1999 OUTRAGE 17 with E-TEC 150: First Ride

Optimizing the performance of Boston Whaler boats
gobuck
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2017 1:27 pm

1999 OUTRAGE 17 with E-TEC 150: First Ride

Postby gobuck » Mon Apr 23, 2018 10:04 am

An E-TEC 150 on 1999 Outrage 17 is mounted all-the-way-up [possibly means mounted three-holes-up from the lowest position--jimh] and has a Viper 17-pitch propeller. The bottom of the OUTRAGE 17 is painted. Aboard were 35-gallons of fuel, my wife, and I; a total crew weight of 300-lbs.

The E-TEC accelerated to 5,800-RPM with moderate trim out and [the boat speed was] 41-MPH. [The E-TEC engine] could not be trimmed up any higher without over-revving and slight porpoising.

I thought [boat speed with the new engine] would be faster.

Give your thoughts.

User avatar
Phil T
Posts: 2602
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2015 6:08 pm
Location: Was Maine. Temporarily Kentucky

Re: 1st ride with the new gen 1 E-Tec 150

Postby Phil T » Mon Apr 23, 2018 12:32 pm

You are under-propped. Too little pitch.

The sweet spot for rpm's for the engine are 5000-5500.

Recommended props for that engine include:

SST 14-3/4" x 19" (#176617)
Viper 14-3/4" x 19" (#176627)
1992 Outrage 17
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003

jimh
Posts: 11678
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
Contact:

Re: 1999 OUTRAGE 17 with E-TEC 150: First Ride

Postby jimh » Mon Apr 23, 2018 1:06 pm

Selecting proper propeller pitch is highly influenced by gear ratio, so before offering any comments about the performance, please clarify the engine and its gear ratio.

What is the gear ratio of the E-TEC engine?

What is the shaft length? (Gear ratio varies with shaft length on some models.)

Are you talking about the legacy E-TEC 150-HP V6 2.6-liter 150-HP engine with a 1.86:1 or 1.85:1 gear ratio?

Or are you talking about the new E-TEC 150-HP G2 2.7-liter 6-cylinder 66-degree V-block engine with a 2.17:1 gear ratio?

What was your boat speed before with the old engine, and what was the old engine?

jimh
Posts: 11678
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
Contact:

Re: 1999 OUTRAGE 17 with E-TEC 150: First Ride

Postby jimh » Mon Apr 23, 2018 1:21 pm

For describing engine mounting height, please use the preferred description method by indicating the number of units of "holes" or 0.75-inch increments the engine has been raised from its lowest possible transom mounting position. This method eliminates all ambiguity about engine mounting height.

gobuck
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2017 1:27 pm

Re: 1999 OUTRAGE 17 with E-TEC 150: First Ride

Postby gobuck » Mon Apr 23, 2018 1:23 pm

[The engine under discussion is a legacy] E-TEC 150 mounted in the [ambiguous description--again, please use the recommended method to describe engine mounting height--jimh]. There are three holes above it now.

I will try a higher pitch propeller. I appreciate any and all comments. Thank you
Last edited by gobuck on Mon Apr 23, 2018 2:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

jimh
Posts: 11678
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
Contact:

Re: 1999 OUTRAGE 17 with E-TEC 150: First Ride

Postby jimh » Mon Apr 23, 2018 1:37 pm

If the legacy E-TEC 150 is a 25-inch shaft then the gear ratio is 1:85:1.

The propeller SLIP can be calculated as follows:

RPM = 5800
RATIO = 1.85
PITCH = 17
SLIP = to be calculated
MPH = 41

SLIP calculates to 19, which is very high for a moderate planing hull at that speed. You probably have the engine mounted too high.

Your latest description of the engine mounting height is a bit ambiguous. I interpret what you wrote earlier to mean you have the engine mounted at 3-holes up, as I believe there are only four sets of holes available, and you mentioned "highest" setting. The preferred description is very simple. You start at “lowest position” and move up in one-hole increments.

Changing the engine mounting height is a lot of work. But the data suggests that the propeller has too much SLIP.

Typically the propeller should be working with about SLIP =10. If we had that outcome with the propeller, the boat speed would be 45-MPH.

As PHIL T suggested, you can try a propeller with more pitch. Increasing pitch by 2-inches may drop the engine speed. If the engine speed drops to 5600 and SLIP stays at 19, the boat speed would be about 44-MPH.

