The Ideal Starflite Prop!

[jeffyham]

I have a 25P Trophy + on my 1988 Starflite with 10" setback, a 1987 200hp Black Max, etc. I am getting 66mph at 5700 rpm on GPS. Does anyone think I could do better with a 24P Fury? I have a chance to get one...

 

[nastybug]

Hey Jeffy, Bug here. I read a thread where a guy with a 21 pulsare w/ 250 xs merc was running 77. something with a trophy26 inch prop. He tried a 26 fury and ran 80 and ran out of lake. Thought he could go faster. I have a 2100 pulsare LD 250 proxs 15 in setback run a 27 fury 1.5 inches below pad. Jumps on plane very easily. Had 5 people in boat one day full tank with about 740 lbs in the back seat. Got on plane no cavitation. Loads of bowlift. Ive never run a tempest or a trophy to compare but this fury is awesome. Bug.

 

[Mark]

Fury is a great prop but is hit and miss with different setups. I would try before you buy. Some guys get more speed, some get less. I have a 25 Fury I run on my 250 Etec/Starliner. It runs about the same top end as a 26 Trophy but it feels like the boat runs flatter. (less bow lift). It's still a keeper.
I get more bow lift from my Rev4 and a couple of MPH as well. (The Rev4 needs big horsepower to turn) Fury also runs better 1/2" deeper.

 

[at100plus]

I have had my Starflite for 2 years. I slapped a stock good running 1992 200 Merc on it when I got it and used the prop that came with the boat which I think is a Mirage 23 pitch 3 blade through hub. It has 8" Detweiler hydraulic setback. Best I've seen is 65 with the wind with me and another 200 lb. friend on board.

I often wonder why no one seems to talk about choppers on these boats. I would think a nicely worked thinned DAH chopper with some emphasis on bow lift would do wonders as it has on many of my previous boats.

I just removed my cushions and dug out as much of the foam as I could remarkably the foam was very dry except for about a 10 square inch area at the very bottom near the aft bulkhead, which might have been due to me parking it bow down hill a few weeks ago and a big rain storm hit that night.

I'm about to add 2 more inches of setback and try a 24 chopper worked by DAH. I'll report back when I have time to test. Over the winter I plan to do the reeds, tighter heads and look for some 225 carbs too. The Starflite has been a good family boat that I don't have to worry about. Doing some setup just makes me more interested in it.

 

[jeffyham]

starfliteprop update

after putting the 25 trophy on the boat and reporting on the above performance last summer, things went downhill this past summer. i have lost both rpm and top speed with the 25 trophy. hole shots were sluggish, top end o gps went to 61
revs have been line the 5400 ish range. inn addition, with the engine and trim up to get the revs up i would get a he'll of a scare when the back of the boat would break loose and kick hard to the left .

i went back to a 21 thru hub 3 blade chopper can get 60 at 6000 rpm with a stable ride and no ugly kick. either the motor is in need of some love, of which it has had 4 grand worth inn the past three years, water in Wi is thicker than ME, my boat gained weight , or the gaps transfer installed is affecting me at top end. truly a mystery. maybe a shift to 91 octane is due. dunno...this summer and last are quite different

 

[at100plus]

Everyone always said thru hub Trophy would be better when I had a 21 Superboat too, but the best speed and all around handling, planing came from a DAH worked Chopper (over hub). I have never heard of a thru hub Chopper. I currently have and have been running what I think is an older 23 Mirage thru hub and I have seen 65, it planes great hanldes well, but doesnt carry the bow that well. My boat was John Tiger's boat which was a feature resto in Hot Boat Mag circa 2000. John said best he saw was 72 with 225 Pro Max but he didnt try any worked choppers. DAH will thin the blades and cup for bow lift so lets see how it works.

 

[illMATTic]

after putting the 25 trophy on the boat and reporting on the above performance last summer, things went downhill this past summer. i have lost both rpm and top speed with the 25 trophy. hole shots were sluggish, top end o gps went to 61
revs have been line the 5400 ish range. inn addition, with the engine and trim up to get the revs up i would get a he'll of a scare when the back of the boat would break loose and kick hard to the left .

i went back to a 21 thru hub 3 blade chopper can get 60 at 6000 rpm with a stable ride and no ugly kick. either the motor is in need of some love, of which it has had 4 grand worth inn the past three years, water in Wi is thicker than ME, my boat gained weight , or the gaps transfer installed is affecting me at top end. truly a mystery. maybe a shift to 91 octane is due. dunno...this summer and last are quite different

What is gaps transfer?

