I am by no means an authority on the subject, but I have hooked it 3 times twice I was crossing wakes when other waves created conditions I was not expecting, and both times I was driving to fast for the size of the wakes. The third time I was driving an arching turn aroung the bottom of an island and the back came around, this is because I am now running almost a full inch above pad, for best top speed performance. Which, leads me to the list of causes:
- Over trimmed motor.
- Blow out can be caused by, exceeding the speed of the lower unit, i.e. trying to go faster than 85 mph with torque master lower, a handful of other issues contribute to blow out. Prop, skeg shape, size, blow out ring, length of case.
3. One controversial issue is the lip on the trailing edge of the pad. All boats that come out of the same mold are slightly different and handle different, depending on a number of factors, the largest in my opinion for Allison, is who and how they shaped the lip. This little feature can make a big difference in how your boat handles. .005 of an inch is all it takes to change the way the boat runs.
4. Engine height, I don't think running to low is usually a problem, when you start running high, is when you need to be careful. The general rule of thumb is to set the center of the prop shaft 1/4" below the pad (the pad height is not the same as the lip height. if you measure off the lip you must be able to accurately measure the lip and deduct it from the equation.) and learn the boat really good, so good you really don't need to ask what to do next, you just need to check to see if you are on the right track.
As you get more seat time, you will want to move weight, left and right forward and back to see how it effects the boat at different speeds. I have about 45 lbs on the port side mid ship. I usually make adjustments in the 2 to 4 lb increments on any given day, if I am trying for top speed numbers.
Good luck and feel free to continue with questions.
