Wondering if anyone has played around with props or motor mount positions on 185 G3 with a Yamaha 150 4 stroke. I would like to get a little more bow lift if possible. I have a 3 blade stainless 19p Mercury prop on right now.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Wondering if anyone has played around with props or motor mount positions on 185 G3 with a Yamaha 150 4 stroke. I would like to get a little more bow lift if possible. I have a 3 blade stainless 19p Mercury prop on right now.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

If you get some bow lift on that rig, please post how you do it... if you ever find a way.
I sold some and I never could get one to work right (lift bow).
Plus, I have never, ever, seen one with the spray coming off way back where it should be.

Otherwise...no real complaints.
They are all really nice people to work with at G-3.

Funny you would say that about the bow spray and the G3 people. this is my second G3 in as many years. Last year I bought a 175 with a 150 Yamaha on it. Not only did the bow not come out of the water, i can honestly say it simply plowed water. Needless to say I was not happy and I spent the entire summer dealing with the local dealership and Yamaha Canada. As you said they were very good to deal with, both the local guys and from what I can tell the corporate guys too. I ended up with this 185 brand new 150 Yamaha long shaft at no extra cost to me. they set me up with this combination because they had sold them before with good results. I have to say that it is a BIG improvement over the 175. But I would still like to eliminate that front wake and I have come close with some earlier props and motor positions but I am still experimenting. Other than that you are right also about the boat. It is wide, stable, lots of room, good interior layout and in rough water handles very well. I really believe that the keel design is the reason for this second front wake. The keel line runs nice and even in a straight slope to the front but just before it begins to curve up to the bow there is a small drop for about18 inches. I think it is this small "hook" that you cant seem to lift out of the water. Like I said in rough water it doesn't matter much and it handles well.

So do you own a G3 now? I take it you were/are a salesman.

Anyway, I hope there are others out there with a reply.

So do you own a G3 now? I take it you were/are a salesman.
QUOTE]

I have 20' Lund for the lakes and a G-3 Jon boat w/ jet for our skinny rivers (Montana, here).

I was a fish boat dealer for many years. G-3 was one of my lines. They make good jon boats.

Lund was my calling card.
(Retired Jan1.,2008)

You will never fix your problem until they can figure out their own mistakes.

Have a G3 V185 and a F150 of my own (Yamaha 19P prop) w/ a T8 kicker so a little extra weight in back . It handles the big water like a champ (just got back from 9-days on Rainy lake and it was ROUGH).

Yes, my boat seems to have a larger than usual amount of spray from the spray rail forward of the windshield when getting up out of the hole, but once on plane with a full load (3 guys, full tank of gas, baitwell and livewell full, coolers, etc.) I can trim it out and get the bow up in rough water so the spray is well behind the windshield at 4700rpm/36mph to cruise, and at 5700rpm/45mph the bow spray is virtually gone.

From reading these posts I dont believe anyone is saying it is affecting their performance, but it simply is what it is and "how the G3s ride". Yes a little more spray than normal, but it is an aluminum hull, not a ranger or a yar craft...and handles the rough water as well as any aluminum I've had (yes, I used to run lunds and no I'm not saying better, but comperable).

Anyway, my 2 cents and just curious why some think this is a concern?

GI Mike

I also have a G3 FS 175, only mine has a honda 150. This boat also plowed with the bow when the motor was set at the second hole from the top. If you tried to trim out at all to pick the bow up it would blow out and you would loose all grip the prop had and dont even think about turning. Took it back to the dealer and told them that the motor had to be dropped to the lowest setting and they said that the second hole is where they are supposed to be. I left it there and they water tested it and switched to a stainless prop. they called me said it was all done and was much better. Went and picked it up, took it to the lake and there was no change.
Mean while the sales man had taken a G3 to crane lake and found out what I had been telling him, the bow plows and they were getting wet. This is exactly what I was trying to tell him. They dropped the motor to the lowest setting and it was better. So finally they agreed to drop my motor and it is much better but not perfect. What I want to know is if anyone has moved the trolling batteries from the bow to the stern of the boat and did that help?
Also, why dont these dealers listen to the customers?
We use the boats, we know the problems it has and what should be done to fix it yet they talk to us like we are idiots.

