Performance question?

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BIGDUFF
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2014 7:16 pm

Performance question?

#1 Post by BIGDUFF » Tue Mar 11, 2014 3:10 pm

I have never owned an outboard other than my surface drive motor (air cooled lawnmower engine yes like on the swamp people show) so I'm completely out of my element I have been reading around some and now I'm completely lost as to what's what. I have bought a 95 sun tracker 24' with a 99 force 120hp I have only had it in the water three times I used my iPhone and an app and it said I was running around 25mph (me,wife,and 4 children) the motor was at 4800 rpm. Does this sound correct I am pleased but have seen some post where guys are running 5800-6000 RPMs with 115-120s. I don't know anything about the prop I will measure it later but don't know how to find pitch. Just to give you as much info as possible it's all stock as far as I know. And will the water glide real give me a 50% speed boost?

Bamaman
Posts: 3679
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 1:44 pm
Location: NW Alabama--Tennessee River

Re: Performance question?

#2 Post by Bamaman » Tue Mar 11, 2014 3:34 pm

Forget the Water Glide.

Most of the motors turning 6000 rpm's are 4 strokes. 2 strokes turn a little slower--more like 5500-5800 rpm's.

You might research your motor online to see what the normal range of rpm's are. You might need to go down a couple of pitches to get your motor to its optimium rpm's for that use. The old Force motors were torquey, and they a less rpm's may be normal on them. The speed looks pretty good, however.

Pontoons hit a wall all of a sudden on top end. To go any faster, it takes sure horsepower.
'12 Bennington 24' SSLX Yamaha 150

margaritaman
Posts: 6078
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:37 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Performance question?

#3 Post by margaritaman » Tue Mar 11, 2014 6:24 pm

The waterglide is not going to get you 50 percent more speed. You can have lifting strakes installed and that will lift your nose up and give you additional speed by reducing drag. My Yamaha maxes out at 5600 rpm and I run with a 15 pitch prop. My max speed is 28 with a light load.
Cruising the salt waters of East Florida.

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curtiscapk
Posts: 5445
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2008 8:31 am
Location: OP KS\Hillsdale Lake

Re: Performance question?

#4 Post by curtiscapk » Wed Mar 12, 2014 6:07 am

Welcom Duff! You should be running 4850 to 5250 rpm's. You aren't far off, maybe lugging the motor a little. I almost have the same toon with a merc 115 the best I got with the old wood seats (a lot of them) was 22.8 mph with a 14 x 13 prop. You are doing pretty good for 120 force I would think.If you dropped down some in pitch you should hit the sweet spot! Now that I am about 400 lbs lighter do to my rebuild I am hoping for 25! We will see in a month or so!

Wheres the pics?!
Craig and Paula
"THE FLOATER" rebuild Spring 2013
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15328
94 Party Barge 24' 115 merc
Turning Point hustler 14 x 13 prop
22mph gps 3 people
12 F150
Overland Park Ks
Hillsdale Lake, KS

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STEVEBRENDA
Posts: 906
Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:08 am
Location: Boat on Table Rock Lake, MO

Re: Performance question?

#5 Post by STEVEBRENDA » Wed Mar 12, 2014 11:03 am

Spec on our Merc 125 is 5250 RPM's
2014 Regency 254
Mercury 250L Verado

I'm not saying let's go kill all the stupid people.. I'm just saying let's remove all the warning labels and let the problem work itself out.

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BoatCop
Posts: 406
Joined: Sun May 27, 2012 8:55 pm
Location: Parker, AZ

Re: Performance question?

#6 Post by BoatCop » Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:35 pm

Prop size (pitch and diameter) should be stamped on the prop, so you shouldn't have to measure it.
Alan
2012 22' Sun Tracker DLX Party Barge w/Merc 90 EFI 4 Stroke
2016 Chevy Tahoe
2009 GMC Sierra
2001 Jeep TJ Wrangler
1999 Southwind 34L MH
2 little Basset Hounds

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