. The prop that's on it does have a little damage to one of the blades, has some pitting, and we cannot find any markings to what size and pitch it is.

So today I ordered a new aluminum prop that is the correct size called out by Mercury. This way I know at least what size prop i have and now i can go take out the pontoon and do more testing to see if it works better. My biggest concern was getting the throttle corrected so we don't get WOT over 5500. Ahhh the fun of boating...
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

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wwind3
Posts: 1515
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:03 am
Location: Lake Livingston Tx

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#2 Post by wwind3 » Fri May 01, 2020 3:27 am

What size pontoons to you have? If they are 23 inch or smaller-prop probably wont make much difference--and you may be underpowered with the 60. I have a 20ft Lowe rated for 90 hp--25 in logs for instance. I run a 13x16 pitch prop and run 27 by myself as a comparison. The prop should definitely help with the rpm's tho' assuming your tach is correct..

Good luck..
2009 LOWE SS204 25in logs
90 Merc Optimax
Motorguide W55 Wireless
Underskinning
28 GPS

onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#3 Post by onlybillhere » Fri May 01, 2020 5:37 am

wwind3 wrote:
Fri May 01, 2020 3:27 am
What size pontoons to you have? If they are 23 inch or smaller-prop probably wont make much difference--and you may be underpowered with the 60. I have a 20ft Lowe rated for 90 hp--25 in logs for instance. I run a 13x16 pitch prop and run 27 by myself as a comparison. The prop should definitely help with the rpm's tho' assuming your tach is correct..

Good luck..
I think they are 24" or 25", can't remember off the top of my head. I so want a 90hp, it's the biggest I can put on the pontoon...mainly I want the newer motor so it's more quiet, that 2 stroke is very loud.
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#4 Post by onlybillhere » Fri May 01, 2020 4:33 pm

So new prop arrived today!!! I just came back from installing it. I didn't take it for a drive today, going to do that tomorrow, but there will be a difference. Take a look...the silver one is the one that was on the motor when I got it:
20200501_183335_resize_36.jpg
20200501_183335_resize_36.jpg (236.97 KiB) Viewed 2746 times
I couldn't get the numbers off the old prop, it was way too pitted so I have no idea the pitch.
Attachments
20200501_183031_resize_4.jpg
20200501_183031_resize_4.jpg (266 KiB) Viewed 2745 times
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#5 Post by onlybillhere » Mon May 04, 2020 7:37 am

Well I was able to take the pontoon out twice this weekend...so with 3 adults and one teenager the pontoon was able to hit 17mph and right at 5000rpm. to say I am happy would be an understatement. before the prop change 12mph maybe 13 if the conditions were just right was the most I could get plus WOT was 1000+ rpms too high.

now the issue i have to deal with since I am going faster is I'm getting a lot of wake spray from the back of the pontoon, it just shoots through the side opening where the control cables go through at. Just like normal....you fix one issue and create another...
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

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wwind3
Posts: 1515
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:03 am
Location: Lake Livingston Tx

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#6 Post by wwind3 » Wed May 06, 2020 9:07 am

Can you get a video of the spray while you are running? Still sounds like your motor may need to be raised... The cavitation plate on the motor should be even with the bottom of the motor pod when the engine is all the way down...too high and you will over rev and blow out-too low and you will throw a spray around the lower unit and will go slower.
2009 LOWE SS204 25in logs
90 Merc Optimax
Motorguide W55 Wireless
Underskinning
28 GPS

onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#7 Post by onlybillhere » Wed May 06, 2020 1:12 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_wG8slEUGQ

see if you can see the video, i'm not sure I got the settings right. The video is of my toon at WOT, you can see how the water is spraying from the controls opening. You can also see how the motor is in the water, not sure if I'm too high, too low, or just right.
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

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bansil
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Location: Watâ'gi lake...Beautiful Waters

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#8 Post by bansil » Wed May 06, 2020 4:34 pm

Thats a lot of weight to push with a 60 honestly, my 90 in same conditions with older small toons is 12 mph cruise and wot is 19mph running from storms.

