898 plane issue Part2

[Ron Demers]

Well i took everyone great advice but unfortunately the PVS plugs made no difference

i have an 2007 898DC with a 150 Opti with a 23P Tempest. 3 large plugs it bites in and will barely get on plane, fill the livewells and NOPE it won't get up. take 1 plug out and it will blowout. there is no size between Large and fully open, even if there was i honestly believe it would make no difference. What do i do now? i called Nitro and they are having me deal with BPS warranty Dept, because their engineers cannot discuss this with me for some reason.



What is so wrong with Nitro's design that causes this? All 20' bass boats are similiar, Batteries, livewell, fuel and passangers are located in the back 1/3 of the boat. so why doesn't Ranger, Triton, Storm, Statos and others have this issue?

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Ron,



That's strange because there are some 898 owners on here and if it were common, I'm sure we'd hear about it. Not to cover old ground but my prop has multiple sizes of plugs for a 225 efi and a 25 pitch Trophy II. I have 2 solid and 2 open. At first it blew out and I was going to plug the other 2, but then I loaded her with gas and my tourney partner and his gear.....no more blowout. Jumps up quick. Originally, I thought I was going to have to get the cavitation ring for it.



TOXIC

 

[Dan Devine2]

You might want to contact Mike Gresh. He has his 898 listed in the Performace List and he is using a 150 on his boat. I believe he is also in Fla. I exchange emails with him before I bought my 07 898 hull because I was going to put my 175hp Opti from my old boat on the 898 and he was very helpful in letting me know how his 150 performed. I did test the boat with the 175hp with three guys in it, full livewells, and a few sacks of sackcrete (some guys think I carry a lot of tackle) and it came up on plane fine. That prop was a 3 blade 23 pitch. I since did some horsetradng for a 200 Opi and am very happy with the way the boat comes up on plane. I am now running a 25 pitch 3 blade on the 200hp. Lots of bowlift but when it gets horizontal it moves along very well. I would look up Mike in the Performance library and contact him for more info.



Dan

 

[Bruce Freeman]

My Champion 187 with a 150XR6 with the same prop jumps up on plane with or with out a load. The plugs on mine all have like a 3/8 or 1/2 inch hole in them. I would have to measure them to give you the correct size.



BF

 

[TritonGlenn]

Well... I know some others are running a 150, but part of the problem is that you're running a 150 on the back of a boat that is designed to hold up to a 225. I know you probably got a good deal on it with the 150, but I've learned from experience - max out the hp if you want the boat to perform as it was designed to perform. The boat is 20'4" and weighs 1760 according to Nitro's site - that's 2" longer and 36lbs heavier than my Triton TR-20X, and I have a 225 on the back of mine.



The questions I would ask would be:

1) What is your prop shaft height in relation to the pad?

2) Do you have a jackplate on your boat, and if so, what is the setback on it?



Recommendations I would make (in order).

1) Re-think that 150 - (probably not feasable with the money situation, I know, but it's my best suggestion given the length and weight of your boat)

2) Jackplate to set the engine back a bit / give you adjustability without having to remove the engine every time you move up or down.

3) On the issue of PVS plugs - don't buy the various sizes. Get ones that run close, and if you need them slightly bigger - carry a cordless drill with drill bits in your boat. Drill to next size, test, drill again, test, etc.... I started out with solid plugs and just worked from there until it was perfect. Much cheaper than buying packs of various size plugs. Do them one at a time. Take your time.



Don't rush into it. Boat setups take time. However, your DEALER should have set it up right to begin with, before you left the lot - or at least got it close.



Where are you located anyway? If you are in Virginia, I'd be happy to meet up with you and help you out.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Ron Demers]

I was assured by the dealer BPS that the 150 was enough engine. i felt no need to add an additional $8,000 to go 10mph faster. i am not a professional fisherman and have no need for that extra HP or speed. i have a 6" Bobs Hydra Jack (The Minimum Lift Above Standard Transom is 7-1/2".(1-

 

[TritonGlenn]

"I was assured by the dealer BPS that the 150 was enough engine"



"have no need for that extra HP"



OK. Then that makes it simple - take it back to the dealer and demand they fix it.



Sorry - not trying to be rude, but you asked the original question:

"why doesn't Ranger, Triton, Storm, Statos and others have this issue?"



The answer is because you won't see Ranger or Triton (can't speak for the others as I don't have those dealers locally, but I'm guessing they are the same), rig a 20 foot boat with a 150. There are a few exceptions, but most every Ranger or Triton I've seen are rigged with the max recommended hp. Yep - you can order them with less, but I'm pretty sure most reputable dealers will try to steer you away from doing this. At the least, they might throw a 200 on the back of a boat rated for a 225, or a 225 on the back of something rated for a 250, but I don't think I have EVER seen a Triton TR-20, or a Ranger 520 / Z-20 rigged with a 150 on the back. It just isn't made for it.