Also, why dont these dealers listen to the customers?
We use the boats, we know the problems it has and what should be done to fix it yet they talk to us like we are idiots.[/QUOTE]

A lot dealers do
Keep in mind G-3, like some other boat lines has been very aggressive in setting up dealers.
I guess the idea is "more is better" (Get market share quickly).

But better in what way? and for whom?

The down side in this aggression is - You get a few good ones...but also a lot of beginner dealers, marginal dealers, used car dealers, hardware store dealers, and others who don't know "Jack" about boats.

This does keep the price (profit) down...but also reults in the expertise (and owner satisfaction) levels being low.

I ran a 185 for two years and a V210 I have no complaints ,if you drove it like a maniac in rough water you did get some spray, the storage and fishabilty of these boat was awesome. There a good company that stands behind there product !!! I could sit here and rip on other boat brands on there short comings or problems but that solves NOTHING. Find the boat that meets your needs and pocket book and make your choice. Any ?'s 218-820-5906 KEVIN glad to answer any

Have a G3 V185 and a F150 of my own (Yamaha 19P prop) w/ a T8 kicker so a little extra weight in back . It handles the big water like a champ (just got back from 9-days on Rainy lake and it was ROUGH).

Yes, my boat seems to have a larger than usual amount of spray from the spray rail forward of the windshield when getting up out of the hole, but once on plane with a full load (3 guys, full tank of gas, baitwell and livewell full, coolers, etc.) I can trim it out and get the bow up in rough water so the spray is well behind the windshield at 4700rpm/36mph to cruise, and at 5700rpm/45mph the bow spray is virtually gone.

Anyway, my 2 cents and just curious why some think this is a concern?

GI Mike

GI Mike:

Can you tell me exactly which Yamaha prop you have on? 3 or 4 blade? stainless or other? part #? and also which position hole your motor is set on eg; bolt in 3rd from top, etc.

I have roughly the same numbers as you as far as speed @ rpm but I'm sure that I have more bow spray than you are experiencing. You ask about the concern and to explain, my concern is the fact that with any amount of cross wind in moderately choppy water you soak everything in the boat. I am beginning to realize that yes, this is how a G3 rides but in my case I am just looking for a small improvement in bow lift. Other than that I agree, it is a great boat in rough water, storage and function is among the best.

Anyway, if you could give me your info I would be grateful.

....since we don't see many G3s up here in the Buffalo, NY area. Has anyone tried out this hull with all the stuff removed from the bow area? Like batteries, trolling motor, empty live wells? If this cuts the spray then G3 has not balanced the hull too well for the expected use. Also, has anyone tried using a Tempest Plus on the Yamahas? I've found that if the Tempest Plus won't lift the bow then nothing will, short of pounding a rocker into the hull or adding large afterplanes like they run on off-shore hulls.
Doug

I have owned the 185F with a 200HPDI for a couple year now. It comes out of the hole quite well, and trim up at WOT most of the spray moves back. It has the standard yamaha 21P 3 blad stainless. It plains pretty quick.

As kevin said the storage is great, and lots of room. Sure the there may be some wetness from time to time, but a lot has to do with the captain as well as running speed. Nope, its not gonnd be as dry as a yarcraft or ranger, but its not positioned as such.

One thing I did notice, a lot of folks out there have the 175F as well as the 185F, with 4stroke 150's. Was the 200 HPDI not an option for you guys, or you preferred the 4 stroke?

.... Has anyone tried out this hull with all the stuff removed from the bow area? Like batteries, trolling motor, empty live wells? ......... short of pounding a rocker into the hull or adding large afterplanes like they run on off-shore hulls.
Doug

I haven't tried moving any of the gear to the back ......yet. I have tried the Trophy Plus 4 blade with worse results, more ventilation and no improvement in bow lift. I am going looking for a Tempest 3 blade 19p and 21p.

Not that I'm about to pound on the hull but I'm curious what "pounding a rocker into the hull" means? Do you mean altering the hull about 2 ft before the stern which forces the water to lift the boat?

