1989 Regal 255xl trim tabs

kindredspirits

kindredspirits

Member
Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2007
RO Number
27052
Messages
263
Hello all, I have a question about the trim tabs on this boat. They are 12"X12" and were installed on this boat when I purchased it. I am the second owner and not sure if these were factory installed or not. They are hydraulic tabs controlled from the helm with rocker switches. My first question is....do you think these tabs are big enough for this boat? We typically have four adults + two children on board. The tabs seem to have very little effect. I only use the tabs once on plane to try to correct any list I may have but they don't seem to affect the ride at all. Second question...The cylinder that controls the position of the tabs only move approx. 1"...is this normal? I expected more movement than that, although both sides move approx. the same amount. Any help with this would be appreciated.

Chris
 
My first question is....do you think these tabs are big enough for this boat? NO. Bennett calls for one inch of tab per side for each foot of LOA. Ideally, you would have a 26" wide tab on each side.

We typically have four adults + two children on board. The above computation takes into account load factors.

The tabs seem to have very little effect. I only use the tabs once on plane to try to correct any list I may have but they don't seem to affect the ride at all. Second question...The cylinder that controls the position of the tabs only move approx. 1"...is this normal? Tabs are a function of geometry. The further aft of the transom the connection is located, the less the actual swing of the tab itself. I want to say my tabs deploy about 2 inches from parallel to the hull bottom.

There is a Regal owner on this site who doubled his tab size with an add on plate for about $80. I am doing the same this winter.

HTH
 
Kida,
This is a 1989 REGAL 255XL. LOA is approx. 29'. Beam is 8'6". 4 adults weighing approx. 195lbs./each, 2 children weighing approx. 40lbs. each. I think the boat weighs approx. 6000 +/- lbs. loaded. When I purchased the boat the surveyor said he felt the tabs were too small for the boat. I'm not sure if the tabs are too small or if they are just not functioning properly. The ram only moving 1" has me wondering...but both sides are the same. If one side moved six inches and the other side only 1" the problem would be obvious....but both tabs have the same articulation. Is it normal too only have this much movement, or should I have more?

Chris
 
quote:
Originally posted by kindredspirits

Kida,
This is a 1989 REGAL 255XL. LOA is approx. 29'. Beam is 8'6". 4 adults weighing approx. 195lbs./each, 2 children weighing approx. 40lbs. each. I think the boat weighs approx. 6000 +/- lbs. loaded. When I purchased the boat the surveyor said he felt the tabs were too small for the boat. I'm not sure if the tabs are too small or if they are just not functioning properly. The ram only moving 1" has me wondering...but both sides are the same. If one side moved six inches and the other side only 1" the problem would be obvious....but both tabs have the same articulation. Is it normal too only have this much movement, or should I have more?

Chris

Click to expand...


My bad. I did not see the thread title. Please see the edited post.
 
Kida,
Not sure what happened there...the post changed. You answered my next question which was how wide should they be. I'm not sure I can get a 26" tab in there since I only have an 8'6" beam but I'll measure to see how close I can get. I didn't know you could add a plate to these to increase the width. Who are you using for this or just custom 304 stainless? Thanks again for your help.

Chris
 
I just looked at the boat, I may have enough room for a 24" tab. I currently have a 12" hinge, is this strong enough to support a 24" tab or should I just replace the entire tab/hinge?

Kida,
1" per foot LOA means my tabs are grossly undersized. This explains why they are not working worth a !#rb2@gr5t$. Thanks again for you help.
 
Hi Chris,

We hauled out on Monday 10/22 so we are inside storage now. I can't get back inside on a weekend until December when they are open 7 days/week. If you'd have asked last week, I'd have measured them upon haulout for you.

That said, we have Bennett tabs on our 1989 280 Commodore. I think they are sized well, but I can't tell you the exact measurements without going back over there.

Based on your post, I'd say ours travel more than 1". It sounds as if they are not being deployed far enough to do you any good.

The folks at Bennett are awesome to work with. You might wish to touch base with M.J. Thomas [tr] or visit bennetttrimtabs.com/help.htm

Here's a couple pics of our boat for reference:

2003 Haulout:
DSCN0114.jpg


2007 Haulout:
1022071329.jpg


2007 Spring Launch:
DSCN0004-1.jpg
 
Dogdaze,
Thanks, I'll talk to Bennett to see what they say about these tabs. If I have any problems or need your tab dimension for reference I'll let you know but I'll probably just replace them with larger units this winter. I just winterized the a/c and head. The boat came out of the water last Sunday and is back in Medina now. I'm in the process of putting together a punch list of projects to keep me occupied 'til March when I hope to go back in.