If you were a lightweight guy - 150-180 lbs or so, and normally fished with people of the approximate weight, then yeah, maybe I could see getting away with a 150 on the back. But you aren't a small guy. And neither are your partners.



Heck, I weigh 210, and my partners normally weigh about the same. When I got a bigger partner in my 18 footer with a 150 / full livewells / full tank of gas, even that little boat had a more difficult time getting on plane.



I'm very sorry - I'm not trying to be rude - but you aren't a little guy, and that boat of yours is lacking 75hp from it's recommended 225 maximum. That is quite a difference for your situation. If you think of it this way - you have 150 of the max 225. That's 2/3 of the recommended max hp. Although you may not "need" it for top end, it sure is making a heck of a difference coming out of the hole, isn't it?



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Eric Aasen]

My Nitro dealer told me the same thing when I bought my 2005 188 Sport. "115 is enough, you're not going to tournament fish.....blah, blah, blah. I said "yeah but will it pull me on a single ski?" Oh yeah don't worry about it he said. Nitro is notorious for this. Not bashing Nitro at all. In my mind they make a good boat. But they are caught up in moving product and will skimp on power to bring prices down. I was persuaded to get a 115 on a boat rated for 175. What happened the first time I tried to ski? Would not get me up, guess what, I sold that thing within 3 months. I now have a Tr21X with 225 and couldn't be happier. You can try getting the dealer to work with you on props, plugs, and jackplate but bottom line is like Glenn said, horsepower is not just for top end. It is even more important for holeshot. There are things you can do to help but that boat is never going to jump on plane with a 150. I also am not trying to be rude. It's not your fault, it's Tracker Marine and Nitro dealers fault. They will continue to do it so buyer beware.



NoCAL

 

[Mini]

ALWAYS max out HP. It helps in all aspects of boating except two. One being the intitial price and two being at the gas pump.



Resale and performance are what you want anyway....



Mini

 

[Troy Murphy]

I have a 18 ft Tundra with a 150hp opti, 21 pitch tempest. 5300 rpm wot.

I think you are running to much pitch. I would try a 19 or 20 inch pitch.

Troy

 

[Ron Demers]

there has been others reporting the same issue with 225 Opti's



Patt said it was not really a HP issue, more of a design issue.



i wanted the 898 because of the non skid deck. i was looking @ 18' boats but this was not an option. so i went with the ONLY model that did have it. The dealer did not try and convince me that 225 is better, they just asked me if that extra speed was important..... and of course my answer was no. There is a way to fix this and it does not involve swapping engines... It is a prop issue and can be resolved, looks like i will need to bring it to Bobby Soles Prop Service. he'll fix it that much i can guarentee....

 

[Eric Aasen]

Well hope you have good luck with that and get the issues settled. I also like the idea of the non-skid deck as it would be easier to clean and you wouldn't constantly be worried about stains. I've just learned with my first boat purchase. Get the max horsepower. If for nothing else do it for the resale. I had a hard time selling mine because it was underpowered. I hope it works out for you and I really didn't mean to be rude. You have a nice boat and I'm sure it will serve you well.



NoCAL

 

[Mike Gersh]

Mike Gersh here........I spoke with Ron who happens to live less than two miles away from me.....thanks for passing my name on Dan, Im glad to see all is good with your boat.

Ron and I spoke extensivly and I plan to take his boat out for a ride to see first hand what he is talking about. I read all of the comments mainly about going to a bigger motor and they are all good points, but im here to tell that if anyone thinks this is a hosepower issue, they are incorrect. Sure a bigger motor might make a difference because its bigger but it should do just fine with the 150. I fish 2 tournaments a month including clubs, opens, FLW ect........So someone with a 225 might get there 3 minutes faster.........and yes, its ALOT of extra money to get the 8-12 miles an hour difference............but my boat perform just as good with the 150. Like I stated before, Im 200lbs, most of my buddies are bigger than me, up to 80 lbs or so more. I carry alot of tackle, 1/2 or more tank of gas, full live wells, and im in FLA, deep water is 4ft around here......and I can get up on plane is seconds while sitting in 2 ft of water. Once im up (in seconds) I immidiatly plane out and get to 64 miles an hr at 5500 rpm....and i do not have a jack plate. Yes im a bit puzzles about his boat........but curious to find out........im anxious to see if there is a big difference in the hull design of the 07'. No disrespect ment towards anyones comments at all.......but I am gonna try to help Ron out....Ive also hooked him up with my Mercury guy who is a friend of mine. Lets get this guy out fishing and happpy about his investment.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Thanks....That is the reason this board ROCKS.



TOXIC

 

[Ron Demers]

Thanks Mike, Going to get RPB BR permit Thursday B4 the Club Meeting so Maybe We can get together this weekend for a ride.