XB2003 with 300 Drag

[gmorgan]

How fast generally will a stock 2.5 300HP Drag push an XB2003 loaded or unloaded?

 

[chad202]

A whole lot goes into that. With that much power, it requires a great deal of setup changes. Most people that run 260HP and higher experience issues around 96-98mph with the nose falling. The speed in which that happens depends on year model boat cause some have .060 lip on pad and some have .090. The ones with .090 will experience the nose falling at lower speeds. What appears to be ideal for that much power would be any where from no lip to .030 depending on how loaded you run the boat. There have been several guys, me included that have hit some sort of wall at 107 with motor 260s and 280s. Some claim to have run faster and that may be the case. I got rid of mine shortly after reaching 107.

 

[David Lanham]

I had a 300 drag on my prosport once. My by best was 106 un-loaded and experienced the nose drop as well.

Was not a good feeling !! Daris explained this phenomenon during one of the Rallies long ago.

Never tried it a again. I down-sized to a 225 promax shortly after.

 

[SLOmofo]

How fast? Beyond where it's safe. I've hooked my 1994 XB2003 over 10 times. Once at around 40 (took a wake wrong) and the rest at 95ish. The last time was just over 100 when I was thrown out. The last time was my fault pushing the throttle when I should have just let up, I knew my set up was wrong.

 

[gmorgan]

It seems from what you fellows have said (my own experience also) that the way the xb2003 is designed accentuates the height the motor is set at and affects what props work and which don’t and how much weight is carried in the front of the boat. Looks like to me that a drag motor is capable of pushing our boats into an area that the average Allison owner doesn’t want to go. Am I understanding you correctly?

 

[gmorgan]

I had a 300 drag on my prosport once. My by best was 106 un-loaded and experienced the nose drop as well.

Was not a good feeling !! Daris explained this phenomenon during one of the Rallies long ago.

Never tried it a again. I down-sized to a 225 promax shortly after.

David, what speed did you attain with your 225 on the xb2003?

 

[dubmoney]

I will through my experience in the hat just for added content. My motor should have 300+ horsepower. I have been slowly sanding the lip down and am getting faster with every .005 I take off. I am losing lift at 97 mph currently. My experience seems to be excatly what Chad reported above.
I think it is generally accepted that 107 is the top for the xb03, (although I have seen a picture of Andy Cobbs GPS @111) I think the large console is what makes it hard to go any faster. If someone were to remove the big console and put xb02 race fairings on it, it could go faster, but at that point why not just buy an xb02. I think the 03 is a good compromise between the xb21 and xb02.

 

[gmorgan]

dubmoney, I think you’re right about the big console, and I know Plum Crazy Fiberglass did remove the console and install an xb2002 console, but I never heard any feedback on how the boat ran afterward.

 

[chad202]

I don't think it totally about the big console. My experience tells me it's also about inconsistent down force on each side the console. For every 2mph over 97ish it took more ballast on the port side to balance the boat. The "turtle hump" on the starboard side of the console pushes down more than the little flip up on the rod locker door. When setting my boat, the bow would lay down around 96, lower the motor to get the bow up but speed would fall off. That's when my buddy Kevin at KJ marine started helping me with setup and boat knowledge in general. He suggested the lip needed to come down. We went down .010 at a time. With each step speed would not increase unless we raised the motor. It allowed us a couple more mph before the bow would fall so we kept sanding and kept raising. We did this in steps, little at a time till basically my lip was gone. I had that boat for 5yrs and hooked it three times if I remember right, every time was with the lip still on, never once when the lip was gone and I had my motor kill running 103 and it just say down nice and straight. I'm not saying take your lip off, just giving my experience. I went from running 1/4 above to 1.5 above by simply removing the .060 my boat had cause it was blueprinted at the factory and that's where Darris put it.On big topend attemps I could run 2" above but would only get 6lbs of water pressure so could only make a pass then let the motor cool down some before going again. I only ran with two batteries also which is a major factor in how much one should remove. Also my boat liked the batteries in from the fuel tank and not in the wings. I tried boat ways and it was faster in the middle and handled way better. I also sanded the tri step lips on my boat. This is the part that sits on the vertical bunks. It has WAY more lip than the pad. This is what makes the boat harder to drive at the 70-75 than faster. It's bouncing back and forth on these lips. I sanded mine off and the boat took set at every speed. I had many in depth conversations with Froggy, some may remember him as he is passed. He and Darris were good friends and Darris had shared some tricks with him and sanding the tri step was one of them. People must realize the intent of the boat, run efficiently and fast with small power. The design of the boat was not for motors basically over 200 cause a 225 can get you to the speed where bow issues happen if your boat has .090 lip.

 

[SLOmofo]

Thank you chad202. Great concise information. I wondered about those "tri step lips" as I was under my boat cleaning up the chipped edges. Yes, Froggy was a wealth of information.

 

[gmorgan]

Chad, thanks for that indepth post. You covered a lot in one post. We haven’t discussed the thee inch windshield. How much is boat handling affected by its removal?

 

[chad202]

I only removed my windshield once and it didn’t run past 107 so put it back on. It does affect lift however.

 

[Ally03 200xs]

Chad202,

What is the intent of the tri step lips?

Thx

 

[chad202]

What is the intent of the tri step lips?

Stern lift with small motor at lower speeds for efficiency.

 

[gmorgan]

It was my understanding that at least one function of the tri-step rolls was to diminish porpoising or totally eliminate it if you have your motor trimmed correctly.

 

[dubmoney]

Good stuff Chad!!! Thanks for posting your experience.

 

[SLOmofo]

I have some pics of my cut down windshield somewhere. It comes up beyond the dash only about an inch or so. Painted black. Looks to good to take off.

 

[gmorgan]

Slo, how does it work as a windshield after being cut down, good, fair, bad? Also, could you tell a difference between the full windshield and the cut down version as far as driving or performance, less trim, whatever?

 

[chad202]

less surface area for the air to push on when running.

 

[SLOmofo]

As a wind shield it's still good, I don't wear a hat though, never did while running. I didn't see any change in handling, butt there again I'm just trying to stay alive.
In a couple of weeks when I get back I'll try to remember to find the pics.