A few freeride suggestions needed..

[Captain PegLeg]

I did a search for everything, but didn't come up with anything to answer my questions. All mods are going to be for mostly flatwater and surf riding. No need to go fast here! Here are my questions, looking for a good idea/bad idea, better suggestions, or i would nots/do this instead type answers! Thanks!

1: I believe i still have a stock prop in my boat. Sometimes feels like its "waiting" for more water to enter the pump... My boat has a PSI pipe, and aluminum waterbos (brand, not sure), and i plan on either getting my head shaved down, or a girdled head. What type of prop should i run? I searched around, and most seem to like the 12/17 swirl?

2: Being that this will be kinda a budget build, should i send my head down to riva and get them to cut it for more compression, or just save for a girdled kit? Like reliability on the shaved stocker?

3: I want to get a shorter pole, prob like 3 inches or so. Is there anyone that can cut my stock pole? Or once again, just save for a A/M shorter pole?

4: Wetwolf freestyle cone, worth the money?

5: Any other suggestions what i should do? I'd like to learn from people who have done this for a while, not from my "i think this will be good" type purchasing!

Thanks again everyone!!!

 

[Boris]

If money is tight than have your head milled.
Nothing wrong with the stocker here.

Props are a weird one. Some love one while others will fight to the death defending another.
I run a Solas 12/15 3mm setback and love it in all conditions. That doesn't mean that it would be the prop for you.

The stock RN pole with a bit of material added for strength can be a tough piece. Best of all you already have one.
As money becomes available and you have your length figured out that go for an AM pole.

Mixed opinions on the cone. Maybe you should bore the nozzle instead ?

Expensive goodies are great but riding style shines brighter.

 

[Shrivel]

Kris, I cut my stock pole last year - I'd be glad to help you out with that if you ever wanted to do it.

 

[FreestyleFreak]

Just cut the pole down and dont worry about an a/m one till you break it.

Grab a pump cone and bore nozzel to 85mm.

I would save for girdled because it will save you money in the long run.You could mill stocker till you have the moeny for girdled.

 

[brett]

a cut stock pole is hard to beat. easy to shorten, cheap, and plenty strong when reinforced at the bracket.. only thing i dont like is the flexing. it hurts my wrists

 

[Captain PegLeg]

I think me and shrivel are planning to cut down my stocker... My b-day is a little over a month away, i'll see if i can squeeze any of these parts out of family members! HAHA!

 

[wydopen]

cut your pole...shave the stock head and forget the cone...

 

[Captain PegLeg]

Sweet! When we cut the stock pole, should i reinforce it with glass, or just rivet and some jb weld?

 

[SXIPro]

I'd ride that thing for a while before cutting the pole. My ski came with a minus 3 stocker which I broke twice and have since replaced it with a stock length AC pole. My lower back is thanking me for switching to the stock length one. But I am an old guy. Plus, if I ever want to shorten it up, I'l just grab one of the many shortened turnplates that are available now. Heck, you can grab a whole shortened steering system now for 80.00 bucks. To me that's worth trying before cutting the pole and then saying "Crap, now it's too short".

 

[tipafew]

Shorten it.
I am an old guy with a bad back and still love my shortened pole. For just cruising around the lake it's not needed. For rolls it helps a ton.

Chad

 

[brett]

for me, my -2 ac pole, -1 turnplate and wdk lowered bracket is the best setup

 

[Captain PegLeg]

My boat came with umi steering on it. It doesn't appear to be lowered. So i was planning on cutting like three inches off of it. If i want it any shorter, i will get a lowered bracket or something. I like the lowered poles, kinda makes me feel like i'm riding in "attack" position!

 

[Big Kahuna]

I did a search for everything, but didn't come up with anything to answer my questions. All mods are going to be for mostly flatwater and surf riding. No need to go fast here! Here are my questions, looking for a good idea/bad idea, better suggestions, or i would nots/do this instead type answers! Thanks!

1: I believe i still have a stock prop in my boat. Sometimes feels like its "waiting" for more water to enter the pump... My boat has a PSI pipe, and aluminum waterbos (brand, not sure), and i plan on either getting my head shaved down, or a girdled head. What type of prop should i run? I searched around, and most seem to like the 12/17 swirl?

