Ben

Basically depends on where you're going to be fishing from. The boat controls much easier/better with a bow mount pulling it over a transome mount pushing, but it you're sitting in the back and the TM is in the front, getting back and fourth can be difficult with four people in the boat. I hope that's a family outing, because there just ain't no way I would consider fishing with that many people from one boat any other way.

Sorry, no magic, quick cure that would get your batteries up to standard by this weekend. Well, I take that back, it's called money, enough to go buy you a new pair. While buying, spend a few more bucks (about 40 - 50) and get you a 1.3 amp BatteryMINDer Plus. It's claimed to desulphate batteries as well as being a maintainer. Skeptical about their claims of desulphating, I bought one a few months ago. I had a 1 1/2 year old battery that came out of may dads boat that had gotten where it wouldn't hold a charge, he's not the best at keeping his charged. Fully charged the specific gravity was 1.160. After six weeks on the BM+, it now has a specific gravity of 1.280. I have a battery I keep around for my transome mount TM usde in ponds, it had gotten where it would only hold about 12.2 volts, after a month on the BM+, it now holds 12.77 volts. About the only time I drive my pickup, is towing my bass boat. I left the lights on about 15 minutes one night using them to light the boat up while I was doing some work and they went dim. Two weeks ago, I check it and the two end cells were at 1.230 and the other at 1.260. After two weeks on the BM+ the two end cells are at 1.275 and the others are at 1.300 (with it still connected). Needless to say, I'm no longer a skeptic about the thing actually desulpating a battery. Now, I did try it on a couple of two year Everstart Maxx's that I recently took out of one of my boats and it didn't help them. They were just used up. Didn't figure it would help them since they were always on my onboard charger in a float mode. For a $60 battery though, I figure you get what you pay for.

U should run the what the manufactor recommends. As for gumming up plugs, I wouldn't go that far but you do get reduced peformance and more carbon buildup. The compression, bore diameter and a few other things detemine the octane rating and the engineers have already done their homework and told you what's best. The higher the octane, the slower the burn rate of the fuel. Running high octane fuel in a low octane motor does not let the fuel fully burn before it reaches the end of the power stroke letting the unburned go straight out the exhaust. This also lowers combustion chamber tempratures. Since piston dome temps are what keeps the carbon burned off, lower temps mean more carbon buildup. As carbon builds and the motor is not on a reqular decarb program, small bits of the carbon start for flake off. Pure carbon is pretty dang hard, lot more so than the piston and cylinder walls, so it eats away at them. The carbon also builds up in the ring groves, binding the rings and creating more blowby, even further reducing performace. Over time you end up with a motor that's worn out in about half the time a motor run with proper octane and on a regular decarb program. So, while being very proud of you're motor and thinking you're just taking the absolute best care of it you can, running the best fuel (premium) when it calls for 87 octane, you're actually doing just the opposite.

We are looking at the pictures you have and already see the stringers are gone.

Don't go pulling that thing appart like that link suggested. Being a new motor, the bearing should not need greased. Too loosen the tension on the bearings, which I doubt is the problem, just loosen the the set screws holding the lower bearing collar, move it down a few thousanths and tighten the set screws. Even before doing this make sure it's hasn't slipped and actually is too loose letting the motor bind. How does it steer when not under power? If you can work steer it back and forth with with no problems when off or running slow, there's nothing mechanically wrong with the motor. If it's only hard to steer when under medium to heavy power, welcome the the world of MG foot controls. I've never owned one that when running on max, I didn't have to let off the switch to make a significant change in direction. Let off the power, make you direction change and mash the button again.

Yes, even on my 25 merc, I notice a difference in performance between the aluminum and SS. Where you would notice the biggest difference is if they make an 18" raker for that motor. or a 19" or 17" renegade. The SST props are strickly utility props and offer very little in the way of performance gains. The rakers and gades give more bow and stern lift than the SST, plus the motor can be raised more. The reason I said an 18" raker (they only come in even numbers) over your 19" SST, with the increased lift, and if you raise the motor a couple of holes, most likely you would see as much as five mph more, which would mean an increase in rpm's. I haven't messed with those old four bangers in so many year, I don't know what's available in props for them.

Trust me, you're not gonna just put a floor in that boat and use it. The stringers are those long runners going from front to back that used to be wood with fiberglass covering them and the floor was fastened to. They are what reinforces the hull and keeps if from flexing breaking into when the water pressure start hitting it going down the lake. Rotted out the way those are, most lilkely the hull would split the first wake you hit and you would be swimming back to the bank. Plus the fact, you don't have anything to fasten the floor to. The Transome is the rear section of the boat the motor is mounted on. There is about 1 - 1 1/2" of plywood laminated to the inside of the hull back there with another layer of fiberglass layed over it from the inside. This is what supports the weight and force the motor generates. When it's rotten, it's very easy to rip the whole back of the boat of under heavy acceleration or hit something, dropping the motor in the water and sinking the boat since that boat has no flotation foam. The cap is the upper white part of the boat. To properly replace the transome, it needs to come off, the inside layer of glass over the transome will need to be cut out (DO NOT CUT THE OUTSIDE) all the wood removed, new plywood bonded back in to the hull, and fiberglassed over again from the inside and a new drain hole tube installed.

