135 Opti on my Z6

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Jimmy Easterling

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Tracker warrenty people wanted the service manager to drive my boat to see if I was just wining or had a legitimate problem with my boat "falling over". He drove it this morning and said I had a problem. Tracker says it is the wrong engine, I paid extra to get the 115 Opti(90 was standard). They are putting a 135 Opti to solve my listing problem. Anyone with a Z6 with less than a 135 contact your local dealer. Question: What pitch prop do you think likely will come on the 135? I have three props in my possession now but need to send one back, 20p which will go back with the 115 when it is exchanged, PowerTech 22 and 23. I need to send one of these back in the next day or two. Which to keep?
 
Jimmy,

i currently run a 22p tempest on my 135 opti. if it can push my 882, it should rocket your Z6 out of the hole.

i get a very good hole shot and run high 50s to low 60s depending on load and conditions. The motor has been very solid to date.



good luck

GregD
 
Dan, I asked the guy at the propeller shop which would be best and he said he would rather put a cup in the 22.

Greg, are you running a jack plate? What does your rmps max out at, my problem with the 22 on my 115 Opti is that it is over revving and will almost push the 23.
 
Cupping that 22P means adding several tiny spot welds to it and shaping/grinding. Generally, that'll be the first place to lose your edge. Cutting down a larger prop is just that, grinding down the original, one piece cast prop to a templated size. (Remains one piece, just a tad smaller.) The choice is yours, just sharing what I've seen. Good luck!



BTW - How does changing the weight and HP of the engine "cure" a list??? Added HP will provide more torque and keep you up on pad easier, but I can't see the physics of it correcting a list (or hook in hull), especially at rest. :huh: Your boat, my boats, all RH drive boats with RH hook outboards will always have RH list when powered. (Dr. weight RH + RH prop hook = RH list) You might want a second opinion behind the wheel or get the upgrade and see if it's correcting a handling issue. Either way, more HP is good HP! ;)
 
Jimmy,

i am running the stock 8" jack plate. I run WOT at 5600rpm. top speed running alone and 1/4 tank or less is approx 62mph. i did pick a little better performance after i raised the motor to 3" above the pad.

i went from a 115 four stroke to the 135opti, it is a HUGE improvement. the fuel consumption is close to what i was getting with the 115. you should really enjoy the new engine and performance.



GregD

 
Thanks Greg, I am sure I am going to have to set up the new motor all over again

Dan, the at rest list is slight, it is the running any slower than wot that is the problem. I really don't see how this is going to fix the problem but I am going to let them put the bigger motor on. And I did keep the 23p. The way I understand it, when powered you should get a lift on the right rear forcing the left front down which counters the extra weight on driver's side. What happens during deceleration, slow, it still has thrust, quick and all thrust is gone just forward motion and when my boat drops below 32mph it lays over and you have to counter steer hard and ride it out, unless you cut power all the way back and trim down fast. Don't think the new motor is going to correct this.
 
Are they swapping your motor for free? I bought a new 08 Z6 with a 115 Opti three months ago and it does the same thing. I thought it leaned to the right because I weigh 250 lbs. I moved as much weight as I could to the left front but it didn't help much. When I have a passenger in the boat it helps, but it still leans to the right unless you get above about 40 mph.



I called my dealer, but they didn't have any info on this. I called the factory and they tell me to contact the dealer. Any advice?
 
Jimmy - Until your hull is free of the surface (riding on the flat, level pad) it will "lean" to the right for the reasons explained previously. I encourage you to drive a buddy or two's rig(s) to see what I mean. (Regardless of mfr., just as long as it's a bass boat hull.) When your hull breaks free from the surface and you are on the pad, you should "level out" powered up near or at WOT.



If you'll step back and visually inspect your outboard mounted position on the transom, you'll notice your engine is not hung exactly perpendicular to the transom line. You will note the powerhead slightly port and the skeg slightly stbd. (looking at the rear, top of engine slightly left-pass. side.) This rigging installation has been standard for decades to assist with countering the RH hook effects of the motor.



