Optimal Prop for Bayliner
BretM
specifications)
for a 1988 Bayliner 1950 Cierra. I hit something with my prop last
weekend and need
a new one. I would like to keep the cost under $150 if possible.
Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Bret Moeller
Greg J. Smikla
It depends on a few things. First, what are you using the boat for?
Waterskiing or just top end speed? What is the pitch of the current prop that
was just destroyed? What is the engine's WOT (Wide Open Throttle) RPM
specification? These are all things that need to be taken into account.
Basically you need to match the prop with the engines WOT RPM. For example,
the engine in my boat has a WOT rating of 4200-4600 RPM and with the prop
that I'm currently running (13 3/4 (??) x 19" pitch) my engine is spinning
actually 4700 at WOT with the engine trimmed out. Which is a _little_ high.
This can be adjust for your specific use (just be careful to not overrev the
engine if you use to low of a prop). I actually have 2 props. The 19" pitch
I use for all around cruising, and I also have a 17" pitch that I use for
skiing/tubing. The benefit of the lower pitch prop is more holeshot
(acceleration/how long it takes the boat to get on plane), the
higher pitch gives less holeshot, but more top end speed. You can usually
guesstimate for every inch increase in pitch, you'll loose 200-300 RPM at WOT.
You should have no problem finding an aluminum prop for $150 or less (I paid
$130 for my last one). For the best performance, you should consider going to
a stainless steel prop. Because stainless is stronger than aluminum, the
blades can be made thinner and still be stiffer (believe it or not,
aluminum blades flex and loose some of their effective pitch). This
translates into quicker holeshot, and 2 to 4 mph more top end speed. Also,
because the blades are thinner, your WOT engine RPM will increase and you
might be able to increase the pitch of the prop a couple of more inches to
achieve even better performance. Does all this added performance have a
catch?? Yes, first of all price. A starter stainless prop (i.e. Quicksilver
QSS) has a suggested retail price of over $400 (you can expect to spend
around $300). And secondly, some reports say that if you hit something with
them, they will transfer the impact to the lower unit instead of the blade
absorbing the impact ($150 to replace an aluminum prop vs. $1000 or more for
lower unit repair). Personally, I don't really place too much faith in this
argument against them, because they have rubber hubs that are designed to slip
upon impact. So this one's a personal judgement call.
There's a really good article in either the May or June issue of "BOATING"
magazine that compares and contrasts aluminum and stainless props from a few
different manufacturers as well as two of the new "variable pitch" props.
They test them all for acceleration, speed, handling, price. You may want to
check it out.
Sorry it got so long, but I hope this helps!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gregory J. Smikla 1991 18' Searay
(708) 632-2645
smi...@rtsg.mot.com
Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group
1501 W. Shure Drive, Arlington Heights, IL 60004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William Clippard
>them, they will transfer the impact to the lower unit instead of the blade
>absorbing the impact ($150 to replace an aluminum prop vs. $1000 or more for
>lower unit repair). Personally, I don't really place too much faith in this
>argument against them, because they have rubber hubs that are designed to slip
>upon impact. So this one's a personal judgement call.
I'm sure this subject comes up every year about this time. Being new to
boating, I've stratched and 'dinged' my first aluminum prop. Boating in
the river/lakes subjects me to shallow to very shallow water. Thus the
concern about different types of props.
There seems to be two frames of mind when it comes to props...
1) Aluminum props bend/break so lower units don't have to.
2) Stainless steel (SS) are equipped with rubber hubs to avoid
breaking lower units.
I've already been looking at SS props and know the benefits (stronger,
thinner, faster,...etc). I've also seen the prices for SS, but $50.00
a ding can add up over the season to repair an aluminum prop. So the
question is whether anyone out there has actually broke a lower unit
using a SS prop? Or did the "rubber hug" give way? Can SS props break?
(newbe question)
What SS props do you prefer (Quicksilver, Michigan...etc)? I see Quicksilver
mentioned alot. Is that a Mercruiser product? If so, where is the best place
to purchase one (marine dealers seem to have a high mark up)?
If interested, I have a 1994 Bayliner Capri 18' w/4.3LX Mercruiser. Main
purpose: Ski'ing and pleasure.
Thanks,
Bucky
Bob Rusk
white.rtsg.mot.com:
>I've already been looking at SS props and know the benefits (stronger,
>thinner, faster,...etc). I've also seen the prices for SS, but $50.00
>a ding can add up over the season to repair an aluminum prop. So the
>question is whether anyone out there has actually broke a lower unit
>using a SS prop?