I've never used or had a desire to own a composite prop. Stickly as a cheap, light weight emergency spare, they may serve for that purpose, as a usable prop, I'd have some serious reservations about that one. If I was going to buy a spare prop with the intentions of using it when the boat is loaded heavy, it would at least have to be an aluminum prop but personally I would still get a good used stainless prop with a high rake. The cost would only be a few dollars more and a hellava lot better prop. As for pitch. I think your motor is all ready turning 400 rpm below factory recommended max rpm, if so you really need to go down to a 17 just to get where it should be now. In the same props, dropping from a 19" pitch to a 17" pitch will normally increase the rpm approx 300 rpm with everything else the same. If your motor is already turning 400 rpm below the recommended max rpm, then you might want to look at going down two sizes for a load carrieng prop. All makes of two stroke motors perform much better and last much longer if turned near the max recommended rpm. If the factory says the max is 5,500, you want it turning 5,300 to 5,500 rpm at WOT with your normal load. I kills a a two stroke motor to load it 300 or more rpm below the max, they are not made to load down like you can your car motors. Other than most DFI motors, it's better to let one turn 100 rpm over max than 300 under. Actually, I think I would try to borrow a 17" prop and try it, you will be amazed at what getting the rpm up where it should be will do for the overall performance of that motor, then condsider getting a good prop in that pitch and using you're current prop as a spare. Most dealer will let you try their used props and some will have new props you can test run. Now as for going from a three blade to a four blade prop. Most four blade props have a smaller diameter so you generally get the same performance/rpm out of a 21" pitch four blade as you do a 20" three blade. Where things are going to get messed up is trying to compare different materials and different pitch's. Running a stainless prop, and going to a composite or aluminum, the stainless blades don't flex and lay back like the aluminum and I don't know what the heck the composite blades will do, but because of this, It's not uncommon for a 19" aluminum to turn a couple of hundred more rpm than the same diameter and pitch stainless. What I've tried to do is educate you a little on props because condition (bent, knicked blades can change rpm) of your prop and has an affect the WOT rpm and not knowing diddly about composite props and the diameter of it, other than I wouldn't waste my money on one, I don't have a clue as to what size composite prop you need.

Remove the prop (and thrust washer if it has one) and check the prop shaft to make sure there is still no weeds or fishing line wrapped out it. Sounds like it has gotten under the seal and the LU lube has gotten on the prop. Loaded up with weeds, the prop may have slipped and with lube on it, that's all she wrote, it spun the hub. Change the LU lube and make sure no water is in it. If it is the seal, it will need to go to the shop to be pressure check and for repair. If they find weeds/line wrapped pulled under it, they may not want to repair it under warrenty, depends on how your dealer want's to take care of you.

From the looks of things, the boat is pretty much history. I will bet you almost any amount of money the transome is rotted also. All the stringers have rotted out. It's going to take a good bit of skill with laying fiberglass, a lot of hours and close to $1,000 in materials. The cap will pretty much need to come off to do all the work needed. The hull will need to come off the trailer and well support before you start the work or it will get so far out of shape, you will never get it back togheter. With the floor and stringers out, the hull will bow, twist and all sorts of things. With the cap off, it will open up like a clam shell, so the cap won't fit back on. You will have to completely remove everything down to the bare hull, cut and glass in new stringers, removed the old rotted wood from the transome, and glass in a new transome, lay in a new floor and glass over it. Good chance the all the control and steering cables will be frozen or too stiff to use. The whole fuel system will need to come appart. The tank's going to be a mess inside and will need to be cleaned along with all the lines. Being a steel tank, most likely it will be rusted and need to be replaced. The carbs are going to need to come off and rebuilt, unless you've done those, they are not as easy as they look and cost about $200 to have them done. Fuel pump will need to be rebuilt or replaced also. All rubber hoses, fuel and water, will need to checked and possibly replaced if dry and cracking. Water pump impeller will need replacing also. I would look at getting the motor going and make sure it's good. Then look at trying to find another hull to sit it on. One problem you run into after a motor sits for years is over that time the condensation that's created from the daytime heating and night time cooling will eventually break down that thin film of oil protection on the internal parts (crank, rods, sleeves etc) and cause them to rust. When this happens, the motor pretty starts coming apart within several hours of operation.

