Prop pitch

[lahiggs]

I have a 1987 Citation 190XLS. Last summer I had a 19 pitch prop, great holeshot, fair top end (48mph, 30-35mph cruising). This year, I need to buy a new prop and was wondering how much holeshot I will lose by going up to a 21? I very seldom tow anyone behind me, so as long as I have enough holeshot power to plane easily with 4-6 people onboard, I will be happy. I have also heard the Hustler alum. props have great power, so maybe with a 21 pitch on a Hustler, I may not lose much holeshot. Any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. My boat is powered with a 175HP 4.3L MerCruiser.

 

[Don S]

Re: Prop pitch

I guess the first question that needs answered is what is your wide open throttle rpm with the prop you have on it now.

 

[lahiggs]

Re: Prop pitch

Well, the only tach I have is the factory tach, which I know is not all that accurate, but is over 5000. I have heard of a lot of boats my size with same angine or 3.0L with a 21, but I wonder about the performance.

 

[Don S]

Re: Prop pitch

First of all, stop worring about what prop others have, get your tach calabrated so you know it's right, find out what your wide open throttle rpm is and get into the specs for your engine. Once you have that info, you can adjust the prop size and pitch for the conditions you want to run.<br />Finding the right prop is necessary to keeping your engine for any length of time.