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View Full Version : Trim tabs? What are you running?



DonziNUTS
11-23-2011, 02:38 PM
I do not post here a lot...in fact maybe a couple of times! Anyway i am asking what guys are using as trim tabs? Bennett, Dana, Eddie etc. I see many manufacturers disclosing "not to exceed 60mph"?
So what is everyone running behind their Donzi's??

Thanks!
Mike

PS I am restoring a 1968 18' 2+3...beginning stages.. i will post pics of the resto later

gcarter
11-23-2011, 03:21 PM
I'm running a pair of Hynautic Power Planes.
They are now classics and were the hot item in the late '80's.
Some unique features about them is there's no external plumbing as the fluid goes through the pivot pins.
Also, the controls are a small pair of hockey sticks on the dash. When you move them up and down, it moves the tabs to a corresponding position, IOW, switches and indicators in one.

http://www.donzi.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=66122&stc=1&d=1313949651

silverghost
11-23-2011, 03:52 PM
George~

Those are indeed very slick trim tab planes.

I like you matching your hull color also ~~~~ Very High Quality work !

MOP
11-23-2011, 04:35 PM
22C 12X12 Bennets, used only to balance load and in bad sea conditions and at idle to eliminate the side to side wag our V's have.

osur866
11-23-2011, 05:54 PM
Stock Bennetts behind my 18 C running in low 90's, use them exactly how MOP described above, WFO their high and dry :)

biggiefl
11-24-2011, 11:19 AM
Although I barely break 60 I do as described above. Anything over about 45 mine are dry. My other guess is that they disclose the 60mph thing to make paying major cash for K-Planes justified. Oh you want to do 70...gotta spend another $$$ for these. Bennett are the benchmark and their customer service is AAAA+++ but if I were going to replace I would go Lenco. They are faster and reset every time you shut her down. Bennett has a reset option but it is $$ and Lencos are cheaper to begin with. I did hear Bennett recently won a suit against Lenco, not sure if it was big enough to effect their future or not.

DonziNUTS
11-24-2011, 11:30 AM
Thanks for the info...I have been looking at numerous kinds and styles. I really like the Eddie marine tabs....but the price just a little more than I wanna spend. Unless someone on this thread can convince me that I should run tabs?

Thanks!

silverghost
11-24-2011, 04:11 PM
Lenco tabs I believe are electro-mechanical and all the internal works such as motors & gearing are actually above each tab IN the cylinder shaped mechanical unit. It is IN the water, under water, at all times.
If the units leak~~~they are toast.

Lenco I believe was sued over their use of the automatic reset function at engine turn off.
Bennett has a patent on this reset function.

I prefer hydraulic tabs like Bennett, K-planes, Eddie etc.

Bennett gives you the biggest bang for very little bucks $$$ .

f_inscreenname
11-24-2011, 05:05 PM
Bennetts. Even if you buy them used Bennett will stand behind them. If you buy them used and rip one off your transom by jumping tugboat wakes Bennetts will send you new. They just cant be beat.

Conquistador_del_mar
11-24-2011, 05:14 PM
I think you would be happy with a set of Bennett ST-9s like I installed on my 1971 Donzi 18' 2+3. Bill

Dr. David Fleming
11-25-2011, 12:45 AM
Donzi 22zx came with option of Bennett or Merc K Planes - small ones 12" wide - believe the K Planes are 12" long or the Bennets were 9" aprox length. Bennetts had one pump - K Planes had one pump each side with 50 amp circuit breaker each.

22zx uses the tabs to get on plane and if in a chop to keep the bow into the waves - at high speed they need to be neutral if in a chop to give a longer waterline - boat is slightly faster by having them fully up.

Dangerous to have them down at speed because the step hull has a deep entry forward and a high step giving a lot of ventalation aft. Down tabs at speed force the bow to trip and risk a spin.

