Baja 22 caliber. Mercruiser 454. Best prop please!

[Baja Bob62]

Hello. I just purchased a Baja 22 caliber. Carb 454 mercruiser. Looking for advice on best overall prop for fuel economy, pulling and of course top end. I know I may need a few to accommodate this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

 

[jbuote]

Hey there! :welcome:

Not a pro, but that's not a question that can be answered easily...

You'll have to do some runs at WOT, with the boat loaded as it would most normally be loaded (people, gear, coolers etc..) to see what RPM you get, and speed...

From that, you can then find the best prop by going up/down in pitch etc..
Once best prop is found, then you can start to work on usage specific props.. (hole shot, top speed, economy etc.. )

There is no 1 answer anyone can give you..
At least not that I'm aware of..

Again, I'm not a pro, and some of the more experience folks may be able to give ballpark specs, but until you run the prop on your boat/engine combo, as normally loaded, it's all a guessing game...

Any chance you have a dealer or prop shop near you that will allow for test runs to help dial it in?

Hope it helps!!

 

[Baja Bob62]

Thank you for the reply. Will be achieving this tomorrow at lake mead. I will try and post the results and current prop on boat! Take care

 

[jbuote]

See if you can use a cell phone or other device to get a GPS speed during your runs.. (If boat isn't already equipped with GPS)..
That'll help the pro's out the best along with the RPM at said GPS speed..

With that info in hand, they should be able to better help you out with what you're looking for..

 

[Baja Bob62]

Thanks. Will do!

 

[Baja Bob62]

Hello, Went to the lake yesterday. 4 blade 24, 5100rpm @ 64mph. Now last week with a 3 blade 23 I was able to get just over 70mph. Both times w cooler and wife aboard with very light chop on the water! Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance! Have a great day!

 

[porscheguy]

For top end, it seems you’ve already got your answer with whatever three blade you’re using. Do you know what 3 blade it is?

3 blades will generally yield more speed and better mileage than a 4 blade due to the reduction in drag. The 4 blade should generate more “pull” as you describe it.

Props are a compromise, so no single prop will excel in every area.

In all likelihood, your boat left the factory with a mirage prop. What’s the max rpm on your motor? What rpm are you seeing when using the 23P 3 blade?

 

[Baja Bob62]

I don’t recall the top rpm w the 3 blade. I will take a look at it when I get a chance and let you know the MFG. at some point I will put the 3 blade back on and take notes. I can say this. With the 3 blade my wife and I ran for about 4 hrs and I only burned 16 gallons of gas. For a 454 I think that is great mileage. I could be wrong. The 4 blade seemed to be better overall and I will proboly stick with it. Unless someone mentions a new one that would increase my performance. I think I’m about as good as I’m going to get. Thanks again for your time and input! Have a great day!