Eliminator Prop Selection

[ViperVince]

I have a 21ft. 1981 Daytona Eliminator tunnel hull. I recently purchased a 2012 Mercury Optimax300 XS, Torque Master, 1:62 ratio. I will often have four in the boat and will occasionally pull a skier. Any ideas on which prop I should run? Thanks, Vince

[Ron Hill]

Tim Soares and I got our 21 Daytonas in time to rig them for the 1981 Havasu Classic (Thanksgiving). What we found in testing was that a Chopper felt fast, becasue the bow was up and it was "LOOSE", but we found that a cleaver felt "Glued in" but was faster.

So, running the boat closer to parallel to the water is better.

Out 28 Chopers with MODIFIED 235 Evinrudes would run 84 MPH at 6,200 RPM's. With a 34 "Cleaper" (Modified cleaver) we could run 92 MPH with a fifty gallon fuel load.

Also, we ran the prop shaft 1" below the bottom.

Now days most of my customers run the propshaft on their 300 XS motors (Which is a GREAT motor) between 2" and 3" above the bottom.

You need at least a 12 inch set back.

For a general "KNOCK AROUND" prop a Signature Eagle four blade 28, should give you about 98 MPH with two or there in the boat. Our Signature 15 X 32 cleaver will give you more speed than I like to talk about!

What part of the country are you from?

[ViperVince]

I am from Youngstown, Ohio, midway between Cleveland and Pitts. It is nice to talk to someone who had one, let alone the first one ever. There are no other tunnel hulls around, I went to South Carolina to get mine. It had a tired Merc 2.4 200hp on it when I got it. I only got to run it for a couple of hours and had so many problems with it I decided to upgrade. The boat and motor are at my local merc dealer, they will rig it next week. Since most of the guages don't work I decided to opt for the smart tach and speedometer set. You say "our" props, do you manufacture props?

[Ron Hill]

I had the first Eliminator Daytona to ever have an OUTBOARD on it. Later, I had the first AME 4000 21 Daytona with a 3.6 V-8 Johnson. After we raced the boat at the Parker 9 Hour, John Castelli took the boat to the Modesto Kilo trials. He made a two way kilo average of 118 MPH.

When he came home, I said, "No one will go that fast again in my boat without a capsule." I sold the boat and motor with into a month, but not as a package. I sold the boat. And then, I sold the motor. We ran a 15 X 32 cleaver to run 118 MPH average...Exited the kilo at about 122 MPH!

[Ron Hill]

I am from Youngstown, Ohio, midway between Cleveland and Pitts. It is nice to talk to someone who had one, let alone the first one ever. There are no other tunnel hulls around, I went to South Carolina to get mine. It had a tired Merc 2.4 200hp on it when I got it. I only got to run it for a couple of hours and had so many problems with it I decided to upgrade. The boat and motor are at my local merc dealer, they will rig it next week. Since most of the gauges don't work I decided to opt for the smart tach and speedometer set. You say "our" props, do you manufacture props?

We have 16 full time employees. Hill Marine casts their own propellers. My son, Chad, and I own Hill Marine.

Probably should start with one of our 15 X 28 Eagle four blades. Check out HillMarine.Com under performance propellers.

[Ron Hill]

If you wish to buy one of these call me direct and I'll make you a better deal. We make these Eagles in 3 and 4 blades, 15 diameter, 22-24, 26, 28, 30, 32 pitch.