mwmotorsports
Cadet
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2007
- Messages
- 20
Ok guys and gals, I'm a newbie around here and with my boat which I have going on 2 years now. While it runs great and all I have spent a lot of money and time trying to find the "right" prop for my boat. I have a 1985 Sea Raider Performer fish and ski 17ft. with the same year Mariner 75 horse 4cyl engine. I simply have some concerns about my prop choice. I have tried 4 different sizes fom 13 1/2x17 up to 12 3/4 x 21. The one that has given me the best top end performance so far is the 12 3/4 x 21(best of the bunch for top end speed) but I am still a bit miffed about the speed of the boat. We do not ski with it. It is mainly used for cruising around and fishing. It accellerates great "I think" and planes fairly quick but on a good day my speed barely touches 35 mph. Maybe I'm asking too much from the old girl but I have always felt that she could easily do around 40 to 45mph. But alas I haven't found the right combnation to get it there. Unfortunately I do not have a tach to monitor the rpm's which I am told should be around 5000. My local boat shop which is very reputable has told me that any less than that am I am "lugging" the motor which is very bad over time. They say I need to let it run "free" in the upper rpm range. Should I start over with a tach installed and adjust from there? I have a small pile of props that are worth a few bux in my pocket if not needed, but I hate the thought of selling them off if the one I really want is already there.
So, this past weekend I chipped my favorite prop and took it in to get repaired. My trusting tech person at the shop highly recommends I go stainless instead of aluminum. Now I'm starting to think he's just being a salesman to me. He says the stainless prop will not flex as much as aluminum and also "grips" water better. Well I bought the stainless at a nice discount because I'm in a pinch for a trip next week and it is the same size and pitch as the aluminum one I dropped off for repair. But I can't help wonder if this is the right one for my boat. I have thoughts that the stainless prop will cause the motor to run even lower in the rpm range than it may already be with the aluminum prop because of it being obviously stronger. What do you think? Will I simply see a little better performance or does anyone have any suggestions for size and pitch selection? Is there any secret to selection without spending any more gobs of money? Am I just going to have to settle for what it is? I am a competitive car racer and I'm just looking to get the max fun from my watercraft as I do with my race cars.
Thanks for any help and tips. Sorry to write such a long winded article but I want give the full scope of my thoughts on this.
So, this past weekend I chipped my favorite prop and took it in to get repaired. My trusting tech person at the shop highly recommends I go stainless instead of aluminum. Now I'm starting to think he's just being a salesman to me. He says the stainless prop will not flex as much as aluminum and also "grips" water better. Well I bought the stainless at a nice discount because I'm in a pinch for a trip next week and it is the same size and pitch as the aluminum one I dropped off for repair. But I can't help wonder if this is the right one for my boat. I have thoughts that the stainless prop will cause the motor to run even lower in the rpm range than it may already be with the aluminum prop because of it being obviously stronger. What do you think? Will I simply see a little better performance or does anyone have any suggestions for size and pitch selection? Is there any secret to selection without spending any more gobs of money? Am I just going to have to settle for what it is? I am a competitive car racer and I'm just looking to get the max fun from my watercraft as I do with my race cars.
Thanks for any help and tips. Sorry to write such a long winded article but I want give the full scope of my thoughts on this.
