Prop Size recommendation

sebas54

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
334
Hi I have a 1980 22.2 foot aquasport with a 4.3l I/O merc. I need a new prop. What prop size should I get?? Please if anybody had a similar setup, let me know what you used.

Thanks
 

steelespike

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Messages
19,069
Re: Prop Size recommendation

Do you have your prop size and present max rpm and speed?
 

sebas54

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Messages
334
Re: Prop Size recommendation

It had a 15.25 x 15 prop and went 27mph at 4550 rpm.

I just bought a new prop 16 x 14 and it went 23mph at 4850rpms.

Thanks
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
71,095
Re: Prop Size recommendation

Ayuh,......

Either due to your Motor not making enough Power,.....
Or,...
Your Hull is Waterlogged,.....

It Appears that you Can't turn more than the 15" prop......
 

Dandelion

Cadet
Joined
Apr 29, 2008
Messages
17
Re: Prop Size recommendation

Your rpm's are right about on the money. But with a 14" pitch prop?? That is weird. I can see a 14" pitch prop only making 23 mph with your rig. But I'd have guessed the engine would be way over-revving.

I'd say either your tach is off, or, more likely, something else is not right: engine compression or the boat is waterlogged, for instance.

A 22' boat with a 4.3 Merc ought to do about 35-40 mph at 4800 rpm's, with a 23" pitch prop. But that would be a new boat. The wild card here is that it's a 28 year old boat. Any number of things could be off. You might not achieve ideal figures no matter what you do. That's not a disaster. Most important is to have your boat operating at the upper end of the recommended rpm's at "Wide Open Throttle".
 
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