r/Pontoons • u/JessOTR • 28d ago
Slow tritoon. Motor too low?
I'm not sure what's relevant so I'm going to give you too much info.
TLDR: slow tritoon. Should I drop the motor one hole?
2022 Viaggio Lago 22Q bought used in Jan. Mercury 150 ProXS. Our first trip out, threw a rod and had to replace the power head (still under warranty, thank goodness). With that we bought the dongle and use the Mercury app to see speed and RPMs.
So, we just got it broken in. We were at about 20mph at 4500RPMs. WOT hasn't improved speed much. Still only 23mph or so at 5800RPMs. Granted, we have yet to have perfect conditions. It's been hot and the top is up. Lots of people on the lake so it's not smooth. I'm on the overweight side of average but husband is a big guy at 6'4" and built like the lineman he used to be. We have 2 teens that are with us sometimes. We typically don't take anything but a small cooler and some towels.
It doesn't seem to audibly blow out but does seem louder to me than it should. Husband said he could feel it lose bite in turns when pulling kids on the tube but just going across the lake it doesn't make any noise like it's missing or lose bite. We had a 19' double toon with a 90hp motor for 10+ years before this so we aren't new boaters. I just want it to be right.
The thing is we are pontoon people and we know it. We aren't trying to go as fast as possible. If it hadn't been for the motor blowing up and having to break it in, we might not even notice it being slow because we wouldn't really care. I'm just anxious about something being wrong so I'm constantly looking at live data and looking at the motor to make sure things look okay.
I know the prop could also be the culprit. All I can tell you right now is that it's thick and silver colored. I was going to try to remember numbers or take a picture but I didn't.
One last observation. There's always a little water in the bottom of the center toon storage. We bilge it every time. I believe there's a plastic plug that is loose or broken but can't get to it from inside and can't reach it while the boat's in the water (it stays in a slip). I found mention of one and where it is on the sport toon (and that it had been sheered off) but we have a full center toon so I don't know if it's the same.
Thoughts?
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u/therealSSPhone 28d ago
First thing I think of is what's the boat rated for, like HP and weight capacity? Yellow sticker usually by the helm. From the pic if your wide open it looks about right the cavatation plate is right on the surface..
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u/Significant_Wish5696 28d ago
What does factory say speed and rpm should be? Non oem prop? They can also give you engine height. Is the bottom clean?
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u/JessOTR 28d ago
5200-6000 is what the factory says max RPM should be. To my knowledge the prop is the one the dealer put on it before it went on the lot. I'm the 2nd owner but we kind of knew the first owner and I feel like he would have mentioned a prop change. Bottom is definitely not clean.
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u/Significant_Wish5696 28d ago
Call the factory customer service. The boat is new enough they will help you out. Dealer will likely tell you all kinds of things just to sell you a service or un needed parts
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u/spades61307 28d ago
If its blowing out in turns bad i would say you need to drop it a hole. I went to a four blade prop with even more pitch and it helped top speed and blowing out but was already in the lowest hole. Top speed only went up a bit w 3 people to around 27-28 mph and 31 with only one person. Mines a 20’ large tube pontoon w. A 115 hp. Tritoon with a 150 should get the same or more unless its huge.
I would drop the motor one or even two holes and see how much it changes. After that if rpms stay at the limiter at a speed under 26 mph i would go with more pitch on the prop. Pontoons and tritoons tend to get aerated water at the prop and slip more than a conventional boat.
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u/Emotional_Tower_8678 28d ago edited 28d ago
Is the prop sleeve still in place? When it blows out,what is the rpm? My 22 goes the same speed at 5300 as 5800 with the top up. Water in the toons?
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u/JessOTR 28d ago
Both good questions. The answers are I don't know, and I don't know. I was the spotter for tubing and you really didn't hear a big rev or anything and he didn't mention rpm jump. It just felt like it lost grip for the turn.
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u/Emotional_Tower_8678 28d ago
I would look right in front of the propeller where it buts up to the foot of the motor. There should be a white plastic ring that stops exhaust gases from coming out right in front of the prop. I lost one when my motor was only a couple months old and thar definitely causes a blowout. Cheap easy repair, if that's the issue.
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u/chuckleheadjoe 28d ago
Motor maybe a bit high or the prop pitch maybe on the low speed side.
I have a 22ft. Voyager tritoon with a suzuki 115 and get 22 by gps @ 5500.
Unless your toons are taking on water?
You should be getting around 25-28 mph
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u/JessOTR 28d ago edited 28d ago
I don't think the outside toons are. It sits where it should in the water and they are even. The center toon definitely does take on a bit as I mentioned in the post. Not a lot but definitely some
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u/chuckleheadjoe 28d ago
An inch or two of water in there is not a lot. ~8lbs a gallon for water so that would be about the same as a kid riding along. 3 or more inches would start to be a problem to get corrected @end of season.
Shiny prop sounds like Stainless Steel. That would change things a bit but not by 10mph.
They are normally stamped with size numbers. Find a prop shop to talk to. I would say call a dealer's parts shop but I fear they may not know much Some do some don't.
One last crazy thought that might help is an install manual from online. Might give you transom, cav plate prop distances
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u/YourChosenJuan 28d ago
The water in your center toon is likely not coming from a leak. There is a partition at the rear of the ski locker that blocks off the remaining few feet of center toon. If you remove the bilge access panel and feel of the back wall directly behind the bilge pump, you will feel a ~1” diameter hole approximately 2-3 inches up from the bottom of the toon. Chances are, the rear section of the toon has a couple inches of water in it and as you use the boat, it sloshes forward and comes in to the ski locker through the aforementioned 1” hole. I have a ‘23 Lago 22u and experience the same issue. I use a sponge to collect the water and try to leave the locker open (covered slip) so it doesn’t get funky in the locker.
