Way2slow

I went to DP web site and they seem to advertise one thing and said just the opposite. This is off their web site: •TROUBLE FREE - Just Plug It In and Forget It!

Well, I guess that's another reason I wouldn't have a Dual Pro. Granted the batteries water level needs to be checked periodically but with a charger that maintains them with a proper float voltage of 13.17 - 13.2 they will loose very little water. I haven't messed with a DP for many years but the last I knew of, they do not use a float mode. They let the battery self discharge to a set voltage and then comes back on and charges if back to full charge. Doing this, has a tendency boil more water out than a proper float voltage will, which boils almost no water out. But even at that, every month would be extreme. The faster they loose water means the more they are being overcharged or they are near the end of their life cycle. My ProMariner Pro Tourny 300 stays on 24/7 when the boat is not in use and I might have to add water twice a year, three times during long periods of heavy use. Oh, and one other note, the only difference between a flooded cell, maintenance free and one with caps you add water to is the maintenance free has smaller plate sets so they can add more water, hopefully enough to last the warrenty period of the battery. That's why maintenance free don't have the Ah capacity of a same size you have caps on. Now, it's also recommended you remove those caps on the maintenance free a check the water level periodically. Just be sure you check the warrenty. Also realize, even with a warrenty, after the battery is about 1/2 through it, they are usually useless the way they prorate them so I wouldn't give it a second though to open them and add water then, if needed. PLEASE ALSO NOTE; THIS ONLY APPLIES TO FLOODED CELL BATTERIES, NOT AGM'S AND GEL'S

That's one of the main reason for using them, keeping your batteries properly charge while in storage. If the boats is not in use, the charger should be pluged in. Just don't forget the cranking battery, if your onboard is not connected to it, you still need to keep a maintenance charge on it.

Might I make a suggestion? Call: Bob Lipton @ performance Propellers 15 Droste Sq St. Charles, MO 63301-4819 (636) 949-3121 (636) 949-3121 This guy is a master at tuning props, he's been doing mine for years and if you want the most from your boat, he can tell you what you need in the way of prop/prop work and what jackplate will give you the most performance with what your setup. If what your saying is the case, I would think a little extra stern lift added to the prop would be the ticket. I think he is also very reasonable compared to some of the others, and is as good as any. Provided he's still going, I haven't had one done in a couple of years. One word of caution though, he does not believe in polishing props, so if you think it has to be all pretty and shiney, you are going to be disappointed, he puts a satin finish on his.

If you're talking about on the carb, everything is fixed, so there are no mixture adjustments you can make to them. What you will need to do is a completer link and sinc, but before doing this, make sure the cam roller is still complete. Usually the outer shell comes breaks appart, leaving nothing but the center black piece. IF it approx 3/8" in diameter and has a clear looking section over a black center, then it's probably good. If it's black and only about a 1/4" in diameter, you need a new one before you even start doing the linc and sinc. If in doubt, buy a new one and replace it, they are cheap and usually need replacing anyway. A full linc and sinc is not easy, and you have to pay attention to every detail, check and double check after doing it. You may have to go through it three or four times to get it exact. Getting all three carbs sinc'd exactly and is required, it's not overly difficult but you have to be sure all three respond exactly, or it will not run it's best. From there, you have to make sure you have good fuel pressure, clean carbs and a whole lot of other stuff.

I've never messed with Triton's so you need to go by what the experts say. Personnaly, I would have a hard time seeing how your 10" setback would cause a loss of speed unless you're having a porposing problem. I guess just using a 6" jackplate explains why I see so many Triton's running down the lake with the motor looking like it's over trimmed. Usually the less setback you run, the more trim it takes to lift the bow, to the point to where you get the right bow lift with the motor trimmed perfectly vertical. I guess they have a huge amount factory setback built in because as heavy as 20' Triton's are, I would think you would need close to 30" of total setback.

I would recommend you do the research at other sites also, like boatsetup.com and see what a lot of others like yours are running. I would think on a 20' Triton you would want an 8" - 10" if you have the control cable length to use it. I know they cost a little more but the last two I've bought were Bob's, they are a much better built unit.

