New to the game in MI

[elmozracing]

Hey guys, I am new to boating but not nitro. I have had a about 3 nitro cars/trucks that were a lot of fun, but recently bought a house on a lake here in south-east Michigan with no more pavement, and my most prized car was stolen during a break in. So with summer coming and a bit of nitro experience, I have decided to buy my first boat. I am waiting for "Brown Santa" to show up anyday now and I can't wait. In the meantime I have been trying to do as much research as possible and still have a few questions I am hoping you guys can answer. First the prop., should I go brass or metal, is there a difference. Should I go 2 or 3 blade? And, can you buy them balanced and sharpened? If so where? I suppose I should give the specs on my boat so I can get some real answers. I know that it may be a little too much for it being my first boat(opinions), but I am experienced with nitro and that's just the kind of guy I am, I race cars (real ones) for fun. Anyway, I bought a 42" Dumas Scarab 377 Limited Edition with a K & B 7.5. All of the hardware is installed. Tuned pipe, trim tabs, etc.... I am pleased with the looks, brand new paint, candy purple on top, neon green on the bottom. I am just curious to what people opinion are on this setup. How durable are theses engins and how do they perform? It seems like the only performance mods I can get are the prop. and port the head. Where can I get that done at? Anyone's criticism is worth hearing, positive or negative. Thanks for the advice. Oh yea, here are a couple of pics too.

 

[elmozracing]

Sorry, only one pic made it through, here is the other.

 

[paul heuston]

hey there

firstly i don't what to sound cruel but before you start trying to mod the boat just go out and learn to drive it and race than try to mod and change every thing on it till you get a good set up .

a set up for "jim's "boat is good for "jim" but it may not work for you.

my boats are set up for myself and same goes for the guys i race with here in australia.

just remeber to have fun and if anyone laughs at the set up remind them you have to start somewhere , but you will end up kicking there ass..

lol lol lol lol lol ;D ;D ;D

 

[Ron Olson]

Yes, you can buy props already balanced and sharpened. Mark Sholund is right in your neighborhood and does all brands and can also recommend a prop for you.

That K&B 7.5 is a good motor, they are pretty dependable and seem to run forever.

Are you going to race it or just play? If you race, you'll probably run into me at a D-2 race sometime. I'm over in the other corner of MI., the SW one.

 

[wswatzell]

Welcome aboard!!

Where in MI are you at, I live in Grand Rapids ;D. That is a decent boat to go out & have fun ripping up the water, but don't expect to be competitive if you plan on racing. Dumas hulls tend to be a little heavy from what I have been told. Of course I might have my facts messed up.

As far as props, every hull, every engine, & every setup likes different props. Experiment is the best way to figure out which works for your setup. Someone else might be able to give you a good starting point though. Prop material. There are 2 common types, beryllium & stainless steel. Beryllium is the easiest to work with, i.e. sharpen & balance, but the grinding dust is extremely toxic. As long as you work it in a well ventilated area & where proper breather mask (paper ones aren’t good enough) there is no problem. Stainless steel is a lot harder to work with & it takes a long time to get it sharpened & balanced. That is why most people seem to the beryllium. Also it is a lot harder to make mods to the stainless steel props.

K&B engine are pretty reliable. At one time they were considered the standard for outboards.

There are guys on this board that can hook you up with engine mods, & pre-sharpened props as well.

 

[Propjockey]

Elmo...nice colors! Seriously. (I'm partial to purple )

Looks like a good place to start. As for a prop, I see a tuned pipe so I'd start with either an Octura X645 or X450/3. (Shoboat does nice work) One of those and at LEAST 30% nitro (40% would be better) should get you to the high 30s/low 40s.

Good luck, keep us informed, and WELCOME ABOARD!

 

[elmozracing]

Thanks a lot for the advice guys. I plan on just playing around really. I guess if I really get into it and like it a lot I will consider racing, but first I really need to learn how these things handle and drive. I am really used to the r/c trucks and cars so it will be a change. As far as going to shoboat for the prop., do they sell them and/or sharpen and balance? If so where can I find them? I live near Ann Arbor, about 15 minutes west actually. I can't wait to get this thing in the water ;D !!!! Thanks again

 

[elmozracing]

Thanks a lot for the advice guys. I plan on just playing around really. I guess if I really get into it and like it a lot I will consider racing, but first I really need to learn how these things handle and drive. I am really used to the r/c trucks and cars so it will be a change. As far as going to shoboat for the prop., do they sell them and/or sharpen and balance? If so where can I find them? I live near Ann Arbor, about 15 minutes west actually. I can't wait to get this thing in the water ;D !!!! Thanks again

 

[Propjockey]

Shoboat is Mark Sholund. Go to the "For Sale" forum and scroll to the bottom of the first page...find the thread "Props-4 U Spring Special".