1. Look up throught the intake grate, even take a picture of it and post it. It sounds like you have a Solas Concord, The Solas will act like that sometimes, I run a Skat because of this reason, not saying the solas is bad, it is not.
2: Being that this will be kinda a budget build, should i send my head down to riva and get them to cut it for more compression, or just save for a girdled kit? Like reliability on the shaved stocker?
2. Check ebay, RIVA, Protec, XScream, Group K can mill your head, or any machine shop can if you can find out how much to cut.

3: I want to get a shorter pole, prob like 3 inches or so. Is there anyone that can cut my stock pole? Or once again, just save for a A/M shorter pole?
3. Take a dremal with a cut off wheel, cut at the base of the pole, once you have cut through the glass on the pole, take a serated steak knife and cut through the foam, be carefull of the cables. You may want to drill out the rivets first and get the pole completely out of the lower bracket at this point. once you have the bottom 2" removed, sand out the inside of the lower bracket and sand the paint off the bottom of the pole, only the part that will slide into the bracket. Then use JB Weld to glue the pole back in and re-rivet the pole back.

4: Wetwolf freestyle cone, worth the money?
4. either that or bore the nozzle to 84-85mm - local machine shop can do this for you. Some people will say do both. Every setup is different. I tried both and my ski lost all bottom end punch.... Just do one of the other, cost is about the same.

5: Any other suggestions what i should do? I'd like to learn from people who have done this for a while, not from my "i think this will be good" type purchasing!
Get a top loader intake grate - pref worx, but R&D, Riva or protec are all good as well. At some point, look for a FPP B Pipe.
Thanks again everyone!!!

See Blue above.

 

[infamy]

cut your pole, use 1/4-20 ss bolts instead of rivets to attach it back to the bracket. i would spend $300 and buy an ada girdled head. but if you decide to stick with stock, send that and your nozzle at the same time to pro-tec, or whoever you decide to go with and maybe it will save you a few bucks doing them together.

 

[Big Kahuna]

bolts do not hold the pole, it is the glue that does so, the rivets or bolts really only hold it in place until the glue sets up.........

But as long as you have either then you are fine.

 

[MADMAT]

I would (and did) send the flywheel, head and nozzle to Paul and have him do his thang.

Cut 2" off the pole and then get a -2 or -3 steering set up someday if ya feel the need.

I run a 13/16-3 prop from Impros and I flippin loved it the second I bolted it on.

I am also one who could not run both 85mm nozzle and stubby cone together. It sucked!! So I tried both ways and the bored nozzle with stock cone worked best for me.

 

[Idok]

I would (and did) send the flywheel, head and nozzle to Paul and have him do his thang.

Cut 2" off the pole and then get a -2 or -3 steering set up someday if ya feel the need.

I run a 13/16-3 prop from Impros and I flippin loved it the second I bolted it on.

I am also one who could not run both 85mm nozzle and stubby cone together. It sucked!! So I tried both ways and the bored nozzle with stock cone worked best for me.

lol...i WAS able to make it work with no cavitation whatsoever...

85mm nozzle by LPW
skat 12/17 --new
OEM wear ring--new
OEM pump shoe--new

maybve the fact that everythign was new when assembled helped.....wierd though how this does or doesnt work from 1 boat to the next..

 

[MADMAT]

I know its weird. I don't get it. I just know mine was real bad with both.

I still have that damn stubby on a shelf collecting dust.

I may have to try it on Kells 760.

 

[Captain PegLeg]

Thanks for all the great advice! Roughly how much, and where (good work) should i send the head and nozzle if i decide to? I looked at riva, and its like 80 to do the head. I know a few local machine shops that could prob take it off cheap, if i know how much to get removed. Thanks for the how to's as well! This is exactly how i wanted this thread to turn out! I think i am gonna go with the freeride swirl 13/18. Anyone used this prop?

 

[Big Kahuna]

lol...i WAS able to make it work with no cavitation whatsoever...

85mm nozzle by LPW
skat 12/17 --new
OEM wear ring--new
OEM pump shoe--new

maybve the fact that everythign was new when assembled helped.....wierd though how this does or doesnt work from 1 boat to the next..

I am running (I think) a 12-16 and it did not work......... that 1 degree may be the difference, also motor setup can be a factor.......it all about the package.