I can't see that combo running faster. Maybe a whale tail and trimming down may keep rpms lower and speed the same, easier on fuel
Last edited by bansil on Thu May 07, 2020 3:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Check out "Dudes" site www.whereisdude.com

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bansil
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Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#9 Post by bansil » Wed May 06, 2020 4:34 pm

Dbl tap :alright
Check out "Dudes" site www.whereisdude.com

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wwind3
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Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#10 Post by wwind3 » Wed May 06, 2020 6:48 pm

onlybillhere wrote:
Wed May 06, 2020 1:12 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_wG8slEUGQ

see if you can see the video, i'm not sure I got the settings right. The video is of my toon at WOT, you can see how the water is spraying from the controls opening. You can also see how the motor is in the water, not sure if I'm too high, too low, or just right.
My vote is the motor is too low--not sure why the spray is coming up--but you should have a smoother flow back there. I say you need to put the boat on the trailer and see where the cavitation plate is with respect to the bottom of the motor pod with the motor lowered...take a pic if you can.... you are also underpowered--the 60 is not a strong motor--at least the older ones werent--not sure what year yours is....
2009 LOWE SS204 25in logs
90 Merc Optimax
Motorguide W55 Wireless
Underskinning
28 GPS

onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#11 Post by onlybillhere » Thu May 07, 2020 6:46 am

wwind3 wrote:
Wed May 06, 2020 6:48 pm

you are also underpowered--the 60 is not a strong motor--at least the older ones werent--not sure what year yours is....
the motor is a 1995 with a new lower end from Mercury.
So i took it out again yesterday with just me and my wife. The river was pretty calm but the wind was blowing. was having issues with ventilation again, i would get moving and the motor would just over-rev due to it. so i tilted the motor up to make sure I didn't collect any Hyacinths since the river is filled with then, then tilted the motor all the way down and started again. for some reason after that i didn't have an issue with ventilation. I was able to get up to 17.5mph.
i was looking for a picture of the back of the pontoon so you could see the motor in relation to the toons and I can't find one. I will say the cavitation plate is right in line with the bottom of the toons.
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#12 Post by onlybillhere » Thu May 07, 2020 7:46 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7HkytIdoBM

here is a video and you can hear when the motor starts to over-rev.
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#13 Post by onlybillhere » Thu May 07, 2020 9:42 am

so doing more reading on motor height i think you are right wwind3, i think the motor is too low. I know the cavitation plate is below the transom and is pretty close in line with the bottom of the toons. The motor is set at the lowest position so I have a couple adjustment points i can move up with. I found a video of a guy describing the same issues I was having and it looked like what my motor was looking like with the water being thrown up and all. he was too low also.
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

User avatar
wwind3
Posts: 1515
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:03 am
Location: Lake Livingston Tx

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#14 Post by wwind3 » Thu May 07, 2020 9:49 am

onlybillhere wrote:
Thu May 07, 2020 7:46 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7HkytIdoBM

here is a video and you can hear when the motor starts to over-rev.
Interesting it overrevs so quick. Wish I had a pic of my toon running WOT with the motor trimmed up--it trims up a lot before overrevs. You said you had a new lower unit--that model supposedly had a lower unit made in China that had a lot of problems. Maybe earlier versions than yours. You have a very turbulent situation around the lower unit.

Here's a couple pics that show how much water a toon displaces. Mine is a 20 ft Lowe with a 90 Merc Optimax. I'm running 27 in this pic. Am actually trimmed out quite a bit and turning 57-5800... In comparison-my 1979 Venture with a 115.. Running 56 in this pic. 1980 Toledo Bend Tx. A Pontoon is like pushing a dumpster thru the water...

I'm running a 13x16 pitch SS prop... Strangely with a Merc 13x 16 aluminum prop I will run 28-29 Go figure.
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pontoon.jpg
pontoon.jpg (67.64 KiB) Viewed 2635 times
bassboat.jpg
bassboat.jpg (76.24 KiB) Viewed 2635 times
2009 LOWE SS204 25in logs
90 Merc Optimax
Motorguide W55 Wireless
Underskinning
28 GPS

onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

Re: new prop coming...yippee!

#15 Post by onlybillhere » Thu May 07, 2020 12:57 pm

i might go back out today and run it and see if I can run without over-revving. I'll also get some measurements of where the cavitation plate is in comparison to the transom, maybe that will help too. I would like to cut down the amount of water that is spraying over the motor and back on to the pontoon itself. I'll also get some pics of the boat just sitting in the water so you can see where the motor sits in the water.
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

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