 

[at100plus]

Everyone always said thru hub Trophy would be better when I had a 21 Superboat too, but the best speed and all around handling, planing came from a DAH worked Chopper (over hub). I have never heard of a thru hub Chopper. I currently have and have been running what I think is an older 23 Mirage thru hub and I have seen 65, it planes great hanldes well, but doesnt carry the bow that well. My boat was John Tiger's boat which was a feature resto in Hot Boat Mag circa 2000. John said best he saw was 72 with 225 Pro Max but he didnt try any worked choppers. DAH will thin the blades and cup for bow lift so lets see how it works.

I gave the numbers to DAH that were stamped on my thru hub ( which I thought was a Mirage), DAH says it is a Yamaha Pro series which he says is a great prop, and it does run well on my Starflite, the prop looks stock too, so if the Chopper doesn't work well I might send this Yamaha pro out to DAH for thinning and cupping.

 

[at100plus]

Ok finally ran my DAH 24 Chopper. I sent it to him, told him to tweak it down closer to a 23 and give me cupping for bow lift. It is PERFECT.

I added 2" of setback for a total of 15, and the DAH Chopper spun right up to 65 MPH at 6100 RPMs with me and my 8 year old son and a full tank and tools, two anchors, lots of gear. I also removed all the foam from the bow but only the very bottom foam was wet at all. I ran the rest of the day at the CT River Run with myself (185 lbs, my dad approx 240 lbs and another 200+ lb friend and it did 60 easy. As fuel lightened up and my friend got on another boat it was doing 62 to 64. With this prop I was able to jack more (hydraulic jack), and the boat just felt so much more agile riding higher, took the chop better cause less boat was in the water, landings were better cause it was landing more aft, and just all around BIG improvement over my Yamaha Pro Series thru hub 23. Only thing the Yamaha thru hub did better is plane off but as long as my heavyweight back seat passengers leaned forward a bit for planing it wasn't bad and well worth the bottom loss for the rest of the gains. FYI this is a bone stock good running Merc 2.5 200 with stock V6 lower unit! I bet I could pull 70 out of this prop light on fuel driver only and the right conditions and it's probably a 68 MPH prop all day with just driver.

 

[MateFever]

I'm going to bring this to the top and announce that Mark is absolutely 100% right about the powertech tro4. I searched and searched for an idea on the right prop and after re reading this thread lucked out and was able to snatch one from jross. Yesterday was the first time I've had the boat out since I bought it and I was beyond amazed at the difference. The holeshot was better than my hi five, it lifted the hull out of the water like I've never felt since I bought the boat and man did it have the speed. I was able to raise up my jack plate without losing water pressure or losing the carry of the hull. Anyone with this hull needs to try this prop. THANK YOU MARK!!!!!!!!!! And thanks to jross for a great prop!

 

[RidinDirty]

I'm going to bring this to the top and announce that Mark is absolutely 100% right about the powertech tro4. I searched and searched for an idea on the right prop and after re reading this thread lucked out and was able to snatch one from jross. Yesterday was the first time I've had the boat out since I bought it and I was beyond amazed at the difference. The holeshot was better than my hi five, it lifted the hull out of the water like I've never felt since I bought the boat and man did it have the speed. I was able to raise up my jack plate without losing water pressure or losing the carry of the hull. Anyone with this hull needs to try this prop. THANK YOU MARK!!!!!!!!!! And thanks to jross for a great prop!

What pitch are you running on the tr04?

 

[Mark]

Haha... this thread is over 13 years old. I am three boats later. TRO4 is still a great prop. Run 1 pitch less than a Trophy or Tempest.

 

[RidinDirty]

Haha... this thread is over 13 years old. I am three boats later. TRO4 is still a great prop. Run 1 pitch less than a Trophy or Tempest.

13 year old post, but priceless info!! It also was my first!! Haa

Just picked up my first boat, an 85 starflite. Has a 95 xri 200, jackplate 10” SB. No LWPU yet, in the works, possibly not this season though

Im running the 23” that it came with. From all my recent research you my friend seem to have given the most solid info on props. Seems like you speak from personal experience not “i have a friend who...”

One less then a trophy or tempest...

Given my setup with no LWPU, is a 25” a safe bet? Would that change once i get a LWPU?

