Reply With QuoteKim has an HST with a Rude V8 on it.
Do any of you know of anyone with stokers mainly the sst 20 ft (or hydrostream HST's) that are rigged with a mercury promax of any type but mainly the 300. I am mainly interested in knowing about the 300 and not the 300x as much but info on that would suffice as well. What type of results have you had? Drivability, stability, control, danger level (if any) speed etc. etc. etc. I know that the promax 300 weight is 480 lbs dry which weighs about 74 pounds more than my 200 blackmax. I have already heard some pros and cons from respectable sources who have made some conflicting statements against the others view and just want some more clarity if possible.
Thanks
Kim has an HST with a Rude V8 on it.
Just talked to Al Stoker on Thursday,he is rigging a 20 footer with a Merc 250SX 505LBS as we speak.Give him a call
Just talked to Al Stoker on Thursday,he is rigging a 20 footer with a Merc 250SX 505LBS as we speak.Give him a call
You see that's just it, I spoke to Al about this a few days ago and he vehemently recommended against rigging a promax 300 on one of those but then added that it could be awesome in one drivers hands but be basically a death sentence to an amateur driver considering that the sport master gear case with low water pickup likes to be ran really high because the stern tends to drag alot when running at or below pad. He then added that if you got real squirrelly at high speed, there would no stern in the water to help you gain back control of the boat quickly. I consider myself a fairly accomplished boater and adapt very quickly to driving needs. I talked to Eric Simon about rigging one on mine and he said it would be totally fine (in fact would probably be awesome) but then again he does not build stokers.
Anymore ideas or opinions? Thanx for the input so far.
By the way TD, thanks for the input on Kim's hydrostream I would like to hear more about that beast and the type of rigging (jackplate, setback if any, motor height, weight and overpowering issues if any.) That just seems like that v8 would be extremely torquey monster!
What type of results do you want to see? I would take Als opinion on this setup and then ask yourself which driver am I. If it gets squirly at speed and you need to get that motor down in a hurry is it possible with your current setup, can the hydrolics in the jack be modified to get it down faster and would that solve the problem? I think if I was lookin to go fast I would have Al build a engine and set it up how ever he recomends.
I agree, trust Al since he has been doing this for years and knows his stuff.
This post is not to slam Al S. it's just the way it is.
Every manufacturer wants to cover their ass. Al knows full well that his boats will take that motor and handle it safely. I mean just how hard can a Mod vee be to drive? Not VERY! Now Allisons on the other hand are quite a handful and there is a learning curve which you damn well better pay heed to or you're gonna get wet. Darris has a recommended for fuel mileage sticker altho they are coast guard rated unlimited. The sticker causes insurance companys to get queazy. What this boils down to is these two manufacturers want to sell hipo boats but are trying to protect their own ass as so they should.
In 1978, the first year the Evinrude 235 was out I bought one and put it on a Hydrostream Viper, 15 footer. It was a handful but I learned to drive it before it killed me. Now I can drive anything on the planet but not because I was born good but because I took the time to learn them. You should too. Follow that guideline and you can drive a Stoker with any motor out there.
Good luck and be safe.
TD
I appreciate all your input, but I am inclined to take the chance with the promax. I would never drive to test my wits with my wife and 3 kids in it with me, that goes without saying, but you bet I would get on that bad boy with just me or another adult male passenger or 2. I am not arrogant about my ability to feel the boats capabilities but I am confident with the right rigging setup that I would do just fine. I am not above reproach though and still welcome your personal experience and/or suggestions.
What type of results do you want to see? I would take Als opinion on this setup and then ask yourself which driver am I. If it gets squirly at speed and you need to get that motor down in a hurry is it possible with your current setup, can the hydrolics in the jack be modified to get it down faster and would that solve the problem? I think if I was lookin to go fast I would have Al build a engine and set it up how ever he recomends.
Well I want a motor that has power to spare and is lighter than the E-tecs, affordable and reliable. Basically the torque on the 300 promax with the right pitch prop would make up for the high rev's needed from a 2.5l to go the same speed. I am not too interested in the high strung 2.5L mercs because of potential reliability issues.
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