Mirage + on the 24
 

I usually run a Bravo 1 with great results but yesterday I figured I would break out my Mirage + for the day. I ran the Mirage for the first season I had my boat. I can record pretty good speeds with it but I am all over the road. I get a lot of chine walk with the Mirage +, practically none with the Bravo 1. I hit 73.2 yesterday with one person and full gas. I think I may try to sell it and get my 26 Bravo labbed. Anybody interested? solid hub, 26 pitch.

Dave M.

Hey Dave,
After buying my boat, I asked JC what prop to run. He recommended a Mirage plus. I asked him about the Bravo I? He told me they started running them on the new 24s a few years ago, but the three blade would be fine on my boat. After speeking with you, I bought a Bravo I to have all bases covered.
Jo at Pantera told me that on my 89 Pantera the drive height was lower than on newer boats and that I would get more speed with the Mirage in calm water, and a Bravo I would give better bite in the rough.
My Pantera was about 3mph slower with the Bravo I. My Superboat is maybe 2mph slower with a Bravo I. I will say that with both boats the Bravo is much better in rough water.
I have not experienced excessive chine walking with either prop. You are going quite a bit faster than me though. I'm wondering if the drive height is higher on the stepped hull 24s.
Anyway, it does not sound like a three blade has any business being on your boat. Sell that baby, you should be able to get around $300. There is a labbed 26p Bravo for sale in the classifieds for $375. You may want to leave your stock prop alone. I have not heard of too many good results with labbed props lately. The prop guys I've spoke to said it may take a couple of tries to get it right.
Sorry to babble on, but I have not talked boats in a couple of days.

MY LAB 26 IS STILL AT MERCURY FOR THE SECOND TIME. HOPEFULLY WHEN I GET IT BACK IT WILL PICK THE NOSE UP.I MIGHT TRY A NEW STOCK 28 A, LABBED 28 DID NOT WORK AND I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS TO BIG.NOW THAT I KNOW THAT THE DRIVE IS TO HIGH FOR A LAB PROP IM GOING TO TRY A STOCK 28.THATS IF IT WEVER STOPS RAINING[THINK ZUPERFEST]

I ran my 25 Mirage plus Saturday afternoon. It is definately faster, with two guys and low gas we saw 71mph on the speedo 67.6GPS at 4500rpm. The seas were relatively calm so I did not experience the prop breaking free like I had in rougher water the last time I tried it. I did lower my tabs a little, the boat does seem to rock around more than with the four blade. I would say that the Mirage works on the straight V hull in calm water, but no doubt, the four blade is the way to go in the rough.

Any one have something to share from the NY City Poker Run??

Hey Dave,

Did you decide if you are going to lab your 4 blade?

I think my 26p is too much prop when I load my boat up. With 4 guys and full fuel the engine only reaches 4300rpm. If I drop the tabs in rough water she drops back to 4200rpm. 4200 to 4600 is the range for my engine's WOT RPM, but I think it will run better toward the high end .

What to do? Buy a 24p or lab my 26p?
I think I have my 22p sold to a friend so I can justify one or the other.

Zuperboat, Did you get your labbed prop back yet? If so, did you give it a try?

Hey Patrick,

I'm going to leave the prop as-is. I don't want to put money into props now because you never know, there could be more ponies in my future! ;)

I was out yesterday and the water was dead calm. I was running my 4 blade and was about 2 mph slower that usual. I think I am fastest in about 1-1.5 ft waves.

More ponies! I like your thinking...
Bigger engine or mods. to your existing package??

I think most deep V hulls are faster in some chop.
I also noticed the fresh water vs salt water thing last weekend too. 10 miles up river in fresh I'm about 2mph slower than out in LI Sound; didn't think it was such a difference.

Sold the 22p Bravo I from my Pantera. Using the cash to lab my 26p for the Superboat. Hope I have better luck than ZZ and OH-Zone did with their labbed props.

Hey Dave,
Did not here back about the possibility of more ponies for your boat.
A good high performance exhaust system and a reprogrammed brain from Arizona Speed and Marine should be good for another 200rpm. Those 454mags are strong engines.

Hey Patrick,

My boat has been broke the last week, steering problems. The guy at the shop said it was the ps pump. I should be running this weekend.

As far as more ponies... If I do that I want to do it all at once. I don't want spend $ to add a few bolt-ons for minimal increases. I want 100 more HP. :D

I started a new job on Monday. It has severly cut down on my OSO time. I have to work now, for a while anyway!;)

Dave,
Congratulations on the new job. It's a tough economy right now. I looked around last year, lucky for me, my boss decided to keep me around. I hope you don't have to work Saturdays like OH-Zone, at least don't work Saturday July 26th.

100HP more!!! 500+HP is what the guy had in my boat before I bought it. He said it would go 85. That's flying!!!
So do you have a plan? Rework your engine, bolt on a blower, or buy another? You will probably need another piston for your external steering.

I would love to build another engine for my boat. Maybe this coming winter, but I have lots of other projects too.

I think in the long run those crate engines sound good. It seems like you can drop them in and go without that many problems.

I want to find someone local. I've read to many horror stories about these long distance deals.

