Driving/Handling Question??

[TLBassin]

I am wondering if it me or if my motor is just to fast for my boat?  I have a 95 Stratos 278 with 96 150 Johnson Faststike on the back of it.  The boat max HP is 150.  I have a 4 blade Renegade prop on it too.  The motor was just rebuilt last April and it was bored out a little when it was rebuilt.  When I get to WOT I am not able to trim it all the way out for the fact that it starts "walkin" so bad that I have to back off.  Other people have told me that I just have to learn how to drive out of it, but I dont think that it is possible.  Its runnin close to 70 right now anyway, turning between 5300-5500 RPM.  I really dont care if it goes any faster, cause its fast enough already for the gas bill, lol.  I think that the motor just has more power than the boat can handle, but I have seen another 278 with a 200 on the back of it?  So is it me or what......

[cart7t]

What you're experiencing is chinewalk and yes, you have to learn to drive the boat especially at WOT.

way2slow can probably help you on the Stratos, best to make sure you've got the engine height correct first to make sure that's not causing a problem and you also need to make sure you're steering cables don't have any excess slop in it.  In the meantime I'd suggest a couple things.  Try and find someone experienced in high performance bassboat operation to show you how to drive the boat and also try trimming down just a tad when you start walking, that should straighten things out till you learn.  It's sorta a feel type thing.

[Way2slow]

First, no your motor is not too much for the boat.

Second, the first response to chine walk is "learn to drive it". That is usually the case but if the setup is not right, it makes if extremely hard to learn to dirve if not almost impossible.

Motor mounts have to be good and firm, there can be no slack in the steering, when you move the wheel the motor moves. The prop height can be set too deep, as well as a number of other setup problems.

I don't think I've ever been in a smaller Stratos that did not start to walk around the 70 mph mark. I have a 285 Pro that's way over powered (312 hp on a 175 hp boat) and it took me months to get where I didn't have to gradually go right to keep it from chine walking. If you just tried to hold on it would get down right dangerous above 70 mph. I gradually learn by working it and letting it slightly drift to the right I could drive it into the 80's. Over time I finally learned to drive it staight and it became second nature, to the point I never realized it chine walked

One thing I forgot to mention, you might just be trying to over trim it and getting the bow way too high. That's usually hard to do on a Stratos but it can happen with the right setback and your prop giving plenty of bow lift.

As for the boring, you don't gain any power from that, 99% of the time on looper motors that takes power away from the motor because it lowers the port heights and your average builder doesn't have the tools or a clue about fixing that.

[TLBassin]

Thanks for the input guys.  I have tightened my steering, but there is still a little play in it i think.  Also another thing that I was thinking about, does the piece that hangs down behind the prop ( I was told that it was like a steering alignment piece) make a difference as to the tracking of the motor?  The mechanic set it up set off the the right side/ drivers side of the boat.  And now that I think of it the boat always moves to that side first when it starts the chine walk.  Also I think that the motor is at the right height because I was questioned that through 2 different mechanics and both said that it was fine.  Thanks again.

[Garnet]

If the boat is to lose for you just detune your setup. Lower your motor change your prop. Make that boat run 67mph comfortable.

Not everybody wants every bit of top end speed.

Garnet

[Way2slow]

Almost all boats start to chine walk to the right first, unless there is a hellava serious load balance problem, thats the way the rotation torque of the prop is pushing it.    

The steering torque tab you are refering is to zero out right hand steering torque when the boat is trimed up, planed out and running pretty quick.  If you have steering torque when you are running WOT, it makes it more difficult to drive.  One, it increase the tendency for the boat to fall off to the right side of the pad first.  Two, it makes it a lot more difficult to feel and correct when it does start to fall.  Now with that said, if your motor is up to the proper height, that thing should very little of no affect at all.

Don't depend on mechanics to tell you if your setup is right or not.  Many actually know very little about the "proper setup" of a boat.  Also, almost no two boat will dial in the same.  If you want to get the most out of your boat, you're gonna have to do it yourself, or have someone that specializes in dialing setups in.  It's very time consumming, and can get fairly expsensive.   However, it's also the best and cheapest way to get a whole lot more speed from it.   I could take your boat, spend a week working with it and have it running 70 mph, have a better hole shot and it would handle better .  The big difference is, I have the different props, the jackplates and the knowledge you don't have.    Before you or anybody else ask, I DO NOT work on other peoples boats.  I just make my own boats so they will blow by other similar boats.

The one most over looked performance item on a boat is the one most neglected thing on it, that's the prop.  People have a big fancy bass boat, a big high powered motor on the back that easily sets them back $30,000 and much more and then take a $500 prop designed to work on a wide variaty of boats out of the box and stick it on their motor with who knows what kind of setup and away they go.  I have seen numbers of low 60 mph boats become high 60 mph boats with the right prop and setup.

[Catt]

Way2slow

Exactly right  

[TLBassin]

Thanks for all the help guys!!! ;D ;D  One more question, is there anyway I can find out more about tuning my boat or is it just a trial and error thing that you have to tinker with and learn yourself?

[Garnet]

It's that networking thing. There are people in your area with the knowledge that will help. Just be sure what you ask for is what you want.

Garnet

[Way2slow]

Read my post in "Breaking in a new motor". that should give you a pretty good guide for what's involved.

[TLBassin]

10-4  preciate' it!

[Garnet]

Most dealers will let you try props until you get the right one. Find a dealer with lots of used props and learn the basics on motor height and pitch.

When I buy new boats it's in the contract that I try props until I'm happy.

You will need a jack plate is I remember right the 4 and 6 inch worked real well on those older Stratos.

Garnet

I went back and read your first post and thats the setup my buddies had on there Stratos.

It's called drive the walk so just before it starts to chine give a sharp right pull without turning the boat and then every time it gets to that chine point giver another sharp right pull. You are just keeping the boat balanced I'm thinking you could get 3-4 mph more and great pilot will just scare the booy out of you.