Yes it will show fish, but more so than not, if you're bass fishing, it's not going to show the ones that are bitting, the only true fish finder is the lure on the end of your line because the ones you see are either not what you're fishing or or not bitting. Once you learn to recognize what's on the screen, it will show suspended fish, which is great for stippers, and crappy, etc. but then it just helps to get your bait at the right depth. Another area it helps is showing fish holding along the edge of channels in deeper water and holding near underwater stick ups, but most of the time, they are holding too close and you have to recognize their color signature. Start expecting on it to show you fish to catch and you will probably come home skunked more times than not. Learn to use it to recognize probable fish holding areas and you will soon be cathing a whole lot more.

I have two methods of launching when by myself, depending on the ramp/location and type trailer. Drive on trailers, I'll back in deep enough to float the back of the boat, with the winch still smugged. I then unhook the winch, climb in, back the boat off the trailer and park it, tie it to the dock and go back to park the truck. If no dock etc or it's not a drive on trailer, I leave the winch strap hooked in the bow hook but unroll most of the strap. I then back the boat down until it's floating and hit the brakes so it will slide off back. I then ease forward, letting the strap pull the boat back to the the ramp. Once it's back to the ramp, I unhook and go park the truck. The main issue with this is you have to be carefull of wind and wakes pulling it away from the ramp, so don't tarry while parking the truck and getting back to the boat. If there is any chance of this, I hook a long rope I keep in the boat to the front eye, and stretch it out up the bank/ramp, so I have something to pull the boat back with. No fun having to swim for one or hoping someone comes along that can tow it back. As for loading, that depends on trailer, boat, conditions etc. There are numbers of different methods used, even with drive on trailers, conditions can change how you load if by yourself. If there are two of you, it's very simple, launch the boat with a driver in it and drive it on when you get back. You can drive on/off most any trailer when someone is driving the boat and the other person is doing the winch.

It definitly needs to be addressed. Most likely either the engine mounting bolts or something mounted on/through the transome below the water line is not properly sealed if there are no large chuncks missing along the edges. About the only thing you can do is drill a few small holes along the bottom edge of that area it's leaking out of and hope it will drain and dry some, and reseal them later. The main drawback to this is, if you forget the plug or water fills the rear for some reason, then you're right back where you started. As for finding the actual leak, you may be able to force air into that area and see if you see signs of it somewhere, however, these types of leaks are hard to find and usually, I just unbolt/screw everything mounted inside and outside the transome, reseal and reinstall. The problem is, if water ever got high inside the boat, it could have seeped into that hole and can take years to drain back out. Usually rotting the transome before it ever dries out.

My HDS-10 won't fit behind my windshield but it's on a Ram mount, partially blocked by the console and it works fine. I also have the HDS-7 on the bow and HDS-5 in the console, all with GPS so they can be used independently (networking doesn't always do what I want) and have never noticed a problem with the one in the console either. However, I've never used it for extreme low speeds. At that slow of a speed, it could be where they are located. WAAS works much better in the southern hemisphere and they my be getting fluctuations in accuracy.

I don't know that I've ever seen caster on a boat trailer. My concern has always be camber and toe-in. Now, if you're the auto tech type and a pretty good redneck engineer, you can align your own. I've been doing my own for many years because the old school guys have gotten almost impossible to find. Years ago, I made me a bender with some I-beam and port-a-power. JC Whitney used to sell, (they don't now but that's no problem) a manual angle guage to the camber and I made a couple of bars, one with measuring tapes on each end to place on the tires/wheels for setting tow-in. http://www.google.com/products/catalog?rlz=1T4ADRA_enUS448US454&q=camber+angle+gauge&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=4992698447867572728&sa=X&ei=loXJTp3wGs7Mtgeb-Z3aCw&ved=0CHAQ8wIwBA#. I've never used this but something like this is all you need to measure camber angle. Anyway, it's a very simple process to measure and bend about 1/16" - 1/8" toe-in and approximately 1.5 degrees camber angle. It's just going to take a pretty good support (like the I-Beam I use) to bend one of the heavier 3,500 lb axles. Just remember, make sure you write down the toungue height, because that height will need to be used for that trailer until you align it again. Oh well, so much for doing your own. I've been searching for the last 30 minutes for one of the cheap camber guages like I have and they don't exist. Looks like it would be cost prohibitive to try and buy one today for doing your own.