Was the 200 HPDI not an option for you guys, or you preferred the 4 stroke?

When I bought mine the next and biggest option was the 175 4 stroke. I did prefer a 4 stroke but cost was, as always, a concern too.

...is just that- giving the hull a rocker for the last 2 feet of hull. It's not often done, and it's a whole lot easier to do on glass or wood boats. This is rarely done by the owner, it's normally done by the manufacturer. But, in the world of high performance boats, adding rockers or hooks to a hull to change it's running characteristics is quite often done by small shops or the owners themselves. I know of one fellow on the Scream and Fly web site a few years back that did some pretty crazy things to the running surfaces of a Lund that ended up working very well- but this work was not for the unskilled or the faint of heart- its the old "Oops- too much" syndrome that happens to racers of all types now and then. You should see the stuff for boats and cars lying around in my basement that resulted from "Oops- too much".

Let us know how the Tempest Plus runs, and see what you can do about shifting gear around. If this was a glass high performance hull with a well braced transom the easy solution is to add a motor set back plate- moving the motor back some 4-12 inches so it gains more leverage to lift the bow. But on a typical fishing rig, the transoms are rarely beefy enough to do this, and if the motor is running low you can bury part of the powerhead at trolling speeds in rough water. Hence my comments about adding a rocker or afterplanes as the last resort. The only other alternative is adding weight to the stern end, which you can evaluate by having a passenger of known weight sit in the very back of the boat on the floor to see how adding transom weight would help.
Doug

try some Nauticus Automatic trim tabs. About $150 and your problems will be solved.

try some Nauticus Automatic trim tabs. About $150 and your problems will be solved.

Maybe I don't understand - but how are trim tabs gonna help with
bow lift?

Still hoping that GI Mike will post his info as requested earlier regarding prop and motor position.

Anyone else have information on what works for them on 185 G3????

I have a new 185F with a Yamaha 150hp four stroke and a T8 kicker. I have the bow loaded heavy with terrova 80, two batteries, two anchors, etc. All my bow compartments are full. The main motor came with a Yamaha reliance series 13 3/4" x 19 pitch stainless steel prop. After getting on plane I have good bow lift with spray well behind the drivers seat and have been very happy with the boat performance. My keel is straight from stern to front of boat to the rise in bow and does not have a drop in the very front for several inches like a earlier poster described he had on his boat. I do however, have about a 1/2" curve side to side from front to back before keel curves up to bow. Anybody else have a keel that is not straight side to side on bottom of boat? Would I get better performance if my keel were straight? I get about 43 to 45 mph at 5700 w.o.t. now with 3 people on board fully loaded with gear and gas. I also wonder if the people not getting bow lift have a kicker on back to maybe help with weight distribution? Thanks!

Went out tonight. Raised the motor one hole off of transom. This is the position used in the Yamaha Performance Bulletins. Tried 3 different props, stainless 19p Mercury Mirage Plus, stainless 17p 4 blade Mercury and the black stock 19p Yamaha prop that comes with the motor. Bottom line is the Mirage still performed the best but looks like the best motor position is right on the transom. the other two props ventilated quickly and had poorer bow lift. Still waiting on the Tempest plus. The experimenting will continue .....

The good news is I boated a 9lb+ walleye in between test runs.

I have a 2005 185dc with the Yamaha 150. I put on the Mercury Enertia. I get allot of bow lift now. This prop does run in my rpm range. I think it is an 17 pitch. Top end speed is maybe slightly less then the 19p. I love it because low and midrange are great.

I have a 2005 185dc with the Yamaha 150. I put on the Mercury Enertia. I get allot of bow lift now. This prop does run in my rpm range. I think it is an 17 pitch. Top end speed is maybe slightly less then the 19p. I love it because low and midrange are great.

Thanks for the input alluma1. I will see if I can get me hands on an Enertia as well. Just wondering what kind of boat is the 185dc?

I did make a mistake. I have the 18 pitch enertia not the 17. The 185 DC. The DC stands for duel console. So it has two Plastic bubbles not just one.