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Old 07-30-12, 02:00 PM   #1
luckyc1423
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Default Boat takes to long to plane out

I recently bought my first bass boat. It is a 2004 Triton with a 90 HP mercury.

I have had the boat for about 4 months. The boat has always taken a while to plane out but I never noticed it until a buddy of mine mentioned it.

My boat takes around 30 seconds to plane out at WOT. We are talking a full 30 seconds sometimes longer if I have more people in the boat. I have played with all trim levels. if I have the trim in the middle spot it will take closer to 45 seconds to plane, with the trim all the way down it will take closer to 30 seconds to plane out.

Another issue is while trying to plane out it doesnt seem like the motor is trying to work very hard. The RPM's are low (I dont know the exact number). When the boat finally planes the RPM's just ump and you can hear the motor working.

Wouldnt the RPM's be the hardest and the motor be working the rpm's to plane out the boat?

A buddy of mine wanted me to pull him on a tube but there is no way it would pull him on the tube. it takes for to long to plane and get up to speed that he would be dragging in the water.
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Old 07-30-12, 05:01 PM   #2
justbassin4fun
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Couple things could help. You could add a whaletail or You maybe over proped. But I'll need more info.

1.) What prop pitch do you have and How long is your boat?

2.) What is the RPM your pulling at WOT. Also check the max recommended RPM of the motor.
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Old 07-30-12, 07:29 PM   #3
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First thing I would do is run a can of Sea Foam through it. Put the entire can in it and go run it around. I have had motors carbon up and do the same thing. It's a cheap fix if it works. If that doesn't do it I would look at the fuel line and filter for deterioration.
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Old 07-30-12, 09:15 PM   #4
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also, what size is the boat? the motor may be too small in hp or jsut the bare minimum for it. prop size was my second question as well.
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Old 07-30-12, 10:54 PM   #5
MississippiBoy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luckyc1423 View Post
Another issue is while trying to plane out it doesnt seem like the motor is trying to work very hard. The RPM's are low (I dont know the exact number). When the boat finally planes the RPM's just ump and you can hear the motor working.

Wouldnt the RPM's be the hardest and the motor be working the rpm's to plane out the boat?
Your motor is doing what's referred to as "bogging down." It's doing all it can to spin the prop, but it doesn't have the power to do it. Most props use the exhaust fumes as venting, introducing air (exhaust gasses, really) into the water at the prop, to make it easier to spin. That way, the motor can rev up higher into its power band and get the boat up on plane faster. Too little venting and the motor bogs. Too much venting and the prop "blows out," losing bite on the water and revving waaaay high.
You should always start with the motor trimmed all the way down, punch it to wide open throttle, then start trimming up as the bow falls back down.
More info is definitely needed for us to help you. What type of Triton do you have, what pitch prop is it (there should be some numbers stamped on it that tells you), and do you know if the previous owner had the same problem you're having?
Welcome to the site. Hope you stick around.....
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Old 08-03-12, 02:45 PM   #6
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Take a look at the vent plugs you have in the prop. It sounds like you need to have more exhaust venting out so the prop has less resistance in the water. That is an easy fix if that is the problem. That would be the first thing I would try.
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Old 08-03-12, 05:29 PM   #7
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Suggesting fixes without knowing the boat size is useless. He could be trying to push a 1500lb boat with a 90. All the "Sea Foam" and prop swaps in the world wouldn't help. He needs to produce more info on his rig before anyone can form an informed opinion.
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Old 08-07-12, 04:09 PM   #8
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I had a similar problem with my '95 Ranger/ Merc 90 hp motor. I found out that the carbs were all screwed up from ethanol gas. After I paid big time to rebuild the carbs which fixed the problem, I now use Stabil Marine gas treatment or Star-tron in every tank and the motor works like when I first bought it. Ethanol does a number on rubber hoses and plastic tubes which ends up clogging carb ports. Now my 17' bass boat goes on plane fast. Even before the carb problem I believe a big help getting on plane was the addition of Hydorfoils (horizontal plastic fins) to the engine column a decade ago, as well as being able to make tighter turns at faster speeds. Another suggestion is to fill the front live well to get the nose down outof the pocket before trimming once on plane.

If the original owner didn't experience "bogging down", a good repair shop is probably the best bet, not only for a real diagnosis but also a tune-up. They can also tell you if the prop is proper.

Good luck
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Old 08-08-12, 09:49 AM   #9
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bump
bump
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Old 08-08-12, 02:25 PM   #10
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bump.........
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Old 08-09-12, 06:41 PM   #11
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My boat was doing something similar recently. It's a 16' aluminum with a 60hp 4 stroke Mercury that usually jumps on plane very quickly when it's just me in it but the other day it took forever and when my friend jumped in the boat it wouldn't plane at all. It was also louder than usual and vibrating pretty hard. Turned out I had a bad cylinder coil in my 3rd cylinder. Was a fairly inexpensive fix compared to how high service rates are ($90 and hour, and that's cheap compared to the $120 and hour Cabela's wanted!). That plus new plugs with shop rates and tax was 301.95.
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Old 08-13-12, 03:27 PM   #12
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My 17.5' aluminum Bass Tracker with 60 HP Merc 4-stroke did that recently. I discovered I had flooded my live well, spilled over to the bilge and added several hundred pounds in the bilge. Pumped out the live well and pumped out the bilge and that fixed the problem. My neighbor has a 24' center console with 225 Merc. He recently found out he had several hundred pounds in his bilge. He even had to replace his decking. Anyway, make sure your bilge is dry.
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Old 09-03-12, 10:28 AM   #13
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First thing I would do is have a compression test done. If compression is low somewhere it could be a powerhead issue that should be addressed before you cause damage if not already. If compression is good on all cylinders, then check all cylinders for spark. No spark is a dead cylinder just the same, but not as detrimental (to a degree) as those cylinder/s with no compression. Address spark issue/s if any. If spark is present in all, investigate the carbs. Also, check the exhaust for clogs (dirt dobbers love to build homes in outboards). If all above has been checked out and corrected, you can then begin playing with prop pitch. Long story short..... don't destroy an engine running up and down the waters with different props. It does no good to "kick a dead horse". Make sure you are up to par on the expensive end first.....
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