Regardless of hull, when decelerating from WOT and/or coming to a stop, you'll need to trim down in conjunction with pulling back on the throttle. (A very significant reason why the throttle incorporates the trim switch into the handle.) This allows a controlled stop through power applied prop torque. Staying trimmed up and pulling back on the throttle, drops the hull off pad, allowing the inertia of the hull weight to carry through the water off pad with the hull biting deeper into the weighted, torque affected RH side. That can make things squirrelly, to say the least, and usually results in a wave coming at you over the transom. :eek:



If the above is all being applied and you still have the problem you've stated (regardless of 115 or 135HP), the only other thing I can recomend is running a straight edge across the pad area and look for any gaps/imperfections in the slightest amount. An irregular pad surface or "hook" in the hull can manifest an untold number of weird handling issues. I don't want you to think I'm minimalizing your concerns, but so far, your descriptions sound like normal bass boat characteristics. I firmly agree that HP should have no impact on this "problem", but more HP is good HP! Good luck! ;)
 
I am absolutely sure I wasn't using the trim properly the first couple of months of ownership, this is the first V hull I have owned. But I have had this one since April of 2008 and have about 65-70 hours in it and have tried many different techniques to correct the list. Even when the boat is on the pad at WOT it still has a slight lean. My brother was following me in his boat and mentioned it. The service manager for a Tracker dealer drove it and initiated the call to warranty. I did, about a month ago, drive another bass boat. You would really have to drive one of these things to see what I am talking about. My brother in law has had many bass boats over the years so I had him drive it just to make sure I am not doing something wrong and he said he has never seen one react like this. And thanks Dan, this is the kind of stuff I need to hear so I can make sure I am doing everything I can before blaming the boat. I have already heard from two other Z6 owners that have the same concerns with their boats. I will say this, the 5.5" jack plate seem to make the problem worse, the problem was there before just more pronounced now. I should know this week what Tracker plans to do about it.
 
I bought a z-6 in early 2008. Same problem, finally figured it out. But before I get into the solution, I'm surprised the dealer will put a 135 on your Z-6, since the boat is rated at 130. I did some research, 135 adds a lot more weight and to much power for this boat, when it was a 482 prior to changing the name to Z-6, it had a rating of 135 but they had lots of problems re. safety. Anyway, solution is simple: 1, the boat comes with way to much prop, mine came with a 21p, it now has a 16p. 2. move battery from right side to left 3. learn how to trim, you need to drive you boat a lot to learn how to do this. Boat takes more trim then I ever have used on my previous boats. Bottom line, the boat now handles great, I love it. It's great getting out of the hole quick with passenger and livewell full. Since my lake speed limit is 35 I really don't worry about top end but it will get to 40 + quick. Best handling speed is between 30 and 35.



any questions we can talk on the phone. This boat can be fixed, need to try lots of props. I had my local BPS head sales guy and mechanic go to a local lake and bring lots of props. My complaints were: poor hole shot, boat leaned to right and I also got some vibration. All these problems are now gone.



tom zimmer
 
I haven't heard back from the dealer as to what exactly Tracker Warranty intends to do. I am guessing that a 16p will max out at maybe just above 40 mph, my 20p without the jack plate was getting 47 and hole shot was not a problem. I have spent $800 on jack plate and props trying to get it up to the advertised speed of 52-56mph and can't get there. I don't want to turn my boat into a rocket but I won't accept the speeds that a 16 or 17p will get nor do I think the 135 will fix the problem. My boat sits heavy to drivers side emply and I weigh 210 lbs and I fish alone 95% of the time. I actually took everything out on each side and weighed it on a digital scale to make sure I wasn't adding to the problem. I had the left side loaded about 30 lbs heavy. I want them to fix the problem so I can get out of this boat and get a Z7. I could trade out now and take a beating but I would be passing the problem on to someone else and I can't do that.
 
Please tell us what the dealer does re. warranty. Like I said, I would be shocked if the put on a 135 opti, since it's rated for 130, they did that on purpose according to the manuf. rep I spoke to. Like I said, I'm very happy with my boat, a Z-7 won't fit in my garage. I love my boat, it handles very good doesn't lean anymore then any other boat since I've made the changes. If you want to sell it and not pass the problems along, just make the changes I did. Did you move your battery to left side? The 16p prop may work for me since I'm running at altitude, approx. 5,000 ft. We did all the testing on a lake at 3,000 ft.



 
I will post the results. I started to ask if you were up in the air a bit with the 16p, I am on flat ground 80 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Negative on the battery, I am assumming that requires lengthening the wires and I will let the dealer do that at their expense. I am aware of the 130 hp limit and was suprised at the mention of exceeding it. When I asked, the speculation was to send another sticker to replace the old one?? I don't have the limitation on the garage, when I bought the boat I built an add on-able enclosure in the back yard for it to live in.
 
BPS moved my battery at their expense, I'm sure they will do the same for you.



They know they had problems with this boat. Good luck.



tom zimmer
 
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