This is my first post and I need your help. I have a 1999 225EFI Merc motor on a 1999 Champion 203 Elite Boat. I just bought this boat. When I tride it out it didn't have much gas in the tank (holds 45 gal.)and it was slow getting on plane but it started and ran great after it got up. When I got it to it's permanent home at Amistad and filled it up with gas I had heck getting it on plane. It felt like it was loading up, not enough power to get it out of the hole. I changed the plugs and that seemed to help, I was the only one in the boat, but it still didn't get out great. At this time I called the guy I bought the boat from, he asured me in the past the boat would get out of the hole in about two boat links. So I took it to Merc dealer in DelRio and he tells me this is common in this motor. My gueston after this long post is, has any one out their had this problem and how did you solve it.
PS I left it at the shop to be worked on.

I have a 99 Merc 225EFI on a TR21 and have not had any problems getting on plane. I run a trophy 25 pitch prop. My only complaint is that the prop will cavitate if I give the motor too much gas before the boat has some speed. I have thought about having Steve redo my prop to eliminate this, but I am not a speed demon and the cavitation only lasts a second or two until the prop bites into the water.

Let us know what the shop finds out...
Ron

O Ranch,

Are you trimming your motor down in the hole shot? When I bought my first boat, I had the same problem. Now I don't have that issue. Try trimming all the way down when you launch, as you come to plane, trim it up.

rb7764, cavitation is extremely bad for a prop and/or impeller, even if it is for a few seconds. What happens is the air bubbles created get compressed really hard and they collapse causing a tiny explosion, this is really simplified but basically it eats away at your prop/impeller.

Hope this helps you both.

O Ranch, the holeshot problems that Merc had with early 225 EFI's was solved long before the 99 models came out. I had a 98 model on a 203 Elite and it came out of the hole with the best 225 powered boats out there. Your Champion should have a great holeshot if it is set up right and you are driving it correctly.

Artie

Fishful_Thinking,

Thanks for the advice. I didn't mean to imply that it was OK - only that my motor will do it if I gun the motor. Actually, I usually just power up smoothly and it doesn't happen.

Ron

Good advice here. Are you new to driving a bass boat or boat in general? If you had even one plug not firing, my experience has been that you will not reach plane at all. Soemthing about removing the cowling and putting it back on and not realizing I had knocked a plug wire loose taught me this.
For the record, I have a VERY similar setup...1999 Cobra 201d with a 1999 225 EFI.
I would have thought to tell you that you may need to tinker with the plugs on your prop, but if it was getting out the hole without problems before then I wouldn't think it to be an issue. Good luck and tell us what you find out.

Great rb, I'm glad you can control it in some form. Most people don't realize how bad cavitation really is.

Fish on!

Thanks for the info. It makes me feel better that this doesn't sound like a 99 225EFI problem, Also I am not a first time bass boat owner, the trim has been trimed down. The boat I just sold was a 21' Champion with 200 Mairner and it came out of the hole great. But I now have questions about a Merc machanic telling me that it is a 99 225 constant problem.

Thanks
-O Ranch
The Bar None Ranch

Nothing about that motor that should be an issue, the 99 225 EFI is as solid a motor as ever built.

Previous advice is good, make sure you didn't knock a plug wire loose, that is common.

The question now is, what is really happening? Is it cavitating? Is it just bogging down? That boat/motor with a standard setup, 26 Tempest, motor set right should be a 3 second hole shot ready to fish.

rb7764, with your trophy, all you need to do is buy a 13.00 part. you need a cavitation ring. i have them here. However, yes doing some tuning on the trophy will help it's performance.

O-ranch
i agree with pat on the prop choice. If you currently have a 3 blade tempest, try removing all the pvs plugs in the barrell, run it again. if it helps, then you can re-instal a plug at a time to fine tune the holeshot. You may also need to raise the engine. set the prop shaft hite at 3 1/2" below pad. then fine tune from there. going up 1/2" at a time till the performance is where you expect it. your problem sounds like setup to me.

Sounds like you may need to have the engine set up checked,have the TPI checked,if it is not set properly the hole shot will lag alittle,what are you turning on RPMS on top end,how does it idle is it smooth or rough,if its rough you might have a chipped reed or air leak on the intake,change the fuel filter and add some cleaner to the fuel,check the bleed lines on the intake and on the sides of the block,if you have fuel and oil in the bottom of the cowling then a bleed line might be the culprit,a good mechanic can check all of this,if you are not sure when it was serviced last then have the impeller and gear lube changed to.

Sounds like you may need to have the engine set up checked,have the TPI checked,if it is not set properly the hole shot will lag alittle,what are you turning on RPMS on top end,how does it idle is it smooth or rough,if its rough you might have a chipped reed or air leak on the intake,change the fuel filter and add some cleaner to the fuel,check the bleed lines on the intake and on the sides of the block,if you have fuel and oil in the bottom of the cowling then a bleed line might be the culprit,a good mechanic can check all of this,if you are not sure when it was serviced last then have the impeller and gear lube changed to.

I have a 4 blaid SS prop don't know the pitch, will check this out when I go back down. I did notice some fuel and oil in the cowling (not much) when I changed the plugs. Thought this was from loading up. What are bleed lines and what do they do? Also what is TPI?

It idles smooth and runs good on top end when you do get it on top. Also starts good.

Thanks for all the help
-O Ranch

Sounds like a trophy. The trophy needs to be run alot higher to get the performance out of it. When you get to the boat. measure the prop shaft hite. and set it at 3 1/2"

1)place a level under the pad, and adjust trailer jack up or down till boat is level
2)place the level on the cavitation plate on the engine, and trim down till motor is level
3)measure from ground to pad, then ground to center of prop shaft
4)deduct the two measurements. adjust the jackplate till the prop shaft is 3 1/2" below pad.


hope that helps.

Thanks Steve will check it.