Sorry, but if you're talking about this Ben, I didn't sent any emails.

Is this boat new to you? The reason asking, has it always only turned 5,000 rpm at WOT? If so, you are way the heck over proped. That motor should be turning close to 6,000 with normal load at WOT. If it was turning close to six and now only turn 5,000, you probably have a dead cylinder. One not getting fuel or fire. If it is over proped, the problem is only going get worse as the air temps and water warms up.

Usually, when you get that kind of a hit, it's a big cat. I've had numbers of them and have managed to react quick enough to release line several times and every time the fish I caught was a big catfish. As mentioned, sometimes a bass will come back and pick it up if you just let it lay for a few minutes but I've never had one come back and pick it up after they hammer it like that, another reason I think those bites are cats.

Those are holes on the lower back side of the blades. They allow exhaust gas to exit out around the blades and creates a controlled cavitation. This allows the motor to spin up to 3,000 - 4,500 rpm coming out of the hole so it can get into it's peak torque range. Makes a huge difference in hole shot on a heavy bass boat. Once the boats gets up on plane a get some speed up, the exhaust goes straight out the hub and no longer goes out the holes. I've never run a High Five but I thougth it was similar to the Renegade. The hub is smaller than the LU opening, creating an over-the-hub exhaust when coming out of the hole which does the same thing as the holes behind the blades. Like I said though, never have seen one mounted on a motor buy always thought the hup looked smaller than the standard prop. I luv the way my big Johnny Rudes sound when I have them trimed just right just as she lays over and the motor makes that quick jump to about 4,500 - 5,000 rpm, then I keep triming out just right so she's holding this rpm and she's gone. Makes one wicked sounding bass boat and looks like it just rockets out of the hole.

Gives Better hole shot, more bow lift, but slower

That's where I figured you were having the problem, that's why I asked. There can be a couple of causes of this problem and your's is not an uncommon problem. My Stratos 285 Pro did the same thing when I first put one of my hotrod looper motors on it. A good prop man can rework the prop and cure the problem, for about $350. You can pull your hair out messing with the setup, drop the motor another couple of inches, try a different prop and might get it fixed, but there is a very easy and inexpensive cure. The cheapest and easiest fix is to go to BPS and get you a SE SPORT 300 hydrofoil and put it on the motor, cost about $40. This should totally cure the problem and also give you a much better hole shot to boot. Been there, done that many times and I've never seen one the SE 300 didn't cure the problem. If you want to try and fix it without the SE 300, drop the motor about three inches and make sure your are trimmed all the way in coming on plane. If it doesn't have one will want to get a blowout ring for the gade also, this will probably cure the problem and then you can start raising the motor up in 1/4" increments. Make sure you have the proper thrust washer, the gade takes a smaller one than most other props and I've seen more than one gade with the wrong one. Pull the prop off and that big washer behind the prop off. Make sure the shoulder on that big washer fits down inside the prop hub and the flange is resting on the hup. I put one on that 285 several years ago to fix it until I could get the prop tuned. Loved it so much, after getting the prop reworked, it's still on that motor today, even though it's no longer needed to get on plane.

Normally a spun hub will not hold to run WOT, even if you can ease out of the hole and get it on plane. As mentioned, sounds like the prop is over venting or too high and sucking air down when you nail the gas. Type prop, through the hub, over the hub, vented or non-vented, prop shaft height, setback, does it have the proper thrust washer etc. These are all things that need to be looked at and checked. Is it when boat is just sitting still and you nail the gas that it cavitates/slips or just as the boat starts to lay over to get on plane?

If your figuring only Gear and tackle, probably only 1 - 2K a year. If you count total spent on fishing related stuff, like boat gas and oil, gas in the truck, the boats themselves, the truck to pull them (which is about the only time I drive it) and that kind of stuff, it goes way up, to approx $800 per month. If you also add in the money I spend on building a playing with all the hot rod motors I run just so I can see how much past 80 mph I can push a loaded 20' Javelin bass boat, then your looking at about $10,000 - $12,000 a year. Oh! and the boats and truck are all paid for so that's not having to add in payments. I also DO NOT tournament fish, only pleasure. Got burned out on the tournament stuff years ago to the point I quit fishing for a few years, now I just fish because I enjoy it and like to relax while I fish.