Chris
 
You can actually increase the size of the tab easily and cheaply w/ stainless. Have a trapezoid made out of stainless. At the hinge, the width should equal the width of the tab and angle outward to twice the width of the tab plus 1-2 inches at each end. The concluding depth of the tab from the hinge to the end of the tab should be 25% longer than the existing tab. Take the 1-2 inches on each end and have it bent down 90 degrees (right angle) to the new plate. This new plate needs to bolt to the existing tab. I notice the ends of your existing tabs already turn down. I would try to have that cut or bent straight. That way, you could bolt the new plate to the bottom of the existing one and the pressure is on the current tab as opposed to the bolts holding the new tab in place. Additionally, with the new plate on the bottom you do not need to modify the trim cylinder mounting position. By doing this, you have roughly doubled the size of the tab without modifying the initial installation, not drilling any new holes in the hull and for a lot less than a new set of tabs are going to cost you. The final dimensions for the new tab at the end will be 18 inches wide and a total of 15 inches deep.

I can't take credit for the design. I was invented by a Regal owner with a 2665 who decreased his time to plane by 80% and removed the requirement to move folks forward to get on plane. I am doing this to my 330 Dancer in the spring when I pull her for detailing and bottom paint.

HTH
 
Chris,

David's notes above are great reference for making the tabs larger.. but I'd say our cylinders move several inches when the tabs are dropped down. 1" just don't sound right to me. Should be easy to see now that you're out of the water.
 
Hi all

Nice to be famous for something.

On my 2665 I went to 18X12 with about 1.5 inches on each side bent down. These are wider at the transom so the gap has to be filled. (my next project).
These should be rivited with stainless rivets to insure a tight fit.
Your tab cylinders should move a distance equal to 80% the length of the cylinder. 1" wont do anything so you must resolve this first.
The tabs should always be full down when you go on plane and cycled up as the nose comes over. This will save you a lot of fuel and engine weare as the time is much shorter.(The Bennett auto trim system will actually do that with a 5 second delay) I prefer to do it myself and with the bigger tabs I find I quite often dont use the auto tabs.
I also can get on plane using only 3000rpm and plane down to 15mph.
The 18X12 is more than enough tabs in fact you have to be carefull or they will make the nose dig in if you leave them down.
Lastly try disconecting the cylinders from the tabs and run them down and up to see the travel. On an older boat they may be binding at the hinges.
 
quote:
Originally posted by check737

Hi all

Nice to be famous for something.

On my 2665 I went to 18X12 with about 1.5 inches on each side bent down. These are wider at the transom so the gap has to be filled. (my next project).
These should be rivited with stainless rivets to insure a tight fit.
Your tab cylinders should move a distance equal to 80% the length of the cylinder. 1" wont do anything so you must resolve this first.
The tabs should always be full down when you go on plane and cycled up as the nose comes over. This will save you a lot of fuel and engine weare as the time is much shorter.(The Bennett auto trim system will actually do that with a 5 second delay) I prefer to do it myself and with the bigger tabs I find I quite often dont use the auto tabs.
I also can get on plane using only 3000rpm and plane down to 15mph.
The 18X12 is more than enough tabs in fact you have to be carefull or they will make the nose dig in if you leave them down.
Lastly try disconecting the cylinders from the tabs and run them down and up to see the travel. On an older boat they may be binding at the hinges.

Click to expand...


Are you out of the water yet, and do you have any pix? Your invention is gaining a lot of momentum here.
 
Dogdaze,
On a side note...I was at Cedar Point Tues. for work and stopped into the Marina. What a beautiful marina. That looks like a great place. We are going to have to make it down there next summer. I still owe you a few beers!

Chris
 
Chris,

I also have a 1989 255 XL. This was my first season in the boat, so I am still learning. My trim tabs are also about 12 x 12 and operate from rocker switches at the helm. I believe they are original equipment. My boat has twin engines. I've found that I need to adjust the tabs depending on the number of passengers and where the are on the boat. My tabs make a big difference, and I can overcompensate with them, so they seem to be adequate for my boat. I had the boat out of the water today and extended the rod to a maximum of 2-1/2 inches. Hope this info is helpful.
 
Hi Chris,

Thanks for your note.... yes, we really do love keeping our boat at Cedar Point. It's been a nice change of pace and it truly is a nice facility. From what we heard recently, the waiting list for permanent dockage is back up over 100 again.. but you can always tie up over at Famous Dave’s for a lunch/dinner and a few cold ones. Let me know if/when you want to stop over.. you're always welcome to visit.. but not until next spring naturally. :)

Based on Portland's post above, it sounds to me like all you really need to do to these tabs is get more movement out of them.
 
Kindred;

This may be an obvious question but......when the tabs are fully retracted and the boat level have you checked the fluid level in the pump? Before you invest in new/larger tabs it is worth finding out if they are fully deployed under load. They may extend when out of the water even without sufficient fluid, but will not while under load if you are low. I believe that Bennet specs power steering fluid for their pumps. If you are loosing fluid the first place to look is the seals on the rams, an excellent time of year to pull and rebuild if needed.
 
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