29 Fountain Fever
 

Hey guys, going to look at a mid 2000 29 with a single 496ho....I know its the smallest motor they put in that boat....but any real world experience with this set up would be greatly appreciated...I know, get the 575sc, only go blue, etc etc.

This will be just a cruising around kind of boat, not running apba or sbi!!

Thay run very well with a single and 496 good motor hours on motor?

Motor has 600hrs...boat seems to be clean...its in Jupiter Florida down the road from me 40k

I bought a 29 with a 575 and hated it for multiply reasons but more importantly check the hull for transom and stringers make sure they are solid. Not really much you can do to a 496 to get more performance.

I have been able to hit 73, with a 400 hour 525EFI in my 2003 29. Getting the top end done this winter, but roughly 100 less HP I would imagine you could still see mid 60s. With a full load its tough to get on plane with my boat, I know some change their prop to a lower pitch to get on plane quicker, but sacrifice top speed. Im curious if a 496 would be about the same, better, or worse.

Agree with this 100% bring a hammer with you and do some tapping, Or better yet, get a survey done.

Good info thanks guys.....I am thinking if it takes a while to plane with a 525....100hp less will def be a struggle fully loaded.....

The 496HO is a great engine if you want thousands of hours of trouble free boating. It isn't a good engine if you're trying to go fast.

I have a late model 27 w/ 496HO and it has about 67-68mph in it with a light load. The 29 hull is a bit more efficient with the larger step than the 27. I wouldn't expect the 29 to be faster than 67-68mph though.

My 27 is set up with a 1.65:1 drive and 30p prop, the same way that most of the late model 29's are set up. When the boat is full of fuel and 4-5 people it takes WOT, full tab, and long run to get it to plane. The 29 cannot be any better.

Get a survey and a test ride if possible. If it checks out, great boat and engine package for what you are looking to do. I would only buy the 29 over the 27 just for the fuel tank size alone. If it is propped correctly (check the factory performance sheet) it will plane out just fine, just tuck the drive and bury the tabs.

He doesnt need any help with the Fever now that he bought is 25 Sport fish.

I am curious what you couldnt live with on the 29s in your other post. I know the only thing I complain about is how hard it is to get on the bow.

Agreed on the survey and ride. I don't understand on the tabs, I've NEVER needed tab movement to plane, especially when I switched to Arneson drives after ditching my faulty TR's. As I recall, if I set 3000 RPM, or even less, it's been a few years/beers, there is nothing you could do to stop my 30' Cobalt Condurre from planing. I have used the tabs to keep the boat on plane below 20 mph but NEVER to help get on plane. Even the TR's never needed tabs if tucked under, and they were slugs. . . .:boat:

Depends on the boat. Aggressive performance boats with deep vee's, high X-Dim's, big props need all the help they can get. Just about any boat being pushed forward will eventually plane out. Using tabs can help expedite the process by pushing the ass end up and out as its moving forward.

For those that "never" use tabs. Next time your out, try it. You might be surrpised.

I have tried them, they were never needed even with 8 people in the rear of the boat. It has fairly big Rolla props, 1.31 and 1.33 ratio surface drives, 26 degrees of deadrise at the stern. You'd think the surfacing propellers being partially out of the laminar flow coming off the hull and in the aerated water above that flow would make planing difficult. SHOULD be a cavitating monster, 3000 rpm you will plane whether you like it or not, without any noticeable prop slip. I suppose I understand it on true superboats but not a fairly speedy performance boat.

Just curious, what kind of tabs on your boat? K-Planes? Size?

With it bucketing rain down, I'm not going to go look today but they are large thick aluminum tabs about 18" long and about 14-16" wide. They have PLENTY of authority, you REALLY need to add power when you put them full down! I don't have any digital pictures of the boat sans this one:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...feb0e634e7.jpg
You can kinda see from the photo the tabs are 1/2 as long as the ASD6's.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...3c215a8aa.jpeg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...bb19771bc.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...caed5fce3.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...68c7c6221.jpeg
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I have this 29 that was rigged in 2020 was a 575 now is 502 Whipple, afr heads, holly super tuner with o2, its transom imco Scx upper and lower, 380 tabs which I only use a high speeds. Great on fuel launches on plain instantly. Buying a bigger boat would sell if interested contact me love this boat great all around

Nice looking boat! Plenty of power and I'lll bet it is stable at speed with all those rear flat pads, mine became longitudinally unstable in the mid 90's due to no pads, what I would have given back in the day to have such a hull. Mine takes the biggest waves great but speed . . . er no! I only have 454's with 420 B&M megablowers and double 750's. EFI was in it's infancy when I built mine. I bet you get lots of authority with those cupped round eared wheels. I just have 5 bladed cleavers but they might be better for surfacing when I have less than 1/2 of the prop in the water. So many things have gotten so much better and more available. I remember having 2 props made and waiting 9 months for Rolla to get them to me, $6800 in 1989, about $16,000 in todays dollars. That hurt!

I looked at the 29....a lot of the engine was rusted by the trans/gimble etc.....they replaced some of the vinyl and the color was a few shades off looked bad, gauges were shot, lots of oxidation on dash etc......the design is nice for sure, if it was super clean I would have bought it. I took my kids that day and then ran across the 25 sportfish cruiser. Being that my son is a fishing maniac, we went with the 25, it was 1/3 the price and fit the bill.....not a rocket ship but maybe a 29 with a bigger motor is in the future as long as it is super clean!!!

congrats ! getting out on the water is what's fun eventually I will be selling mine going to a bigger boat. Time will tell

With my boat (35 straight bottom) , My planning time is based on prop choice with my 18dia 31pitch 20*rake props , I can plane off in less time than it takes for me to raise my drives and brings my tabs from all the way down to neutral .

I have a 27’ with a 496 for sale and a 29’ with a 575sci
joe 253-606-2816

A twin engine boat is a LOT different than a single engine. You have 2x the stern lift right off of the bat regardless of the power plant.

I can tell you with confidence that my boat will NOT plane with 4 people and a full tank of fuel without the tabs. Doesn't matter if I had a mile of run. It will plow at 8-9mph and never break over. Just doesnt have enough stern lift or power.