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What speed should I expect out of my 19ft dixie super skier 199 with a mercruiser 260hp 350 and a alpha 1

weider1717

Contributing Member
Just bought it from my uncle b

Just bought it from my uncle boat has always been in the family and my dad said he thinks the boat always ran 55mph...

last time it was loaded when my uncle owned it..the speed pressure dohickie got popped off (i'll soon replace it)

has I think a 19 pitch ss prop on it and it's a 1.5 ratio alpha 1...is 55 mph about right?

should i expect more? should i go with a higher pitch prop liek a 21? or is a 19 ideal for this boat doing pleasure riding and pulling a tube here and there.

can't wait to get the speedo working again and see what it does with just me in it.

here is a video so you can see the hull design..websites say it weighs 2700lbs..i'm guessing thats dry weight. It's not a deep hull at all i would like to see it hit 60mph...maybe thats outta the question or heck it might run that fast nobody acts like they know for sure my uncle says he never really opened it up to see or if he did its been years and years ago and he has forgot haha

http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/weider1717/?action=view&current=MOV00511.flv
 
My guess is 50.5 mph on GPS as

My guess is 50.5 mph on GPS assuming you have a 350 @ 260HP.
What do we win if closest?
 
"Sam, I saw the vid. with the

"Sam, I saw the vid. with the engine running on a hose.How is that water pump working for you? It did not seem to be pumping much in the vid.I did not hear the exhaust go wet.
Just sayin.
Those alpha's need to be watched on startup,to see that they are pumping ok.It is hard to do when you are the only one there, but as soon as I start an engine I walk back and watch for "wet" exhaust. an alpha one gen one will fry a water pump if run dry for 60seconds or less.
Just sayin"
 
"just 50mph? [img][/img] i dun

"just 50mph?
i dunno maybe thats all she's do but i don't have a gps on me i'll have to get the speedo fixed...do you have the exact same boat or something and know this for sure?? and .yes its a 350 cube chevy/mercruiser with 260hp

as far as watering that was its first startup (well 2nd i went to get the camera and we started it again) after being winterized and water did come out of the exhaust 15 secs or so after i started it and i saw the marine antifreeze green stuff come out and i let that wash out until it pretty much cleared up then took it to the lake ran nice and cool so i dunno?

also if you're right about it doing 50mph..if i get the speedo fixed and it does only run 50mph does that sound about right you u guys or should i be worried it only does 50 is with the boat i have does that sound about right for the 350 260hp motor?

i'll just have to see but i wanted a few op's so when i get the speedo fixed or borrow a gps to kinda tell just how good that engine is doing that way if it's running slower than expected i'll look into it or if its doign whats expected i'll know i'm fine..

my bass boat a 1993 nitro 190tf which is 19ft and has a 150 evinrude runs anywhere from 65-70mph..a higher prop i had on it ran 68-70 now with a 22 i think it is? it runs about 65..all this going by the factory speedo which i know isn't dead on balls accurate.

judging it to the ski boat i'd say the ski boat felt around 55mph....just by seat of pants
"
 
"[b]".yes its a 350 cube c

"".yes its a 350 cube chevy/mercruiser with 260hp"

Ayuh,...

I would think an Honest Low to Mid-50s....At Best....

"i'll have to get the speedo fixed..."

Pitot Speedo's are Notoriously Optimistic....

It might show 60......
talker.gif


What you Really Need to Know,....
Is the RPMs at WOT....
That's what "Tells the Story",... Not the Speedometer..."
 
i wonder how a guy on here wit

i wonder how a guy on here with a 19ft with a 5.0 liter 220hp is running 59mph..his boat must be really light.

yanno growing up on atv's and dirtbikes it always seemed like with 2 stroke u can NEARLY double what hp they were rated...i assume this is the same with marine 2 strokes so my 150hp bass boat is nearly like a 300hp 4 stroke engine right? i guess thats why its so fast for 150hp

which is to say this 260hp i/o ski boat I have now hp wise is probably about the same as my 150hp evinrude on my bass boat.....however my 19ft bass boat i'm pretty sure is lighter so I guess i shouldn't expect 60mph+ outta this ski boat.

thats just how we always judged dirtbikes like now days if i had a 250 2 stroke i'd be paired with a 450 4 stroke....or 125 2 stroke and a 250 4 stroke..thats the way they're paried in motocross races
 
"I should send you out in my 1

"I should send you out in my 11' inflatable with the 25HP on it.... 28mph feels like 75
lol.gif
"
 
"Sam;
I ran some numbers for


"Sam;
I ran some numbers for you.
Based on 2700 lbs + 300 lbs for driver/gas; you should be able to hit about 56 mph using a 21" pitch prop so as to keep the rpm around 4800.

One factor I don't know is your altitude. If its above 500 ft ASL; this will be lower. Another thing I don't know is what % slip you would have, but likely around 12% which is typical for a deep V bottom. So if you hit low to mid-50's with a 24 year old engine, I'd say all is well.

