I bought a 2005 Nitro LX 640 with a 60HP Mercury a year ago and couldn't wait to get it in the water. I had a Tracker ProV 17 for years and it finally gave up the ghost. This Nitro is pretty but I am disappointed. At WOT I can get it to 3500 -3800 RPM. If I play with the trim it does reach 5500, but cannot handle any weight. I am not able to pull more than one granchild on a tube and skiing has been near impossible. The Merc dealer said it was the prop and replaced a 10.5 pitch with an 11 without an ounce of change. It came with 3 batteries, two of which I moved to the bow. No one could tell me what is the size of the original prop on this boat. I am less concerned with speed and more concerned with its ability to tow or operate with any excess weight. Any help would be aprreciated.
Help with a Nitro LX640 with 60 HP Merc
- Thread starter Larry
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Has a mechanic gone through this motor and checked for compression, fuel, etc? May want to have a second opinion go through the motor and make sure she is producing the power she should.
Yes, several times. They replaced the fuel pump and replaced the prop with a slightly higher pitch. I am a novice with all this.
Now I am assuming your motor is solid....and the people you are dealing with for maintenance are also trustworthy. I have never owned a merc 60 4 stroke so I cannot speak for how much torque this unit has, but in my experience with boarding, tubing, skiing...my gut tells me that motor is just too small. Your boat is a 16ft fiberglass rig so its got some weight to it, plus batteries, people, gas. etc...... That little 60 is expected to get the ass of the boat out of the hole and on plane while dragging two 100 pounders or trying to get a skier up is a bit much to ask. How does it preform when just cruising/fishing? Does it have enough torque and speed for you during these times? Get up on plane quick? Does it hit max RPM(should be in your manual) at WOT? Feel like it grips high speed corners, or is rear sliding? Sound like its running smooth? A lot of the guys around here with smaller HP motors add a whale tail to them to help get them up on plane quicker, had a lot of people tell me its a game changer, it may help also.
RippnLipz,Thanks for listening! The first time I got it in the water, at WOT, the motor barely reached 4,000 RPM. I had a ProV Tracker with a 50 HP and I never had to trim up so much. If the waters is calm, I can get to the max by trimming up until I hear the sweet spot. It gets on plane only with the motor trimmed all the way down. If I stay at 3500-4000 RPM, then trim up the motor, I can get to 5500 and 25mph. It came with a hydrofoil that I took off and it was much worse. I'm trying to find out what size prop came with the original. I can't believe that Nitro is in business if boaters have to do this. I'm afraid to go from a 10.5 pitch to a 19-20. Can't afford to blow the engine.
25mph at 5500 seems a bit slow to me for your rig, most people i see are getting 30+ out of a 60. If you have the service manual for that motor a prop guide/table is usually included. Props are usually installed by dealer when they install the motor, so they kinda make the call on what goes on there based on customer feedback or what they feel works best on that hull. BPS should be able to at least tell you what they sold them with. I run a 22 on my 115 proXS so a 19 may not be out of scope on your 60, but you should consult service manual for sure. I have seen your model boat often times with a 95/125hp motor, I guess it boils down to what the original buyer could afford.
Thanks so much! I'm new at this, so tell me what BPS stands for.
Joe Winkler
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Ba
But threw the years Jonny Morris has purchased other boat company's believe now they are WhiteWater boating groups.
Back in the day, they were Bass-Pro-Shops, "hence" BPS
But threw the years Jonny Morris has purchased other boat company's believe now they are WhiteWater boating groups.
Thanks, Joe.
Yes bass pro shops....or Cabela's.. they both sell nitros. Honestly, purchasing a technician manual from Mercury would probably be your best bet. It's been quite a few years since that boat has been sold, so even finding an employee that remembers them may be difficult. Plus it will give you some instruction on some simple things so you don't have to keep paying a shop to do them. Also you may want to join this forum. There are more knowledgeable people here that really know props and motors along with shop owners and brand reps. There are forums for your motor and also prop discussion. Check it out.... https://www.bbcboards.net/forum.php
Great! I have an inquiry into White River to ask what prop they used on that boat when sold in 2005. I asked if the sell technician manuals.
You can also order manuals directly from Mercurys site under owners resources . https://www.mercurymarine.com/us/en/parts-and-service/service-and-support/owners-manual
You will need the serial number of your motor to look up your motors books. Usually the owners manual is free(Downloadable), but tech manual is for sale.
You will need the serial number of your motor to look up your motors books. Usually the owners manual is free(Downloadable), but tech manual is for sale.
Thanks! You're a wealth of information.
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