Bringing this back from the dead, but maybe giving a 19p Quicksilver Nemesis a shot? Should give you more lift, less slip, etc, which could be extremely helpful on such a heavy boat.
I went from a 21p Vengence to a 21p Nemesis and didn't lose any speed because I could trim up higher without...
Have a Powerdrive v2 myself. There's the metal release pin to tip the motor up from being deployed. Sounds like yours is stuck released and allowing the motor to swing up. Mine did something similar when I first bought it used.
I sprayed some lithium grease on both ends of the pin where it...
When I had my old boat, I tried a Hustler, but wasn't a fan of it. Ended up switching to a Quicksilver Nemesis, which gave me a bit more top end with a similar hole shot and mid range.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N8SCGVT
Looking at getting this myself for talking with the lockmasters on the river. Runs on 4 AAAs, so pretty much anything will work.
What's the compression ratio of the motor? The expected amount of compression on a test should be 14.7 x compression ratio.
I've heard of some old motors being ~6:1 compression ratio, which would only give you about 90psi of compression.
100% agreed.
Throw one of these on and see what it does: Quicksilver Nemesis 4-Blade Aluminum Propeller - For Mercury and MerCruiser Engines https://a.co/d/gYeaL2g
If you're not even able to get a 17 pitch High Five up to your WOT RPM, a 21 pitch is only going to be worse. You need to get load off your engine, not add more.
Knowing that it's a 13.5x17, I'd try a 14x17 Nemesis. I've had Hustlers blow out behind heavy boats and fail to plane just like yours did. Once I threw on a Nemesis it made a world of difference. Not to mention Hustlers run about 2" big on pitch.
If you want a relatively inexpensive backup option, a Quicksilver Nemesis will be an aluminum 4 blade that has pretty good performance and will get you home in a pinch.
I tried a Turning Point prop this spring and I'm not a big fan of them after that experience.
I get better hole shot, higher top speed, and a better WOT RPM with a Quicksilver Nemesis than I did a Turning Point Hustler. The Hustler would also cavitate if I had too many people in the boat...
Make sure your idle speed is set correctly. IIRC spec for the 4.3L is 650rpm idle when in the water in neutral.
Don't trust the gauge on the dash, get an actual tachometer setup.
Most of what others have said lines up with my experience as well.
99 Sea Ray 185BR w/ a 4.3L Merc Alpha One Gen II, 1.81 gears. Run a 14x19 4 blade Hustler on it. 4600rpm at 44mph wide open in a relatively heavy (2700lbs dry) boat for the motor. Gets on plane effortlessly, turns on a dime, and...
I do have 2 detents. The first that's the trim up/down rocker switch, which has a trim up stop that's at about 5/8-3/4 of full up on the gauge, then the second, separate trailer button that will tilt that last 1/4 up or so before hitting the full up limit.
Good to know about running at full...
Interested in this as well. I have a trim up/down switch, plus a separate up only tilt switch for trailering. I know you're not supposed to rev the crap out of it when tilted all the way up, but it'd be nice to be able to get a little more tilt than the limit of the trim switch while going in...
