QA

What Is The Right Pitch Prop For My Boat 2

What pitch prop will make my boat faster?

A lower-pitch prop is like low gear in a car or a bicycle—you’ll accelerate quickly but top speed will suffer. A prop with too much pitch may deliver more top speed because the prop moves further forward with each rotation, but acceleration may be poor and the boat will struggle to get on plane.

What prop pitch is best for speed?

The lower the prop pitch, the better your hole-shot. However, this comes at a price: top speed. The lower pitch makes the engine reach maximum rpm at slower speeds. Conversely, a higher pitch will deliver greater top speeds, but slower acceleration.

How do I know what size prop I need?

Propeller Sizes are given in a set of numbers, e.g. 13×17 or 19×23 usually labeled on the propeller. The first number is the Diameter (width of the circle of the blades) and the second is the Pitch (theoretical travel distance of the angled blades in one revolution). Two other design features include Rake and Cup.

What does a 21 pitch prop do?

The Mercury manual defines pitch as “the distance a propeller would move in one revolution if it were moving through a soft solid, like a screw through wood.” For example, a 21-pitch prop would move forward 21″ in one revolution. The lower the pitch, the better the holeshot.

What’s the difference between a 19 & 21 pitch prop?

Propeller pitch typically referred to as “prop pitch,” is essentially the distance a propeller would move in a single revolution through soft solid. So, in this case, a “21 pitch prop” would move 21 inches forward in one revolution, and a “19 pitch prop” would move 19 inches forward in one revolution.

Is 3 or 4 blade prop better?

A 3 blade propeller usually offers top speed performance while a 4 blade propeller provides maximum thrust and smooth cruising operation. Four blades have some features of their own, though. They often provide more lift at the stern which will help accelerate the hull, especially if it is stern heavy.

How far below the boat should the prop be?

If you have a short shaft motor, the top most part of the transom and the lower most part of the boat should be about 15 to 16 inches. For a long shaft, I think 20 to 21 inches is correct.

Does prop diameter affect RPM?

A prop’s two dimensions each affect performance in different ways. For every inch of change in prop diameter the RPM varies by about 500 RPMs (up or down) and every inch of pitch changes the RPM by approximately 150 to 200 RPM.

Will a Suzuki prop fit a Yamaha?

You will be fine running a yamaha prop on a suzuki, the difference is the OD size of the propeller barrel. A yamaha outboard has a narrower gearcase than the suzuki, if you DO have a yamaha prop on your suzuki than you should have about a 1/4″ gap between the ID of the gearcse and the OD of the prop barrel.

Is it bad to run an outboard engine at full throttle?

Does this mean an engine should never run at wide-open throttle (WOT)? Absolutely not. Modern engines are designed to handle WOT. Also, during break-in going to WOT, as prescribed by the owner’s manual, is necessary to properly seat the pistons’ rings.

What does increasing prop pitch do?

Increasing prop pitch will make the boat go faster (provided the engine has enough power to keep the RPMs in the optimum operating range. If the engine doesn’t have enough power to run a higher pitch prop, performance suffers across the board and you could easily damage your engine.

What do numbers on boat prop mean?

Propeller size is expressed with two numbers, diameter and pitch, with diameter always stated first. Diameter is two times the distance from the center of the hub to the tip of any blade. Pitch is the theoretical forward distance, in inches, that a propeller travels during one revolution.

What is the ratio of pitch?

The ratio of the geometric pitch or another specified pitch of a propeller to the diameter of the propeller. It is expressed as a mathematical proportion, as in 1.4 to 1.

What is the difference between a 17 and 19 pitch prop?

The 17″ prop will give you a better hole shot but lower top speed. If it is to small it the engine may go over the recomended top RPMs. The 19″ prop will give you less of a hole shot but a higher top speed if the motor is strong enough to turn it in the recomended top RPM range.

What does Overpropped mean?

Over propped means the engine cannot achieve its max rated RPM. Under propped means the engine reaches max RPM too easily ie: the boat doesn’t go as fast as one would expect.

Will a 4 blade prop help with chine walk?

A 4 blade prop will help you with holeshot and handling, but generally suffer from top speed. I would suggest you go over your boat by balancing out the weight as best as possible first before getting any prop work done. Also, learning to drive through chine walk I also super easy to do, just takes some seat time.

Does a 4 blade prop increase speed?

FOUR BLADE VS. THREE BLADE: A four blade prop will improve your hole-shot and get you on plane faster and keep you there at a lower RPM, hence, better fuel economy at mid range RPM, better handling, stern lift, cruising efficiency, and will resist cavitation and ventilation better than a three blade.

What does a 4 blade prop do?

“Often, a four-blade propeller is the ticket,” says Meeler. “The additional blade area grips the water better, allowing for quicker acceleration.” The greater blade area also lifts the hull more while underway, which minimizes draft.