22zx has same issue with drive trim and step hulls came with trim limiter blocks.

mattyboy
11-25-2011, 08:17 AM
The 68 resto project is it a round keel or a sharp keel? Have you driven the boat before? Will the boat have a drive with trim? I had a 67 16 with no trim that had tabs once use to the boat I never used them . the only use I had for them was the ocassion need during water sports. Yes they can level the boat side to side and can keep the nose down in rougher waters. Once I had the boat propped right those uses we're no longer needed .

I would restore the boat with the mindset of having tabs but not at first. Build a strong transom if you are doing a transom with support and backing where the tabs would go. then get her done and see if she needs them.

DonziNUTS
11-25-2011, 08:30 AM
Again you guys give great feedback!! The bottom has the rounded hull....I am in the process of replacing the transom wood. I have removed the old rotted wood and cut out 2 - 3/4" Mahogany plywood for the replacement. It had a Volvo 280 on it when I bought approx. 8 years ago! I bought from a gentleman named Dave Tweed in Kearny, NJ. The boat was a total mess and probably could win the ugliest paint award!!! I am putting on a Mercury Alpha 1 with a 2004? 5.7 MPI. I will have to place pictures up when I get the chance.
I was looking at the SP-9...but in know rush right now to make a decision.

Thanks guys for all this support!!! I feel like I am in a AA meeting for boat addiction!! But reading and restoring my third Donzi is soothing therapy.

mattyboy
11-25-2011, 08:43 AM
marroon silver and gold? 351 windsor and a volvo 280 white interior? boat originally from lake hopatcong nj

DonziNUTS
11-25-2011, 09:04 AM
Yes sir!! Do you know the boat?

I also own a 1966 Donzi I picked up from Ventnor, NJ from a guy named Bob Gross (Delaware River Port Authority). His brother owned the boat but passed away during the restoration.
I am in the middle of restoring that one also but not know much about fiberglass at the time...all started to crack!! Learned a lot from here and being in the Petroleum Industry with fiberglass gasoline tanks and dispenser sumps.

mattyboy
11-25-2011, 09:16 AM
yes i looked at it for a friend probably close to the time you bought it. if i recall it had a hole or scoop in the motor hatch. the silver and gold were in like a geometric design popular in the 70's. it was at his business on rt 7 in kearny, out in the meadlowlands of nj. glad to see she found a good home thought it was a worthy project. i think i might even have some pics of it somewhere.

DonziNUTS
11-25-2011, 09:18 AM
68879688806888168882688836888468885

mattyboy
11-25-2011, 09:23 AM
that's the one it already looks a thousand percent better from when i last saw it

DonziNUTS
11-25-2011, 09:24 AM
68886688876888868889688906889168892

RockyS18
11-25-2011, 11:21 AM
I run my Bennett trim tabs up to 78mph on my 22C and they work great. I'm upgrading my power to 550hp and will be using them at speeds around 90mph now. Sadly I don't have a picture of them right now.

maddad
11-25-2011, 12:06 PM
My 1972 18'er has no tabs, and I can't think of a single time where I wished I had them.

patricke
11-25-2011, 01:42 PM
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+1

George your work is insane. This is no question going to be the nicest TR in the world.

Buddyc
11-25-2011, 03:37 PM
My 1972 18'er has no tabs, and I can't think of a single time where I wished I had them.

Do you think I should have them on the Barrelback?

PMZONER
11-25-2011, 04:26 PM
I think the transom will blow out before these planes give up. The tab controls are on the throttle, no reaching for tab switches.

mattyboy
11-26-2011, 06:59 AM
donzinuts

what is the hull number

silverghost
11-26-2011, 10:45 AM
DonziNUTS~
Was that 1966 Donzi barrelback you bought in Ventnor NJ painted green ?
If so I remember that boat well. I actually inspected it for a buddy of mine.
That boat was in the area for years.
It sold before my buddy had a chance at making an offer.
I thought old Donzi Racer Tom had his hands in that deal with an ebay listing somehow ?
The last time I saw it was near the end of summer 2009 .

maddad
11-26-2011, 02:16 PM
Do you think I should have them on the Barrelback?