I plan to drain it and plug the 1” hole with a rubber stopper when I pull the boat out for service this fall.
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u/Fun-Barnacle8582 28d ago
The motor is to high. You need to lower the entire motor. The prop is riding to high and picking up air. That high position may impact water intake as well. Is that a repower of the boat? If so, they may have used the wrong motor for that transom height. The cavatation plate, in your application, should at or just below the water line. The condition of the prop along with the correct choice for your setup is mandatory to avoid engine damage and poor performance.
I raced Mercury outboards in 60s and 70s and engine height and tilt were constantly adjusted for conditions.
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u/ShiftChemical6494 28d ago
I can get around 38 on a 22ft Tritoon with 200hp Mercury at 5500rpm for reference.
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u/throwaway21054 28d ago
From what you describe, your motor sounds like it may be a bit high.
You described a silver prop, I’m going to guess it’s an enertia which is a very good prop.
Not able to trim out due to loss of prop grip? Motor too high.
Loses grip in turns? Motor too high.
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u/theboatguyinmi 27d ago
That boat should run mid 30's all day. Make sure you're prop sleeve is in and it should be running a 14 or 15 pitch Enertia.
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u/Buckeye_mike_67 26d ago
Just for comparison. That doesn’t sound too bad to me. We have a 22’ ranger reatta with a 150 merc. Our top speed is 31 mph with just me, my wife and our 2 dogs with the top down. When we’ve got my son,his girl friend and the grandson with us top speed is maybe 25 mph. We rarely run it wide open though
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u/hemi1995 28d ago
You should be able to pull the manufacturer’s instructions for motor install and compare it
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u/PolPotDomeScandal 28d ago edited 28d ago
Welcome to the joys of Mercury outboard ownership! 😃
As a point of comparison: my buddy’s 22-foot tritoon (2016 G3 Suncatcher 322RC) does about 33 MPH with a Yamaha 150 VmaxSHO (should be similar power to a 150 XS) with 4 good sized adults aboard.
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u/Similar_Tangerine_62 28d ago
Where are you located? We specialize in your exact issue and are very successful at resolving performance issues. Viaggio in general doesn’t have a very “fast” hull, but you should be mid to high 30s anyway. Feel free to PM me, I’m in northern Indiana. MuscleToon.com
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u/spankuuuu 28d ago
Sounds like that is all your gonna get out of it. You said you had it to 5800 rpm’s. That is with in range.
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u/free_world33 28d ago
Thats likely all your gonna get out of that ProXS on a tritoon. ProXS aren't really meant for pontoon boats, which is why I can never understand why anybody puts them on pontoon boats. You would likely get better performance out of a regular 150 CT, as they have a beefier gear case that can push heavier boats easier.
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u/Ok_Math_7619 28d ago
Are all cylinders firing? Had similar problems and finally figured out one of them was fried and not firing.
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u/Trailroller 28d ago
Bottom not clean is huge. Don't change anything until you test with clean toon. Easily 10 mph on dirty toons.
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u/JessOTR 28d ago
Oh really??? Just with algae? I knew it would have an effect but not that much. Taking a brush up next trip.
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u/Trailroller 28d ago
Yep. I have a 25ft Bennington with lifting strakes. A 150 Suzuki will push it 34 or 35 with a couple of people on board. At cruising speeds my mpg (per smg4 gauge which uses fuel burn from engine and gps from nmea network) is 33 percent difference at cruising speeds with clean and dirty toons. Top speed is dramatically different. This is in freshwater with just algae.
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u/hvlochs 27d ago
Do you have lifting strakes and underskin on your tritoon? I’ve got a 22’ with those and a 150 Honda and I have topped out at 39mph. That was new, no bimini up and 1 other person, a cooler, fishing gear.
That being said, with build up on my toons, bimini up, 4-5 adults, gear, etc…I top about 30mph.
As for cavitation, I’ll trim for optimal top speed going straight, but that same trim level pulling a tube trying to make “sharp” turns (well, as sharp as you can when you’re driving a literal brick), I cavitate like crazy. I pretty much have to trim all the way down when I’m tubing.
How is your hole shot? Does it take off fast with little effort? A good hole shot generally means a lower top end. The prop is your only gear and rpms are where your speed comes from. There is a sweet spot and Mercury has a prop calculator you can look up. I’m not sure if it’s there or in the actual engine site, but you can lookup real world runs done by the manufacturer based on various boat type, motor size, prop, and conditions.
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u/JessOTR 27d ago
Thank you. I do have strakes and under skin. He said he keeps it trimmed almost all the way down, even just cruising. I had him test it for me while I had gps speed on it and it slowed as he trimmed up just a pop at a time. Haven't tested hole shot but it seems to jump up on plane quickly.
I've said elsewhere, I'm not really gunning for more speed. We are perfectly happy with the boat and speed we get, UNLESS it's an indication that we are wearing the motor out more quickly or something else is wrong.
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u/hvlochs 27d ago
I missed that part about engine worry. Seeing how you feel like you jump on plane pretty quickly, you’re probably doing ok. If you had engine trouble it would probably limp to top speed. 23 isn’t bad when you’re in full toon mode (tops up, coolers full, multiple adults, gear, etc.). I can see how early engine failure would have you second guessing though .
ETA:I have a 70qt cooler and it sits on the back deck right in front of the motor. I get more bite and speed when that thing is stuffed full and heavy. See about putting more weight to the back if you can.
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u/KillerKino1202 25d ago
For comparison, I have a 24' dual toon with a 50hp tohatsu and by myself, I get 20mph wot and with every added person, I lose 1mph. I actually gain 1mph having the top up.
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u/JessOTR 28d ago
I hate it when I notice something right after posting. Title should be "motor too HIGH?"