Which Stainless Steel Prop?

[diamondfish]

Okay here goes,

I have a 19' alumaweld stryker with a 115hp EFI. The factory prop cavitates like a demond, especially when I dont need it to. I have asked several dealerships about stainless steel props, size and pitch. Funny thing no two dealerships have come up with the same configuration for me. I told all 3 of them I want a good hook-up out of the hole, I run it offshore, and if possible without sacrificing the life of my motor, maybe a small increase in top end.

With that in mind, I have done some research and found a 5 blade prop. I hope someone knows something about these, because I am curious if it would work for my application. Would 4 blade be better, or just stay with the 3 blade. What diameter and pitch should I have?

With all of these options, and what I consider to be less than helpful advice from the dealerships, I hope there would be someone out there that can help me find a solution to my dilema. :help:

[Starfish]

A High Five stainless is a lot of prop for a 115hp, but it will definitely stay hooked up under just about all conditions. The biggest drawback is that it has almost no reverse thrust, so it takes some getting used to when maneuvering up to a dock. Four blade props can be a good compromise. Actually a good stainless three-blade prop with a lot of cupping will still give you a lot better "grip" than a stock aluminum prop, without sacrificing top end speed.

Your best bet is to find a dealer that will let you demo some props before buying.

I'm a huge fan of Mercury Tempest Plus (3-blade) props for larger motors but I've never tried one on a smaller motor. The only stainless prop I ran on a 115 was a Yamaha polished stainless and it was excellent. A 4-blade prop with a somewhat similar design to a Tempest is the Merc Rev 4. However, both of these are huge props that take a lot of motor to turn; I don't know if they come sized for smaller motors.

You might look at Solas or some of the other performance aftermarket prop brands. I'm sure Stevens or another shop could recommend some options. Good luck and let us know what works for you.

[Boat Doc']

The 5 blade prop will do what you want. Try a 18 pitch. If propped right you should have a tremendous hole shot with no ventilation and a little more top end.

[BassinFever]

The 5 blade prop will do what you want. Try a 18 pitch. If propped right you should have a tremendous hole shot with no ventilation and a little more top end.



I agree completely, I use one on my Bass Boat when I have a full load and it`s a real stump puller. You will lose some on top end and the reverse thing as agrivating to say the least. My boat wants to crab with the Hi-Five.

[5 Salt]

I would think you want a run stainless prop per factory recommedations for pitch. PM Tracker about his stainless prop woes.

His 5-blade didn't cut it, the previous not stock three blade pitch was a dog as well.

I currently running 250hp Yami with factory Stainless pitch and she give good performance at all ranges. Motor manfactures work closely with boat producers to get best pitch/perfomance/economy for a given hull design and operating spec. Why not follow their expertice and research to maximize your situation.

[Chrome Bumper]

The factory prop cavitates like a demond,



A larger diameter will help with cavitation too. The factory puts on a prop that 'works' with all boats, the diameter might be too small to work well with your specific boat/motor/use setup. Is your motor set low enough to be running in undisturbed water?

I am a big 3 blade fan, but 4 will work well too. Yamaha has some good test data on their website, if your HP and gear reduction matches their's the info will translate well to your engine. You might want to find an aluminum prop that works great and upgrade to stainless later. Stainless does tend to wreck the lower unit if you strike something since they are stronger and heavier than aluminum.