chrisg

Nick Does it smoke on just on start up or when its idling all the time? Do you have a temperature gauge? If so is it coming up to temp (63 degrees)within a few minutes and bouncing back after a run fairly quickly? C.

Commodores will suffer at he ramp the same as any 2WD car. 95% of the time take it slow slow and it will all be fine. Wet sand is the killer for any rear wheel drive car so if your ramp is prone to that take a broom just in case. The biggest problem for "cars" is a shallow angled ramp at high tide. My Commodore has had a few wet washes of the tailpipe before now. C.

Don't need one..thats what I mean. It may well work ok for you. C.

No...Huey at Huett Marine might be able to get one. They are a Mercury Part specific for the Trophy. Before you spend $$ give it a go...my Trophy sits just as yours does so chances are it could all work well as your fully loaded tube prop. Trim full down for take off and trim the motor out as you break onto the plane. Without trying you won't know.... Let us know how it goes. C.

Don't be so quick to sell Nick.... give it a go. An exhaust ring will fix the gap issue if needs be but it may the venting will actually help your holeshot. Rpm wise you'll loose a 100 or so being a four blade but gain 3 - 400 with the pitch. Do you do any towing of inflatables? Might be the prop for that where you need the take off but not the top speed. BTW the Trophy Plus is only a small hub prop as far as I remember...the very early ones were large. Just a thought.

Watch your Wide Open rpm with that...19 is a bit thin on a 175hp. You should be topping out at 5600rpm max. What pitch was your Vengance?

Sealed vents is good...might work. Give it a go..if it slips very badly on take off you'll have to re-think. What pitch is it? C

Nick Thats a small hub prop on a large hub gearbox I think. If it is going to cause problems it will be exhaust gas venting from the sides. You'll most notice this when accelerating to get on the plane. Gun the motor from standing and if the revs peak out with no increase in speed like the prop is slipping there is too much "vent" and the prop is spinning in air. There is a ring you can get to fill that gap if you want to keep that prop. Are the black vent plugs around the prop barrel all solid or do they have holes in? C.

You need to tread carefully. Many of the new combo's are being region locked so you can't use non country of origin maps. Not sure about HB but Lowrance are doing this now I believe. May be possible but as I say tread carefully. Or just go see Huey and get a good deal and piece of mind! C.

Your bearings have collapsed. Do not use the trailer. The hub probably will be ok but thoroughly inspect for any signs of damage. Replace both sides with seals and inner and outer bearings. You will have to drive out the race with something and a hammer. C.

Take it back or send it into Daiwa service explaining the problem. If it feels tight something is not right. New reels should not bed in..they should just work but admittedly it is sometimes the case. C.

And don't be demoralised if it does'nt help. At least you now have a date of replacement for the future. Sometimes you just have to work through these things step by step. C.

Your variable idle range is 700rpm to 900rpm....even if it were at the low end the telltale would still be good. To explain your point when the water pump is at idle speed the pump works as a displacement pump ie the water is pushed around the circuit. If there are any leaks such as the gap under worn impeller blades, the impeller having taken a 'set" due to lack of use or a torn blade the volume that is pumped is reduced and may show up just as you are seeing. When you blip the throttle the pump speeds up and becomes a centifugal pump ie the water is flung around the system. the blades even move away from the wall it's all force work. This is why pump problems tend to be far more noticable at idle speeds. My last change was from a visually fine impeller but two years old to a new one and my idle water pressure almost doubled. Hope that helps. C>

Change anyway. With any cooling issues always start at the beating heart of the system...the pump. A new impeller and gaskets at a minimum. At least then you'll know it's not the pump and can investigate further eg sticky thermostat. C.

Dan Call Josh from Skeeter Boats (www.skeeterboats.com.au) and talk to him about Skeeter's and the Edgewater bay boats. He also has a good idea where the pre-owned boats are for sale. Renowned for service and support. Stratos would be the next choice. Nitro also have a presence here. There are a few Triton's around but no support in Aus now I believe. Champions, Basscats atc are available but tend to be on the pricier side. All are similar but subtley different and its a good idea to look at as many different brands as possible to see what you want. Your issue will be seating as nearly all are 2-3 seater max. C.

Before you get all chemically try a simple paste of bicarb of soda and water and a scrubbing brush for the floor. Same mix on a soft cloth is an amazing scratch free cleaner for fibreglass tops/hulls. Just hose off well and re-polish with a fine polish if you want a shine. Cleaned some marks of my white hull that no other cleaner would work on. C.

Nooooo - premix is a pain in the bum! First things first. Do you know what testing was done to confirm oil pump failure? The motor should have been run on premix and the output of the oil pump measured for a certain period to be to be sure. ie not a quick test process. There could be a few things that could cause what your suggesting. When you start looking at that sort of money a second opinion is worthwhile....a couple of options have been suggested. If it is the pump, there may be used options around that may be more cost effective. C.

Don't worry about the depth... doesn't matter unless your regularly going deeper than 100ft. I'd go the Pro as the 83/200hz setup will offer you the wider 'cone' and hence view of the 83hz signal which is useful both on its own and when comparing/contrasting with the 200hz signal. C.

Look for a book called Depth Sounder Secrets by Mike Huckstepp. Should be in your local mart with a K for $15 or so. It will answer all your questions! C

Form Lowrance - Most of the sonar units that we sell accessories for operate at 200 kHz (kilohertz). Some are dual-frequency capable, meaning they can use both 50 and 200 kHz transducers. And a few new models are dual-search capable, allowing for both 83 and 200 kHz operation. Typically, high frequency (200 or 192 kHz) sonar units provide the best resolution and definition of structure and targets. They excel at showing minute details of the underwater world. 50 and 83 kHz frequencies have much greater depth penetration capability, but show less definition. You must match the transducer's frequency to the sonar unit. For example, a 200 kHz sonar unit requires a 200 kHz transducer. Cone Angle A transducer's cone angle determines its coverage area of the underwater world. The wider the cone angle, the greater the area that's covered. We offer a variety of 200 kHz transducers with either a wide (20°) or narrow (12°) cone angle. The 50 kHz transducers come with a 35° cone angle. The dual-frequency transducers come with both a narrow (12°) 200 kHz and a wide (35°) 50 kHz cone angles. And the dual-search transducers come with both a narrow (12°) 200 kHz and a wide (35°) 83 kHz cone angles. Generally, use a wide cone angle for fishing shallow to medium depths. The narrow cone penetrates to deeper depths, but shows less fish and structure due to its narrow beam. If your regularly fishing deeper than say a 100ft go to the 50/200hz. Otherwise for general inshore and estuary work the 83/200 would be fine. Some HDS owners on the site might be able to give you their preference and why. C.

Different transducer. One is a 50/200hz combo and the other an 83/200hz from memory. 83hz is the cheaper one. C.

Ever had an ethanol fuel in it? Even by mistake? C.

Look up Durahub systems. Oil rather than grease based and work very well. Easy install too. C.

This is a key one that often gets overplayed. Fixing a dragging anchor, moving because a change in tide etc are often forgotten but can get you pinged once the anchor is off the bottom. Certainly seen RBT's on the Harbour and Pittwater. C.

If I remember rightly turning left is a retraction of the cable at the motor end. That suggests a gunking up of the inner and outer cables. It can be cleaned up if thats the case but generally becomes prone to re-occur and as Tuffy said a replacement is probably the best way to go. Other caused could be a obstruction or failure at the helm end. If you disconnect steering at the motor ensure the motor can be moved freely by hand and then try the steering. Might indicate where the problem is. C.