I've posted this recently, so I won't post it again now. As a mechanic, I
regularly saw MerCruiser I/O's with their gears stripped out of them. This
was sometimes due to water having leaked into the gearcase, but not always.
Many/most of the mechanics recommended against using an SS prop, because it
was possible to strip the gears with repeated groundings even with an
aluminum prop. It was expected that the SS props would make it worse. We
had no way of tracking it statistically, but boats with both kinds of props
had sheared gears. The common thread was that most of the boats with sheared
gears also had V8 engines. (Of course, the "hot" V6 in your boat wasn't
out yet, either.) Inboard engines generally seem to outlast the outdrives
that they're connected to by 2:1 or 3:1. Given that, I'm into babying
outdrives (or avoiding them altogether).
>Or did the "rubber hug" give way?
The rubber hub itself appears to be insufficient to protect the gearcase,
at least in the case of repeated contact with rocks. Using an aluminum
prop should help some, but it's still pretty important that you avoid
hitting hard things as much as possible.
>Can SS props break?
>(newbe question)
SS props can bend, resulting in a trip to the prop shop. I've also seen
them with their edges chewed up. It's just not as much of a problem with an
SS prop as it is with an aluminum prop. Not long ago, I went to look at a
50 hp outboard that had been used extensively for flats fishing. It had an
SS prop with one bent blade, and all three blades had been filed down so
much that it was painfully obvious that they had lost their original shape.
Whether your prop is made of aluminum, bronze or SS, if you hit something
hard at speed, there is a probability of damaging something.
>What SS props do you prefer (Quicksilver, Michigan...etc)?
We had a lot of problems (7-8 years back) with the rubber hubs in Michigan
props. They frequently let loose, requiring the props to be rehubbed.
>I see Quicksilver
>mentioned alot. Is that a Mercruiser product?
Yes.
>If so, where is the best place
>to purchase one (marine dealers seem to have a high mark up)?
Boat Owner's Warehouse sells them cheaper down here. The advantage of
buying from a dealer is that you can often arrange to test several props to
determine which is best for your boat and your usage (U scratch it, U
buy it).
>If interested, I have a 1994 Bayliner Capri 18' w/4.3LX Mercruiser. Main
>purpose: Ski'ing and pleasure.
'pleasure' covers a _lot_ of ground. Some folks only take pleasure in
blasting around at full throttle. Others only take pleasure in cruising
gently (barely on plane). Others take pleasure in trolling (although you
might have classified that as fishing). The best prop for one is probably
not the best for another. Also, the best skiing prop is frequently too flat
to be run safely at full speed with a light load.
Bayliner seems to do a very good job of choosing a good, all-around prop for
their boats. Expect some trial-and-error (and a much higher price) in
coming up with something that works better.
--
Bob Rusk
rr...@ssd.csd.harris.com
My thoughts, probably not Harris'.
.edu
(stuff deleted)
>I've already been looking at SS props and know the benefits (stronger,
>thinner, faster,...etc). I've also seen the prices for SS, but $50.00
>a ding can add up over the season to repair an aluminum prop. So the
>question is whether anyone out there has actually broke a lower unit
>(newbe question)
>
>What SS props do you prefer (Quicksilver, Michigan...etc)? I see Quicksilver
>mentioned alot. Is that a Mercruiser product? If so, where is the best place
>to purchase one (marine dealers seem to have a high mark up)?
>
>purpose: Ski'ing and pleasure.
>
>
>Bucky
Quicksilver is a trademark of Brunswick Corp. and Quicksilver props can only
be bought through a Mercury/Mariner/Force/Mercruiser dealer. Contrary to common
belief the markup is not high, by the time I pay freight it ends up about 23%.
Take the cost of doing business out of that, and it's a bargain
I think that Quicksilver props are mentioned most because of the widespread
concentration of Merc dealers in the US
There are several different mfgs. of SS props, myself I like Turbo props mfg by
Precision Propellers. They are close to my store (75 mi) and the sales people
are always helpful to my questions, and they have a darn good product. I put
a 4 blade on a Merc v-6 the other day and gained 8mph for the customer with
a better hole shot to boot and the bow had little rise.
