Stainless prop for 3.0

[Deep Ghosh]

Is it worthless to fit a mercruiser 3.0 with a SS prop? Been doing some reading and it seems like there's mixed opinions. Does anyone on here have a SS prop on a 3.0 and do you recommend it or not? Boat is a 2006 175 sport.

Thanks in advance!

 

[JimG]

You want a SS prop if you have lots of torque and are concerned about the blade flex of an aluminum one.

I'm not sure your 3.0 would be considered to have "lots of torque".

A disadvantage of a SS prop is that if you hit something, it won't give like an aluminum... then other drive stuff breaks!

 

[Lazy Daze]

I've been there and done that with a 3.0L on my 180BR (predecessor to your boat). I experimented with a bunch of props - recording data on each prop to try and eliminate opinion/subjective influence as much as possible. As Jim mentioned, it's about torque. And the 3.0L just doesn't have enough torque to spin the SS prop fast enough (it's quite a bit heavier than an Al prop) to take advantage of the stiffer blades.

If you want a better hole shot for sports, get a 4-blade Mercury Al prop and drop a couple inches in pitch. You'll lose some top end, the hole shot will be vastly improved.

Or... stick the regular prop and install some Smart Tabs. They give you the best of everything. Google for them and/or search on this forum - there's a good bit of info already out there on these that you can read up on. It'll be a night and day difference... and better ride quality, too.

 

[El Capitan]

No question an SS prop will yield better performance than an aluminum prop. Ask me how I know.

 

[El Capitan]

That pic right after I installed Smart Tabs.

I get almost zero bow raise, cruising at plane at lower rpm 2400 and got 1 mph on wot.

 

[GypsmJim]

I owned a 3.0 for 35 years. Adding a SS prop gave me the performance I desired and that's why I had it for that long a time. If you hit something hard enough to damage the outdrive, aluminum won't save you.

 

[Leardriver]

A stainless prop doesn't have less flex than an aluminum, and an aluminum doesn't have flex. Because of the stronger materials, a stainless prop blade is made THINNER, which is more hydrodynamically efficient, than an aluminum, which would flex or break of it weren't made a little thicker.

 

[Cliff Wisor]

I've been there and done that with a 3.0L on my 180BR (predecessor to your boat). I experimented with a bunch of props - recording data on each prop to try and eliminate opinion/subjective influence as much as possible. As Jim mentioned, it's about torque. And the 3.0L just doesn't have enough torque to spin the SS prop fast enough (it's quite a bit heavier than an Al prop) to take advantage of the stiffer blades.

If you want a better hole shot for sports, get a 4-blade Mercury Al prop and drop a couple inches in pitch. You'll lose some top end, the hole shot will be vastly improved.

Or... stick the regular prop and install some Smart Tabs. They give you the best of everything. Google for them and/or search on this forum - there's a good bit of info already out there on these that you can read up on. It'll be a night and day difference... and better ride quality, too.

Could you post the data that you recorded with your 180