A 21" pitch looks right, but for all around use I would go with a 19" as you will get better hole shot and wakeboard performance.

Would you like to know what it would take to hit 60+? I knew you would.

A 320 hp 383 MAG MPI engine will get you into about 62+ mph with all other conditions the same. This calls for a 22" pitch prop, but the same 21" may get you there, as the 383 is rated for a max rpm of 5200.

Hope that helps,
Rod"
 
Sam;
Its all about weight wit


Sam;
Its all about weight with boats.
The reaason your bass boat is so fast is because it is likely very light for the hp you have.

Rod
 
"thanks rod! great info..I thi

"thanks rod! great info..I think the pitch prop on it now is 19 well i'll say this it has a model number and the number ends with 19p.....one would assume that stands for 19 pitch?

if my dad is right when my grandpa owned this boat and he used it some he said he remembers it doing 55mph with just him in it.....he's 5ft10 180lbs or so.

so u and him seem right together on what it should do, i may buy a garmin handheld so as i tweak on this boat with diff props etc i can see the small gains easier.

i have a spare 19 pitch prop well it has 19p at the end of the model number...think a 21 pitch would be ok to have? in your write up it sounded like a 21 pitch prop would do decent with providing a little more top end without taking a ton from the bottom..i may see if i can trade that spare one for a 21 pitch."
 
"The 19 is definitely pitch,

"The 19 is definitely pitch,
You could try a 21 just for comparison, but it may not give you much more top end. You will notice worse bottom end performance tho.

A 21 may be better for cruising. Could give somewhat better fuel economy cruising.

Rod"
 
"Sam, wax the bottom of your b

"Sam, wax the bottom of your boat, that should give you a mile or two. I'm too busy to do mine, but it does work. I think you'll get 53mph, we're starting a pool."
 
"OK I read most of this thread

"OK I read most of this thread and I will use my own boat for a comparison.
My boat is a 1987 21 ft Bow Rider 350 ci 260 hp bone stock with a alpha 1, oh and a 63 gallon gas tank.........ouch!!

I forget but I think this boat wieghs in at ~ 2500 - 3000 lbs. ( large heavy 21 footer 8 ft beam)

I get 52 -53 mph all day, every day and that is all she wrote with a aluminum prob. Never ran a stainless. Not interested in rebiulding MY outdrive when one of those ROCK bass get hungry....LOL

So with a 19 ft I/O with the same power and a 1/2 tank of fuel and 1 person and the OD trimmed to the max and a good stainless prop.

I would estimate 56 - 59 mph. depending on air/water temps and water conditions.

The wieght to power is better than mine so it should do much better with a good SS prop."
 
"Jeff, wow waxing the bottom w

"Jeff, wow waxing the bottom will actually help it enough to tell? after thinking about it yanno a slicked up waxed surface like that I guess would make a diff..not sure how long it'll be until I get to test the speed out tho I just now have the gas tank out (found a tiny pin hole leak!) gotta take it to get welded one day this week.

kghost, I hope you're right and I get even more than 55mph outta it. It has a ss prop on it but it's a 19" pitch and it's cuped I can feel that it's cuped some dunno if this will help with speed or not being cuped it may hurt it dunno.

but again I gotta get the tank and all back in it b4 I can see
"
 
"If the prop is NOT cupped pro

"If the prop is NOT cupped proppely the prop will not perform as designed.

This is very typical of rebiult alum props. They are not cupped well if at all and when you put lets say a 19 pitch prop new and cupped, you get 50 mph at 4600-4700 rpms. Put a rebiult 19 pitch with no or little cupping and you will run 4700-4900 rpm and maybe get 47 mph. Its kinda like going down one pitch
So if you have a NEW/used propperly cupped SS prop and not a rebiult you shouldbe OK.

If you know someone or a marina that may let you test some different props you may find a better one for max mph."
 
I have an 87 Concord Magnum II

I have an 87 Concord Magnum II with the same engine and drive. My boat weighs about 2500 lbs + fuel and driver and I am running 58-60 mph with a 21 pitch Laser II stainless prop at 3200 ft above sea level
 
"If that's on GPS David, e

"If that's on GPS David, either the Concord weighs quite a lot less than 2500, or your engine is making a lot more than 260HP.
It would take about 315HP in a very efficient hull to push 2500 lbs 60 mph at sea level and about 355HP at 3500 feet"
 
"Finally got a chance to GPS t

"Finally got a chance to GPS the ol' Concord. I had a full tank of gas (around 35 gallon) me at 180 lbs, the wife weighing in at 130 lbs, three pairs of skis and a crap load of life jackets I got a steady 53 to 54 mph. If you take out the wife and the gear and run the gas down to half a tank id say the boat would easily see 56 to 58.
here is a link to the factory pics of my boat on the website(mine is not nearly as ugly as the one they are showing)http://www.concordboats.com/magnumii.htm"
 
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