Of course you can align a trailer axle and yes they do need aligned. You've gotta find you one of the old aligment guys or shops that has the equipment and know how . Most can't and don't have a clue because their is no program in their computer. Until Ford came out with the split I beam and chey's and others started using an A fram suspensions, the only way you could align the early pickups was by bending the front axle. Get the proper drop hitch so the tounge height is set right for the proper tow height on your trailer. Then find someone that does know you can bend the axle and, has the know how and eqipment to do it. Once you get that done, put your new tires on and have them properly balanced. You will see a huge difference in tire wear.

When just towing locally, I pull mine down, clean, pack, and reseal once a year. After doing this, I take a grease gun and the next couple of times I tow it to the lake, I give them a shot of grease to be sure the springs are compressed some on the Bearing Buddies. You are most assured you are going to have air trapped in the hubes after packing, which will usually work it's way out, when towing. This ensures a positive pressure when that warm hub hits the cold water, keeping it from sucking water in as the water cools the hub. Once the springs will keep a little pressure on them, I usaually only give them a small shot of grease every couple of months, only enough to make sure the spring is slightly compressed. If you over grease them, they will just make a mess and can actually blow out the seal. If it has been a while and I'm going to make a long trip (like from GA to Lake Falcon), I will pull the hubs off to make sure the grease in them shows no signs of water and put them back on if the look good, I don't take them apart. If the grease is discolored from water, then I clean, inspect/replace bearings and reseal it. Now, a lot of the newer trailers are running oil filled hubs, since I've never had any dealings with those, I would suggest checking with the dealer or the manual for them. Another thing I do when towing a long distance a sometimes before launching at the lake, I just walk around the trailer and feel each hub. they should be about the same temp (the brake hubs will usually be a little warmer but both about the same), if one is running a lot warmer, that's a sign of problem that needs to be addressed. Either a bad bearing or a brake that's not working, or one that's sticking. If on a long trip, I will usually feel them when I stop for gas.

One heads up, when you test one like this, there is going to be one hellava prop wash as much as 50 feet behind the boat. I do this to set my timing because it needs to be reving at least 5,000, under a load the set it, and riding down a lake a 60 mph on the back of a boat with a timing lite in my hand is not what I consider fun. A little deeper with the motor lowers the rpm, a little higher raises the rpm the motor will reach. What you are doing is controlling the cavitation.

You have to be carefull about how far back you go. Getting very close to the back seat makes it dangerous for the unlucky soul sitting back there. You gotta realize when you start slinging a 7' rod, forget and make a cast toward the front of the boat, the guy in the back is going to get nailed big time. I know, you will always remember to cast to the sides, but guess what, you WILL forget.

My first though would be a plug wire breaking down. A problem like that is going to be hard to diagnose without a tank or dino. You need to be able to check the spark while it's under a load. You could back it down to the water, trim it down and position the trail so the anticav plate is about an inch above the water, being sure you leave the tiedowns on it and the winch cinched down tight. With the motor in gear, you can rev it up for short burst, just check you tach and make sure you don't go past redline on motor. If it does, back it in a little more to get it about 1/2" or so deeper. A test prop for that motor would simplify all that. Now is when a six cylinder spark checker would be nice, then you could see if and which cylinder is loosing spark. Without one, you will need to rev it until it starts bogging, then pull off and put back one plug wire at the time until you determine which cylinder/cylinders makes no change in the way the motor runs. It helps if you go ahead and pull them loose so just the boot is holding them on the plug. If you have a large fuse puller to take them off with, it saves a lot of religion. Once you identify the cylinder/cylinders, you need to determine if it has a good spark with a spark gap tester set at approx 7/16", it should have a good stready spark when it's bogging. If it is loosing spark, then you have to determine if it's the wire, trigger module, stator or what ever all the things a merc has that can make it not fire. Now, with all that said, you say it's making a poping. Might want to make sure it hasn't broken a reed. By the way, do all this testing from the back of the boat or the bow of another boat tied up against your's, DO NOT try and stand in the water to do any of this. Not only is the shocks you get gonna be a hellava lot harder, but there is a very good chance you could end up with a leg or two several inches shorter.

