Merc 200 XS

[449er]

I own a 02 Procraft superpro 200 w/ a Merc 200 efi 2.5 liter. I am looking to upgrade to a 3.0 liter Merc 200 XS to get more holeshot & higher rpm limit. Anybody have any comments/suggestions to this idea?  thanks

[WebBasser]

Hi 449er,
I guess it depends on how fast you want to go!

What are you running now? The gains could be minor, and you may be able to obtain as much performace increases from jack plate adjustments/set-back, prop tweaking, weight distribution, or even a new gearcase.

List your set up, including engine height, and we'll go from there.

Tight Lines,
WebBasser

[449er]

webasser, as you can see, it has been a while since I last logged in!! OK, the procraft has a factory 10" jackplate, (currently is stored for the winter, can't get you the pad to prop shaft dimension). I bought this boat used & it came w/ a merc offshore 4 blade 23p prop. Boat originally came w/ a Tempest 25p. The boat has a decent holeshot w/ a light load (1 person, empty livewells, 1/2 tank of fuel) & wot is 64.9 gps @ 5,700 rpm. Problem is, w/ a full tourny load (45 gal livewells, 50 gal. fuel, 2 men, & 4 batteries) the boat will barely!!  get up on plane, it has been suggested that a prop change is in order. I agree, the suggestions are a 24 or25p trophy plus for tourny loads, or the 25p tempest for light load top speed, whatdaya think?

[WebBasser]

Hi 449er,
Well, it seems that we have a common issue with our ProCrafts! I am running a 205 Pro and have the same trouble.

Strangely, it seems that this has only been an issue for me in the past year (I've owned the boat since 2001 and purchased it new). The boat came with a 25" Tempest Plus, which I swapped out for a 25' 4-blade Trophy. I also installed a CMC manual jackplate with 5 1/2" setback.

With just me, 1/2 tank fuel, and fishing gear, my boat will run in the low 70's (on the speedo). However, with a fishing partner, full tanks and livewells, the prop spins out when coming out of the hole. I have a Hot Foot (wouldn't buy a boat without one) and if I hold the RPM to around 4000 the boat will come on plane without too much trouble.

When I asked Tom and Victor about this, they said it was a common problem. Weather also may factor into this.

Do you have vent plugs in the prop? If so, what size are they? If you have solids (no vent hole), this may be something you may want to try to eliminate this and give the prop more bite.

Keep us posted.

Happy Holidays,
WebBasser

[449er]

Webbasser, thanks for your response! The current 4 blade prop on the boat does not have any venting system. After spending mucho time over on bassboatcentral.com, here are the suggestions I have received:
1. try the trophy plus (24 or 25 p)
2. try the 25p high five prop
2. trade the 2.5 200 hp on a 3.0 200 hp
3. raise the motor up on the jackplate until the h2o pressure drops or the rev limiter is hit
whatdaya think

[WebBasser]

Hi 449er,
I can tell you what I know. If you need some additional info, please post it here and I'll get you the answers that you need.

I run a 25" Trophy Plus and have the same original issue, so I wouldn't think that would resolve the problem. Check your prop for dings and/or bent blades.

The High Five is a great prop for rougher water. It should give you better hole shot and may solve this issue, but you will lose some top end. Victor runs these props a LOT, so if you'd like to know the lowdown on them, call him at the shop at 330-673-7600.

I'm not sure about motor size, but I would think that a bigger engine would still have this trouble. If nothing else works this might be something to try, but I would make this a last resort.

Did you have this problem before or is this just a recent problem?

As far as the jack plate, that is exactly how to fine tune. Raise it up slowly until water pressure drops, you lose speed, or you hit the rev limiter.

Keep everyone posted!

Tight Lines,
WebBasser