In 18 years of marine business I have yet to see L/U damage caused by a stainless
prop! I replace most l/u gears because of improper shifting and/or adjustments.
Maybe this is just my area where lake bottoms are mostly clay.
With a 20 pitch Turbo on your 4.3LX I would expect to see speeds around 55 mph and
the pulling power for skiing. I have one customer with a Dynasty 19' 4.3 running
57 mph (radar clocked).
Your best bet is to find a local dealer that will let you try out a selection of
props. What is best for my Dynasty might not be best for your Bayliner.
Gary
acss...@eku.acs.eku.edu
>>around $300). And secondly, some reports say that if you hit something with
>>them, they will transfer the impact to the lower unit instead of the blade
>>absorbing the impact ($150 to replace an aluminum prop vs. $1000 or more for
>>lower unit repair). Personally, I don't really place too much faith in this
>>argument against them, because they have rubber hubs that are designed to slip
>>upon impact. So this one's a personal judgement call.
>
> I'm sure this subject comes up every year about this time. Being new to
> boating, I've stratched and 'dinged' my first aluminum prop. Boating in
> the river/lakes subjects me to shallow to very shallow water. Thus the
> concern about different types of props.
>
> There seems to be two frames of mind when it comes to props...
>
> 1) Aluminum props bend/break so lower units don't have to.
You are aware that most aluminium props have rubber hubs too.
>
> 2) Stainless steel (SS) are equipped with rubber hubs to avoid
> breaking lower units.
A solid impact to a blade could still tear something up. In stump
infested waters you need to be worried about hitting the outdrive itself
(probably the skeg or torpedo parts) as much as hitting the prop. A
railroad tie or log foating just under the surface of the water can rip
an entire outdrive off and leave you sinking in the worst case.
> I've already been looking at SS props and know the benefits (stronger,
> thinner, faster,...etc). I've also seen the prices for SS, but $50.00
> a ding can add up over the season to repair an aluminum prop. So the
> question is whether anyone out there has actually broke a lower unit
> using a SS prop? Or did the "rubber hug" give way? Can SS props break?
> (newbe question)
SS props usually just bend, but anything can break or be ground away.
>
> What SS props do you prefer (Quicksilver, Michigan...etc)? I see Quicksilver
> mentioned alot. Is that a Mercruiser product? If so, where is the best place
> to purchase one (marine dealers seem to have a high mark up)?
>
> If interested, I have a 1994 Bayliner Capri 18' w/4.3LX Mercruiser. Main
> purpose: Ski'ing and pleasure.
There's nothing wrong with an aluminium prop for your application. The
shalows and stumps are the problem. Can you find a place to go that's
not so shallow. BTW - your boat is an absolutely perfect candidate for a
Torque-Shift prop. You would find it great for "skiing and pleasure".
Except for absolute top speed, you would think it had a V8 in it with
one of these props. It is a bit pricy though... especially for shallow,
stumpy water. Another good choice for your use is a 4 or 5 bladed prop.
I have been told that the 4.3LX on 18-19 ft. Sea Rays and Bajas
accellerates very well with a High Five. Again... pretty pricy.
dsc
Dudley Cornman - Systems Programmer
Academic Computing Services
Eastern Ky. University
Richmond, KY 40475-3111
(606) 622-1986
acss...@eku.acs.eku.edu
> thinner, faster,...etc). I've also seen the prices for SS, but $50.00
> a ding can add up over the season to repair an aluminum prop. So the
> question is whether anyone out there has actually broke a lower unit
> using a SS prop?
The only people I know that have torn up outdrives actually hit
something with the outdrive... sandbars, logs, railroad ties etc. It
doesn't matter what kind of prop it is in these cases.
I'd rather have an outboard for a shallow, stumpy lake like this.
acss...@eku.acs.eku.edu
You really expect someone to do this without even knowing which engine
you have? Anyway, at $150 you probably won't even be able to buy a brand
new replacement aluminimun prop... close but not quite. You may be able
to buy used alum. or SS for $150-$200 or less. Start with the same pitch
as the prop you ruined if you were happy with it. If you want more hole
shot and top end rpms go down 2" on the pitch, If you were turning too
many rpms, go up 2" on the pitch. You may have to try several props
before you find what "you like best". That's what's important... what
"you like best". There's really no such thing as a "best prop" for any
boat. You can have a best prop for sking, a best prop for cruising, a
best prop for top speed, or a best prop for some other specified purpose
though.