In an old boat like that (or any boat), the first thing you want to check is the transome, make sure it's still solid, then walk around on the floor, make sure it's still good. The floor doesn't bother me as much as the transome, many times I've been known to throw a sheet of 16 ga alumunimum down and carpet over it to support the floor. I bought a new Ouchita almost identical in 1968, but green, and loved it. Both my seat were like the rear seat in yours and no deck like that one. I'm not real sure the boat is going to be that stable when you start using that deck anyway. I had a 35hp merc with stick steering and the thing would scoot on down the lake. When the wide profile, like the current bass boats, came along, those old bomber style boats became a thing of the past. No storage room or room to move around, pretty much sitting down to fish because they are not extremely stable when standing and you can find yourself going for a swim. If the seats are as good as they look, it's got a nice trailer under it that you could put another boat on and if the transome it good, I think you found a very good deal. From the pics, just the trailer and seats would be worth almost what you paid. Oh, by the way, I think you will find the reason the livewell is in the middle of the boat, it used to be under, or just in front of the front seat when it was new. Before someone modified the boat and put that deck on it.

That's just about the same as asking how long as a tank of gas will last in your vehicle.

NO!!!! DO NOT ADJUST that bolt until you check the motor and see if the throttle arm is making it to the stop. Then you only adjust that bolt enough to get throttle arm to the stop and no more. If you go beyound that point you WILL break something, the cable the, the hotfoot etc. Something is gonna give and you ain't gonna like it.

The only way the hot foot can affect it, is not opening the throttle, it should be easy enough to pull the cowling and have someone fully press the hot foot while you check and see if the motor is going to throttle stop, or use a long stick, press it yourself and watch it. No the motor will not make full rpm under a load if the throttle is only opening 90%, doesn't matter how you hold it. As for your speed versus the prop pitch, it's going to depend on what gear ratio your motor is and how your boat is setup. If it's 1.82 then I would think you are is pretty close to being an obtainable speed of 59 mph, that's about 13% slip, a very common average for bass boats, depending on setup, it could be a little more or little less. To get 63 with that gear ratio and prop, you are at 7% slip, that's not very likely. Now if it was turning 5,500 rpm at 63 that's more realistic at 12% slip. If it's 2.0 then the speed (59mph) is very generous, that's only 4% slip, this is down in ultra light tunnel hull efficiency, not many bass boats are going down the lake with only 4% slip. Even if it was turning 5,500 rpm at 63 mph, that's only 3% slip and I doubt that will ever happen. From what I could find on the info you've provided it looks like your motor has a 2.0 gear ratio. NOTE: I made some changes if you read this before this last edit. Also note,it's going to run a few mph faster when the water gets cold.

There is no "one" setting, you adjust it for different depths. Once you use it enough experience you will find a happy average setting for most of your fishing 10 - 20 feet. You will still have to back it way down for really shallow water and increase it for deeper water. As for automatic gain, I never run it. When you start getting shallow, it may show you to be in 500 feet. It starts picking up multiple echo's (harmonics) and thinks the water is a lot deeper. It also pretty much blacks out the screen when it does this. In deeper water, automatic my not give enough gain.

If it's that new, it will have VIN molded into the hull, usually on the right rear and the last two digets will be the year model You can take the serial number off Mercury and Mariner motors to any dealer and they can tell you the year model.

If you're able to do all your to do all the necessary work, replacing rotted floor (which may require pulling the cap off), all the fiberglass, upholstry and possible engine work yourself then you may have done ok. If you can't do all this, it's pobably going to be a very expensive money pit if you start trying to fix it up. One suggestion, before the floor completely gives way, get a piece of something like 16 guage sheet metal and cover the soft spot with plenty extra beyound it to support it. Then put your carpet over it.

You put it on the screw, hold pressure on it with one hand like you're trying to loosen the screw and and give it a firm lick on the head with a 2 - 3 pound hammer. It's not like you're trying to drive the thing through the LU, just a few firm hits. That LU is pretty tough, you are not going to hurt it unless you start beating on it with full swings. By the way, you should change your LU lube every year. When you are through fishing because of winter is a good time to do a complete service on the motor, pull plugs out of carbs and drain them, use compressed air and purge the fuel lines. Add some SeaFoam to gas in tank or pump that gas out. Even with SeaFoam, I would not run it the next season, and if stored outside where the sun will shine on it, fog the motor. Under the cowl of the motor will look like you turned a water hose on it when the morning sun shines on it. You should change the water pump/impeller at least every three - four years. Put the batteries on a maintainer, and pack the trailer wheel bearings.