Is there another prop other then the TR04? You showed alot of live for this prop some 13yrs ago
Id prefer holeshot and mid range vs squeezin out the top end for a few mph.
Currently in the highs 50’s around 5200. Again, thats only with 2 hours seat time. More to follow

Thanks for knowledge

 

[RidinDirty]

I'm going to bring this to the top and announce that Mark is absolutely 100% right about the powertech tro4. I searched and searched for an idea on the right prop and after re reading this thread lucked out and was able to snatch one from jross. Yesterday was the first time I've had the boat out since I bought it and I was beyond amazed at the difference. The holeshot was better than my hi five, it lifted the hull out of the water like I've never felt since I bought the boat and man did it have the speed. I was able to raise up my jack plate without losing water pressure or losing the carry of the hull. Anyone with this hull needs to try this prop. THANK YOU MARK!!!!!!!!!! And thanks to jross for a great prop!

Old post i know. But i just picked up a 21 flite with a 95 xri 200

Can you share the exact prop you ran tr04? Pitch? Or if you found a better alternative...
Im not sooo concerned with top end, would prefer hole shot and mid range support. A few hp on top here and there, i can do without.

 

[Mark]

Well, if you are turning a 23p to 5200 you will never turn a 25 TRO4. Although you didn't say what prop. That motor can run to 5800 rpm WOT. If 5200 is all you can get, you actually need to lower the pitch. But something doesn't seem right. It is possible the motor is really tired.

Couple of things first. You should probably wait till you have a better propping baseline. You need try your current prop at around 1.5" to 3" prop shaft below the bottom of hull. My guess is you are way low in the water. Then you should get a better sense of what you can turn. From there every one pitch will change rpm 150-200 rpm up or down.

The TRO4 is meant to run high and can easily tolerate 2" below hull bottom.
You also don't need LWPU per se, but the mercury water scoops work great and are easy to install. https://www.ebay.com/itm/MERCURY-ME...6A1-/391086496645?hash=item5b0e925b85&vxp=mtr

 

[Mark]

BTW, I settled on a 24p TRO4 but my 200 XRI was very strong back then. Your motor is now 24 years old.

 

[JT Patroni]

Mark, I have the 85 Starflite with a Johnson 3L 200. No jackplate and at 6" below. Running the Raker 24P. It will blow out in a turn over 30 mph. Hole shot is extremely strong and likes to porpose between 1800 to 3000. Biggest problem, it's not enough pitch. When I trim out, the RPM can literally scream past 6000. On GPS it showed 62 mph at 5500. I know this hull likes a jack plate but I never spent the money. Not sure what a 26P or 28P Raker would do for this hull.
Anyone ever tried a 26P or 28P Raker on this hull?

 

[Mark]

JT
Sounds like a very strong Johnson 200. I had a 26p Raker on mine when I ran my Etec and honestly it was the worst prop I have ever run. Blew out on every turn.
You don't need massive setback on these things but even 6" or 8" will allow you to get the motor up to 3" below and will wake it right up. It will feel like a new boat and handle great.
IMHO the 3 blade props are only good for running in a straight line. This hull prefers a 4 blade. I liked the Renegade but the Trophy or TRO4 are better and just need a hub kit to fit.
On my 250 Etec, which was a torque monster, I ended up with a 25" Rev4 which is actually 4 blade Tempest. It was my best prop but too big for a 200.

If you are not going to get a jackplate, the Fury (even though 3 blade) runs very well buried at 6" and is an amazing prop. No blowout, good holeshot, good top end.

 

[RidinDirty]

Well, if you are turning a 23p to 5200 you will never turn a 25 TRO4. Although you didn't say what prop. That motor can run to 5800 rpm WOT. If 5200 is all you can get, you actually need to lower the pitch. But something doesn't seem right. It is possible the motor is really tired.

Couple of things first. You should probably wait till you have a better propping baseline. You need try your current prop at around 1.5" to 3" prop shaft below the bottom of hull. My guess is you are way low in the water. Then you should get a better sense of what you can turn. From there every one pitch will change rpm 150-200 rpm up or down.

The TRO4 is meant to run high and can easily tolerate 2" below hull bottom.
You also don't need LWPU per se, but the mercury water scoops work great and are easy to install. https://www.ebay.com/itm/MERCURY-ME...6A1-/391086496645?hash=item5b0e925b85&vxp=mtr

Realistically I'm jumpin the gun looking at props. Its more so just gatherin knowledge and info
My seat time is again only 2 hours. The numbers i gave were very rough estimates. I will say the motor pulls, def has some pep left. Easily planes out hits the mid 50s with ease.

The low water brackets you showed are real nice. Are they very motor specific ?
The ones you showed dont state 200hp
They also seem like they are hard to come by

Thank you for info Mark

 

[Mark]

One other thing. Chances are your Raker is letting go when you trim up and you are revving up and not going any faster. That doesn't mean your prop needs more pitch, just better bite.