Prop Replacement

[LetsRock]

Hey all. This spring will be my first time replacing a prop on any of the three boats I have ever owned. The one I have now is dinged up pretty bad and caused a lot of vibration at the end of the season. I dont know a heck of a lot about pitch and all that stuff so my fate is totally in your hands so whatever the forum says I will go with.

As you can see from my profile I have a 1990 220DA with a 5.7 liter Mercruiser engine.

Please let me know what everyone thinks as to the best type and model to go with.

Thanks to all in advance.

 

[aqua*holic]

There are a few things to keep in mind when looking at a new prop.

Props are sold by diameter and pitch. Diameter is obvious. Pitch is the distance a prop would travel forward during one complete rotation without slip. Sort of like threading a screw into a hole; how far down does the screw travel over one rotation.

So, a prop with a pitch of 19 will travel 19" forward over one revolution.

Props with lower pitch are better for getting up to speed quickly (hole shot), will provide a lower top speed, and will cause your engine WOT RPM's to increase.

Props with a higher pitch, will be slower out of the hole, have a higher top speed, and will decrease WOT RPM.

You need to choose a prop that puts your WOT at the proper RPM. There are some rules of thumb out there that you can find with a little research. Bottom line is if you were happpy with the way your boat performed with the old prop, get the same size.

 

[Big Island Lifer]

Do you have to replace it? You could have it rebuilt. I am assuming it is aluminum. Upgrading to a Stainless Steel prop may also help your performance, but has other negatives as well- including higher cost and possible increased damage to drive if you do "ding" it up.

 

[JVM225]

Call a prop guy and get some advice. I used PROPMD. You can google them for the site. If you boat on the south shore and don't already have a stainless prop you might want to consider one. I saw a big difference in performance when I went with stainless props. The bottom on the south shore is sandy, and if you touch bottom you likely won't do any damage to the drive with a stainless prop.
If you are on the north shore with the rocky bottom, you might want to stay away from stainless.

 

[DustinL]

14 1/4 x 19p is what a friend of mine runs on that exact same boat. His performs quite well with that good whole shot and top end. But do ask a prop guy with weight and hp he can help alot.

 

[billnpat]

Call a prop guy and get some advice. I used PROPMD. You can google them for the site. If you boat on the south shore and don't already have a stainless prop you might want to consider one. I saw a big difference in performance when I went with stainless props. The bottom on the south shore is sandy, and if you touch bottom you likely won't do any damage to the drive with a stainless prop.
If you are on the north shore with the rocky bottom, you might want to stay away from stainless.

Thats good to know......Thanks....:thumbsup:

 

[JVM225]

Thats good to know......Thanks....:thumbsup:

Bill, I think you have inboards, I have I/O's which is a whole different animal.
I'm pretty sure the place I used hasprops for you boat too though, and could make a good recommendation.

 

[billnpat]

Bill, I think you have inboards, I have I/O's which is a whole different animal.
I'm pretty sure the place I used hasprops for you boat too though, and could make a good recommendation.

Yeah right, i have inboards and will check it out

Thanks again....

 

[LetsRock]

Do you have to replace it? You could have it rebuilt. I am assuming it is aluminum. Upgrading to a Stainless Steel prop may also help your performance, but has other negatives as well- including higher cost and possible increased damage to drive if you do "ding" it up.

Is rebuilding an aluminum prop really worth the cost? Isnt it about the same price to buy a new one?

 

[LetsRock]

Call a prop guy and get some advice. I used PROPMD. You can google them for the site. If you boat on the south shore and don't already have a stainless prop you might want to consider one. I saw a big difference in performance when I went with stainless props. The bottom on the south shore is sandy, and if you touch bottom you likely won't do any damage to the drive with a stainless prop.
If you are on the north shore with the rocky bottom, you might want to stay away from stainless.

This is great stuff. I do have aluminum now and am on the South Shore so I will look into the stainless option.

 

[LetsRock]

14 1/4 x 19p is what a friend of mine runs on that exact same boat. His performs quite well with that good whole shot and top end. But do ask a prop guy with weight and hp he can help alot.

Does he use aluminum or stainless?

 

[CV-23]

Aluminum props cost $40-$50 to repair depending on damage. Stainless props are about $75-$100 to repair. I run a stainless 18P 4 blade on my 270 and a 4 blade aluminum for a spare, Mike.

 

[billnpat]

Aluminum props cost $40-$50 to repair depending on damage. Stainless props are about $75-$100 to repair. I run a stainless 18P 4 blade on my 270 and a 4 blade aluminum for a spare, Mike.

Then if the marina sends it out add another 100 bucks:smt009

 

[LetsRock]

Then if the marina sends it out add another 100 bucks:smt009

billnpat - since you are a Long Island guy do you have anyone you recommend?

 

[billnpat]

billnpat - since you are a Long Island guy do you have anyone you recommend?

Unfortunately NO...Im at the mercy of M.M.:smt089

 

[Dave8792]

Still looking at the Piranha props for my boat. The blades can be change one at a time so if you hit something you are not replacing the whole wheel. PLUS they are made of a sort of polymer and won't transfer all that energy into the drive if you do hit something like stainless wheels tend to do