PAT YOU ARE WELCOME TO TRY MY LAB 26 JUST GOT IT BACK FROM MERC. AND IT GOES AS FAST AS IT DID WHEN IT WAS STOCK BUT I DID PICK UP 300 RPM. IT WILL SOON GO BACK TO THEM AGAIN AFTER I TRY MY NEW 28. I ALSO HAVE A FAST 25 MIRAGE YOU CAN TRY. IT WENT 4 MPH FASTER THAN ANY 25 I TRIED.YOU CAN TRY EITHER PROP FOR ABOUT WEEK.

Thanks for the offer Zuperboat! I may need your fast 25 Mirage to keep up with you speed demons during Superfest.

I should have my Lab 26 before the 4th. The prop guys say that they should be able to gain me 150-200rpm and 1-2mph. I'm hoping to have the top speed of my 25 Mirage plus with the rough water performance of the 4 blade.

ZZ, we still have not seen any pictures of your boat or tripps boat.

IM GOING TO BUY A DISK FOR MY MEMORY CHIP TO GET THE PICTURES INTO MY COMPUTER THIS WEEK. ONCE IN THE PICTURES WILL BE ON THE BOARD. AS FOR SPEED DEMONS IM BRINGING MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER THIS YEAR SO 50 IS THE NUMBER FOR ME. BUT THERES ALWAYS TIME FOR A QUICK BLAST. I STILL HAVE NOT PULLED THE BOAT TO PUT THE FLAGS ON YET.

Hey Dave,
I got into a knock down drag out race with a friend of mine from work last night. He has a 23' Velocity with a 454mag. He has me beat in calm water but not in the rough. I will say that you are totally on about the 3 blade. To stay out in front, I had to run with my tabs up. The boat not only chine walks more with my 3 blade, it also seems to heal over to port. Good thing the 24' Superboat is such a good off shore hull, I had been talking **** all Spring. I should have my 4 blade back for the weekend. Hoping for the same speed with more stability. Next time I want to really kick ass.

My labbed 26p goes on tomorrow. The prop guys gave me a great deal, $150 cash... We'll see if it helped or hurt???

Lab talk
 

Just Curious Pat, How did the Prop work out for you? I'm thinking about making a switch also. I have a 3 blade mirage plus which turns 4900, but i chine walk like crazy...

What a weekend !!

Hi Shawn,

Dave M. has the same boat as you. A 24' stepped hull with a 454mag. He runs a 26p Bravo I. Dave will be happy to confirm his numbers for you, but I remember him saying about 74mph at 5000rpm vs 75 at 5100 with at Mirage +. The 4blade is more much stable.

As for my boat, the difference does not seem to be as dramatic as Dave has described with his boat. Could be a couple of things. As you know, my boat is a straight V with no steps. I also only have a 310HP 7.4MPI. My boat runs 67mph under the best conditions. I ran my newly labbed 4 blade prop this weekend. I did gain 100rpm over stock but I'm not sure if I gained any speed. My wife gets a little pissed if I push it too much. The 4 blade is definitely better in rough water.

Shawn, In my opinion the 4 blade is the way to go especially on your boat with the stepped hull and speeds over 70. If you are running a 25p Mirage +, then buy a 26p Bravo I. The $$ are well worth the improvements.

Labbed Props.
 

Well add me to the list of people that should have left a stock prop alone.
Went for a ride last night and checked the numbers on my newly modified 26p Bravo I.
63.8mph on the GPS going north, 64.5 heading south. My engine revs about 100rpm higher but my speed is the same, maybe even slower. Seems like I have to trim the drive farther to free up the boat.
I'll bring it back for another try, but I probably should have spent my money on a 24p.

Hey Patrick,

Sorry the lab job didn't work out. The heat and humidity could have you down a little too. My last few outings I have been down a few rpms and mph do the the hot and humid air.

I ALSO FELL OFF THE EDGE OF THE EARTH. I GOT MY LABB 26 BACK FOR THE SECOND TIME AND ITS MUCH BETTER.MERCURY TOOK ANOTHER 20THOUSANDS OFF THE CUP WHICH IN TURN WOULD HURT ME BUT THEY ADDED CUP AROUND THE EDGE OF THE BLADE TO MAKE IT MORE TRIM SENSATIVE IN TURN FREEING UP THE BOAT AGAIN AND THE SPEED IS BACK.UP 300 RPM AND ONLY 1 MPH OVER STOCK.TRIPPS HAS IT ON VIDIO FOR ME AND IT CARRIES GREAT. AS FOR RPM THE WEATHER HAS BEEN TERRIBLE AND EVERY ONE I TALK TO THE RPM IS DOWN. LAST TIME OUT I WAS DOWN 200 RPM. WENT CRAZY AND RIPPED OFF THE CARB AND CHECKED THE COMPRESION AND VALVE SPRINGS. ALL OK.

Hi Dave and Zuperboat,
I wish I could blame the weather, it was only about 70°F the other night. I was running in the river in calm conditions though. I have seen higher speeds with some chop and in the salt water. I am going to leave the thing alone until after Superfest, then I'll bring it back. I will tell Hale prop what Mercury did to yours ZZ, maybe it will help. I was warned that it may take a more than one try.