For the legacy E-TEC 150 the recommended optimum engine speed range at full throttle is given in my REFERENCE article at

E-TEC Recommended Engine Speed Range
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/ETEC_EngineRPM.html

The recommended range varies with production year range, but 5500 to 5750 is listed for the most recent models. In general I prefer to pick a propeller that puts the engine full-throttle speed into the upper end of the recommended range. At 5800 you are just above the top of the recommended range. Perhaps lowering the engine one-hole will give the propeller more bite and drop the engine speed 100-RPM.

It will be easier to try a few other propellers than to immediately change the engine mounting height. You may want to give some other three-blade propellers a trial.

User avatar
Phil T
Posts: 2602
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2015 6:08 pm
Location: Was Maine. Temporarily Kentucky

Re: 1999 OUTRAGE 17 with E-TEC 150: First Ride

Postby Phil T » Tue Apr 24, 2018 4:19 pm

I would not recommend trying a propeller with more pitch, I am only suggesting the two props above in the sizes listed.

If you select a different brand/model, the size recommendation will probably be very different. Size and performance are not standardized and vary from model to model and even within brands.

When discussing mounting height - see this FAQ
http://continuouswave.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=739

Moving the engine also affects WOT engine RPM. Each hole change adds or subtracts 150 to 175-RPM. I think your engine is at the close to the idea mounting height. E-TEC's like to be mounted high, 2-holes or 3-holes up. Get the prop sorted, then look at the mounting.
1992 Outrage 17
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003

dtmackey
Posts: 760
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2017 9:29 pm

Re: 1999 OUTRAGE 17 with E-TEC 150: First Ride

Postby dtmackey » Tue Apr 24, 2018 10:37 pm

For engine mounting height, do you have a picture of the anti-ventilation when running at speed? This will give some indication of mounting height as the top of the anti-ventilation plate should be visible and not buried in the water. Once you determine the engine height is correct, then move on to propeller testing, otherwise propeller testing with an engine that is not mounted properly cannot be optimized.

D-

gobuck
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2017 1:27 pm

Re: 1999 OUTRAGE 17 with E-TEC 150: First Ride

Postby gobuck » Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:48 am

The engine is mounted three-holes-up.

I have used the boat once then brought it back to the dealer to get the bottom painted and have the propeller sorted out.

My wife wasn't comfortable moving around the boat while it was on plane. I will let her drive and take a picture when I get the boat back.

Thank you for your comments.

jimh
Posts: 11678
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
Contact:

Re: 1999 OUTRAGE 17 with E-TEC 150: First Ride

Postby jimh » Wed Apr 25, 2018 12:29 pm

To get some feeling for how the anti-ventilation plate should appear relative to the water flow around the plate, you can find a number of pictures of various boats and engines that show the A-V plate at

A-V PLATE PICTURES
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/006491.html

Here is a view of my boat, engine, and A-V plate:

Image
E-TEC 225 25-inch-shaft, single engine on Whaler Drive, mounted one-hole-up.

jimh
Posts: 11678
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
Contact:

Re: 1999 OUTRAGE 17 with E-TEC 150: First Ride

Postby jimh » Wed Apr 25, 2018 1:52 pm

While a nice top speed is generally welcome, I don't think that everyone needs to set up their Boston Whaler for the absolutely highest possible top speed. To get the highest possible top speed often means setting engine height as high as possible, selecting propellers for maximum speed, accelerating onto plane with some labor, and achieving those speeds only in the most perfect conditions that allow the boat to be run that fast.

I am more interested in getting good all-round performance, getting onto plane easily, maintaining complete propeller hook-up--no ventilation at all--in rough seas, and having very good acceleration available when needed. If I give up 1-MPH in top speed I don't care. If some other guy has the same boat and it has a slightly higher top speed, I don't care--we are not racing each other for the grand prize of $100,000.

My engine provides a history report that shows how much time the engine has spent at various engine speeds, and over nine years of use I can see the amount of time the engine has been running at or close to its maximum engine speed is extremely limited--and probably half of that time was just from propeller testing. The only reason to run the engine at full-throttle in propeller testing is to verify the engine can reach its rated horsepower speed range to know that it won't be lugging under the propeller load. I almost never run the engine at maximum throttle in actual use of the boat. My boat can hit 44-MPH under the perfect conditions, but it spends almost all of its time on-plane at speeds between 25 and 30-MPH.