props

[LiquidWrench]

I need new props on my 260, currently running 14.25x21 3 blade aluminum. Thinking about making a switch to stainless but not sure if I want to fork out that kind of money just yet. Just had it out yesterday for a short run before the rain hit after being plagued with drive issues. On the way out with about 1-2 footchop it was ok getting on plane. Revs stayed right about 4200 which is the top of my range on these engines. On the way back in with a following sea it took forever to get up on plane but when i did my revs were up near 44-4500. This was all with just me and a roughly half tank (50 gal or so) of fuel.

I have been reading that switching to 4 blade might help the boat get up on plane a little quicker and keep it on at lower revs. I currently fall off plane if I drop below 32-3300. I know it's a heavy boat and even more tail heavy because of the twins.

Has anyone had any experience switching to 4 blade props? I'm not too concerned with loosing a little top speed, more concerned with getting up on plane quicker and maybe a little better mileage being able to do it at lower revs for cruising.

 

[northern]

On our 28 footer (at water line) we had twin V 6 stern drive with SS props. I hit a twig once at 3800 RPM. Spun the centre rubber in the prop. No damage to SS prop. 50 hours later needed a new lower part of stern drive because I chipped a gear when the prop hit the twig and the chip took out a seal. Mechanic told me if the prop had been aluminium I might have not chipped the gear but would have bent the prop blades.

 

[LiquidWrench]

That is one concern I have with making the switch. The marina I'm at gets pretty shallow at low tide and I routinely kick up mud and muck when coming in, all at idle speeds though. It wears on aluminum props pretty good which is one reason I'm thinking of making the switch. Just a couple times having to replace aluminum props a couple times I could have bought a stainless. My main concern is being able to get out of the hole quicker and better efficiency when cruising.

 

[JVM225]

I put stainless 3 blades on my old 300 Sundancer and the difference was night and day. It's real shallow around here too and I kicked up much with them several times over the years and never spun a hub or had a problem with a lower unit.
A hard grounding or object may produce a different result, but as long as you stay inside the buoys there should be no problem.
If you did have a problem you may be covered by insurance so I say go for it. The difference in performance getting out of the hole far outweighed the risk for me.

 

[LiquidWrench]

Did they do anything to help you stay on plane at lower revs? Did you keep the same size and pitch?

 

[JVM225]

Did they do anything to help you stay on plane at lower revs? Did you keep the same size and pitch?

They helped slightly with staying on plane with lower revs, but the big difference was in getting on plane. He boat jumped out of the water with the stainless props. The originals were 14 1/2 x 19 if I remember, but the stainless I put on were 15 1/2 X 17. I went with the recommendations of the vendor I bought them from. Google propmd.

 

[LiquidWrench]

I will try contacting them tomorrow and see what they say with how I want the boat to behave. I'm sure your 300 had the same issue with being a little heavy in the stern.

 

[LiquidWrench]

Talked to Ben at propmd this morning. Told him how the boat behaves now and how I want it to. He suggested going to a 14 x 20 4 blade Michigan Wheel prop and that should put me right where I want to be. He gave me a price too good to pass up so now I have a pair of shiny new props on their way. Hopefully they will be here by the weekend so I can try them out. Bonus is when I decide to upgrade to a counter rotation on the port side I can get a matching LH prop.

 

[JVM225]

Talked to Ben at propmd this morning. Told him how the boat behaves now and how I want it to. He suggested going to a 14 x 20 4 blade Michigan Wheel prop and that should put me right where I want to be. He gave me a price too good to pass up so now I have a pair of shiny new props on their way. Hopefully they will be here by the weekend so I can try them out. Bonus is when I decide to upgrade to a counter rotation on the port side I can get a matching LH prop.

Yes, mine was a$$ heavy too. The people at propmd absolutely steered me in the right direction and their prices were unbeatable on the props I bought from them. I never once had to use the tabs to get up on plane in the years after I upgraded the props.
You may lose a little top end with the 4 blade props, but they will likely get you on plane faster and let you stay there at lower RPM's.
I was mainly concerned at the time with getting up on plane faster. I was satisfied with the cruising RPM's and had installed fuel flow sensors in to my Garmin network to help with fuel ecnonmy.
I also swapped out the lower unit on the port side for a counter rotating unit. It took me a few years to come across a good used OEM one. If I had it to do it all over again I would probably bite the bullet and buy one brand new. That's how much I loved the CR lower unit. It made no real noticeable difference to me personally when running in a straight line, but it made a huge differerence around the docks. As soon as I tried it I remember thinking that I should have done it long before.