I only fish Senko's two ways, C-Rig with about a 3' leader or as the jerk bait they are designed for with no weight. When fishing it without a weight, watch the line, THAT"S A MUST. I seldom feel the bite fishing it as a jeck bait. Fishing it C-Rigged, as with any other plastic bait, a very good, light (light in weight, not in backbone), well balanced rod/reel combo is critical. I also prefer the low stretch, sensitive lines but don't care for braids. With a bait caster, palm the reel, and don't let the butt of the rod touch your body, you want a setup that has the reel/rod combo perfectly balance in your hand while palming it and working it with your wrist. Learn to work this setup and you can darn near feel the fish looking at it. The main thing is you will be able to tell even the lightest bite from the casual bottom/structure bumps. Now, I'm not talking about one of those $50/$75 wally world rods or those weighted pool sticks that BPS sells with their name on them. You gotta go better than that. Oh, beware also, if you break a rod, it's always going to the be best, most expensive rod you have so keep that in mind when buying one, maybe that will help you decide what kind to get. I don't think it's possilbe to break cheap rod if there's a high dollar rod next to it.

Publish what you did to win. Not many get away so lucky, they let the insurance company dictate to them what they will pay for and make it sound like that's their only option. Good to hear you won the battle.

Good point, just make sure the beer is after the upgrades. Liable to have the lights sticking out the side of the boat.

A couple of suggestions on what I would/would not do. Recommeded TM wire size is #6 fine strand battery cable, (if boat shops sell it they usually call it marine cable). This is rated for 75 amps. I would not go any smaller than #8 rated at 55 amps. If your TM is 12/24 you will need to run two positive and two negative cables. Straight 24V, you only need to run one of each. Also, on 12/24 you will need a circuit breaker on each battery for each positive lead. For running the wires, I would get me 16/6 AWG cable. This will give you six conductors in one cover so you don't have wires dangling everywhere and extra protection from wear. As for fuse panel, you should be able to find a switch panel with the circuit breakers built in that will provide what you need. I prefer circuit breakers because if you happen to be on the lake and one pops, don't have to worry about having a fuse, just push it in and reset it. The tach harness is something you will have to check into with a dealer. If all else fails, you can always cut it and add some in, using crimp splices or solder. If it's going to be where moisture might get into the splice, before crimping slide some heat shrink over the wire so you can fit it over the splice. Slide it over the splice once made, force a little RTV in each end and heat shrink it. I would have a hard time dealing with pulling the floor up. I would look at running some conduit along the edge and secure it with a few straps fastened to the floor. You start drilling the heads of those pop rivets and it's too easy for the drill to bite in that soft aluminum and pull it all the way through the hole. Giving you a much larger hole than you wanted.

Yep, your old batteries are pretty well used up. As for the price any one of the others, that's gonna depend who/where you get them. They can be hard to find because they are not that well known in the boating world so you might have to check with golf cart service places. I haven't bought one lately and they keep going up, Interstate's have gone up over 25% in the past few months. They almost go bankrupt and totally under and then start jacking prices up, and up, and up, heck of a way to win business. http://www.usbattery.com/pages/usbhome.htm http://www.trojanbattery.com/ http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/ Maybe you can use these sites to find a dealer near you. The thing you want to watch out for is buying from someone that don't have a fast turnover. I never buy batteries that have a date code over three months. You don't know how they have been stored and if they were kept toped off. Take your voltmeter and check it while on the shelf, if it's below 12.5VDC, leave it on the shelf.

I pretty much fish the same way as I do in day light, just change to darker lures. I absolutely try not to turn on any white light, it takes about 20 minutes for regain your night vision after looking at a white light. You will soon come to hate cat fishermen and crappie fishermen with all their lights and their big Q-beams. You will also want to black out all your guages, those will feel like spot lights at night. I use black lights and flourecent lines, makes tying knots a breeze also. I keep one small LED flashlight with a red filter in the boats glove box so it's easy to find and a head band lamp in the boat. These are used when you happen to get a hook in something you need to see how to get it out, like a hand, leg or clothing. The only time I turn on my nav lights are when another boat is coming or have to make a long run. This brings up one major word of caution when you first start. KNOW THE WATERS YOUR GOING TO FISH LIKE THE BACK OF YOUR HAND everything is going to be totally different at night and you'll be surprized at how much different it's going to feel. I used to run 15 - 20 miles in pitch black at 40 mph just using the tree lines against the dark sky as markers to go by before the days of GPS. Flipping worms and jigs around submerged cover, casting dark/black single colorado spinner baits in the shallows, plastic worms/lizards in four - five feet of water or shallow cranks. I seldom fish water more than five feet deep and fish a lot of water only a few inches deep. As mentioned, top waters water good also. There is nothing on earth that can scare the tee-tatal crap out of you any more than having big bass bust a jitterbug or buzz bait just as your lifting it out of the water beside the boat

Probably a lot more than you want to get into, unless you're a pretty darn good wrench turner. I would suggest you get some type of manual and read what's involved. That's why most shops will charge $250 - $350 labor. You are also going to need to make a puller to get the bearing housing out. If you find anything wrong, and have to replace parts you will need a special guage to reset the pinion height.