What would you do???????

[JAMES MOORE]

Just got a call from the place I took my boat to have the engine looked at. They've determined there is nothing wrong with the engine. Compression and everything else on the engine is good. The problem is with the Tracker Boat. Apparently I've developed a 3/4" hook in the pad 3 ft. up from the back of the boat. This hook is driving the front of the boat down into the water causing the engine to work twice as hard as it should be. End result the engine over heats and the overheat alarm goes off. Explains why it's worse when I have an extra person in the boat and my rpm's start dropping. So now what do I do. They suggested trying a 21 pitch prop to give me higher rpm's and less speed but more lift. I'm thinking the boat should go back to tracker to have the hook taken out of it or replace the boat, but then I've heard all these horror stories. I'm not happy with this situation at all.

 

[Bryan McDonough]

Doesn't make sense to me. I would get a second opinion.



What r u RPMs at WOT?

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Jim,

I rememer a deal here about a boat with a hook in it and the BS line Tracker gave the guy. But I'm with BMCD on this one, I don't think it would make the engine overheat. I could see it losing RPM's, loss of speed, chine walking or something else, but the engine should never overheat if everything is right with it. It's no different than putting that same 150 on a 20' boat. It would work harder for the extra weight and would thus get slower RPM's and top end, worse hole shot, but would still not overheat.



I'd take it somewhere else quickl like before this weekend. Lucky for you you don't have to run but a few miles to get into big fish this weekend! LOL

 

[TritonGlenn]

A hook in the pad three feet from the back of the boat doesn't make sense to me. Most of the time, boats that develop hooks do so in the very rear of the pad. Most of the time, it's caused from the rear of the boat not being supported correctly by the bunks, and a hook forms. Moreover, I've heard it happening more times than not on fiberglass boats, not aluminum - due to the weight of the fiberglass. Most aluminum boats just aren't heavy enough to exert that much pressure to the hull on the bunks. To form a hook three feet from the rear of the boat sounds really hokey, unless you have some severely damaged bunks in the rear, or you hit something really solid with the bottom of your boat. And I agree with the other guys up above - the hook would cause some loss in top end and possibly RPM's, but it shouldn't overheat the engine. I'm also wondering how they determined that you have a 3/4 inch hook. I'd go elsewhere also.

Glenn

 

[Larry Harp]

BF, You might want to do a search on this subject because there was a lot of discussion here a couple of years ago. A member, Bob Watski from Wisconsin was having trouble with Tracker over what they were calling a hook. That was an aluminum hull too. Bob hasn't been posting here much because of illness but you might try e-mailing him, his e-address is in the member listing. I do know he went round and round with Tracker over this issue so he will know how to help you.



BTW, if you contact Bob give him my best.



Harpo

 

[Steve Rizza]

If the bottom came from the factory with a hook in it,then Tracker should definatly take it back and replace it.



If the bottom just got dented up from pounding waves,as mine did , then you are on your own.



I noticed a few months back while cleaning the bottom of my boat,that I could see the outline of a stringer.Upon closer inspection,I could see that the bottom is dented in the whole way across,right under the seats.The same spot where the bottom meets the water when I'm on plane.



I also noticed a loss of 3 mph and about 200 RPM, but no overheating problems.

 

[CJ Extrom]

James, what's is it doing? Had a problem with my hull when it was new. Had hooks on the outside strakes, boat went back to the plant and tracker took care of it.





CJ

 

[JAMES MOORE]

Whgen I went and picked boat up last night after work the service manager took me out and showed me what he was talking about. When you but a 4 ft. straight edge on the bottom of the pad the pad should be flat. On mine starting about 6 inches in from back of boat the pad starts to warp in on both the left side and the right side of the pad. The warp in is worse on the right side than left. The space on a 3 ft. level is about a 1/4 inch in center of the 3 ft. level. So I have a cup in the pad left and right of the center stringer which drives the front of the boat downward when on plane. When I'm on plane and there's a good breeze I get the lift I need to overcome the cup. When lake is calm there's no lift and the engine strains against the cup in the bottom trying to overcome the downward thrust. apparently over time the cup has been getting worse therefore the strain on the engine is getting worse hence the more frequent overheat alarms. So now is this my fault or a design fault? Thats the million dollar question. I've never pounded the boat hard in the heavy waves. I always slow down and find a comfortable speed at which the ride is slower but dry and not pounding into the boat. So at this point IO just don't know. Tracker warrentee says five (5) years on the haul against defects in manufact and engineering. So what would you do??????

 

[Rob LaMoy]

If a boat is sold as a "tourney" style boat, then it should be made to take the punishment of tourneys and hard fishing. I have always said that Tracker does not take pride in their craftsmanship (and have taken a LOT of heat for saying so) and we continue to hear of cases like this. If they claim the Avalanche is supposed to be as good as glass, then it should hold up like glass. When you see denting between the stringers in a hull that tells me one of two things if not both.



One: the stringers are spaced too far apart and don't support the hull properly



or



Two: The hull material, in this case the stretched aluminum, is too thin and too weak to have enough rigidity to hold up like the mfr claims it will.



Or possibly and most likely BOTH!



Sorry to hear about the problem Jim. I only hope Tracker will go good for it. Then you know what I would do......

 

[Larry Harp]

What would I do??? If the hull is still under warranty and you are the original owner then I would without a doubt pursue a warranty claim. Get ready for a wrestleing match though.



Best of Luck

Harpo

 

[JAMES MOORE]

Let the games begin. I'm putting in a call to the dealer I bought the boat from to start a warrenty claim.