Buddy, I run around with a member here, Ralph Saverese, who has a sharp keel barrel back with no tabs and no trim. We run pretty hard through snotty conditions and our boats run, fly and land straight. There may be some advantage with them, but I can't say what it is.

Conquistador_del_mar
11-26-2011, 06:25 PM
I have run trim tabs on every deep V boat I have ever owned since first installing a set of Boatlevelers on my 1971 18' Donzi in about 1974. That would be approximately 20 boats. Besides being able to keep the boat level to take the normal waves the best, I will lean the hull away from oncoming waves if they are anywhere coming from diagonal approaches in order to keep the flat side of the hull from "slapping" the oncoming waves - the boat will cut through much better than a flat approach. I also learned that if you lower your tabs at idle, it will greatly reduce your wandering (not that important to me, but an advantage). I even installed a set on my Stratos fishing boat with great results and am about to install a set of Bennett ST-9s on my newest Donzi 23" fishing boat. If you get used to using them properly, I can promise you will like having them. Bill

yeller
11-27-2011, 03:18 PM
I run a set of dual ram Bennetts well past the recommended 60mph. They have been extended to 14" and do get used even in the 60+ speeds. I'm not going to say that is safe. The company doesn't recommend it, but I have had no issues. I am changing to the EMI's, but I don't think that is what you would need for your boat. If you do want tabs, I'd say look for a used set of Bennetts. There are always sets around.

DonziNUTS
11-28-2011, 01:23 PM
Matty,
I have been looking for the hull number since day one. I have not split the deck yet since I have a Lexus to paint before Christmas!! Yes boys and girls Santa paints cars, trucks and boats too!!
I do not see a black marker on the backside of the dash..up on the front bow eye???
If you look in the pictures I have posted was a silver metal Id plate from Donzi with a hull# and outdrive serial number on the back bench seat. They were unreadable if their was any there to begin with.

The 66 is not a barrel back...I have posted pics. The boat was all re-glassed under the deck. SOB weighed a ton!!! Being the beginner at the time I painted the boat and all the was falling apart! So i put on the back burner and is sitting in my yard.68927689286892968930

DonziNUTS
11-28-2011, 01:34 PM
Silverghost,
It just dawned on me that he had a green Donzi when I visited him! The gentleman name is Bob Gross and I went down to look at his 28' Cigarette he had for sale! Bob and his brother was a huge collector of vintage cars and boats. He also was trying to sell me a 59 Corvette...Great guys!! The brother past away about 3 months before I bought the 66.
I got hooked up with them from friends of the family who raced the Hydros in the 60's and 70's!!
Anyway he wanted a little bit of coin for that 66...i believe it was pretty close to all original??

mattyboy
11-28-2011, 02:18 PM
donzinuts
yes the back of the dash and the bow eye but on a boat with the foil tag no written numbers may be present. the tag should have been stamped with hull number engine serial number and drive serial number. if you still have the drive( number on silver tag on top of the drive by top cap) or the bell housing( that would have the engine serial number) for the 351 I can try and cross reference the hull number for you. I it was a long time ago but let me see if I gave any of that info to the friend I looked at the boat for.

Matty

biggiefl
11-28-2011, 03:53 PM
I don't have Bennetts on my 1994 although they are OEM. They look like Bennett but have some stupid name from like the 50's like Adjust-O-Matic. I like the toggle switches though. Anybody have any info on these? Good/bad, parts?

Pismo
11-29-2011, 05:29 AM
Bennett ST9. Load level only.

CHACHI
11-29-2011, 05:58 AM
Bennett rams with Martini (?) tabs. They are longer than stock. Use them all the time.

Tabs were designed and fabricated by a gentlemen in Canada who is no longer in business.

Mr. Carter would know the guys name.

Ken

MOP
11-29-2011, 06:56 AM
Ken as I remember the fellows name was Martini, he passed away a couple of years back.

Dax McDavid
11-29-2011, 03:13 PM
Bennett....only way to go they have been great on x18 . I have had horrible luck with much more expensive Eddie Marine tabs recently on 28 Lattitude.