My New Stiletto Prop

[lee42lee]

I have a 1996 Larson SEI 194 with a 5.7 GL Volvo and it currently has a 14 1/4 x 20 Turbo 3 blade ss prop. The old prop is a little beat up and I have been getting a little vibration plus I can't trim it much or turn to sharp or it starts to slip. I just got a new ss 4 blade Stiletto Bay Pro 11 14.25 x 18 but I havent got to try it yet. With my old prop I was getting 4200-4300 at wot with my usual load of 3 adults and 2 children. I am just wondering how you guys think the boat will perform with this new prop. I am hoping to get to try it tomorrow if it doesn't rain and I will post back with the results.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

Your wot may go up 100 or so but it should eliminate a lot of blow out.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

Unless the tip and trailing edge cup was worn considerably on the Turbo1, you'll lose some top-end, quite a bit of bow-lift and I don't think you'll see much difference in RPM.
Precision can fix that Turbo back to factory specs if needed..
If blow-out was the problem with the T1, due to the nature of the beast, I don't "think" the Bay Pro II is going to eliminate or fix that.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

No it won't, i run them both and the t-1 has as much turning bite as the baypro, id expect 2-3 mph loss, better midrange, less powertrain vibration,better econ, and the boat will ride higher on the water. Now if you get enough lift your speed might not drop that much, watch your wake when your @ wot and fully trimmed out, i should take some pic's of mine there's quite a differnce the 3 blade seem's to cut a nice and steady wake leaving a clear and even imprint of the v on the water, while the 4 blade leaves a frothy wake shooting straight out the back and the you can seen the v imprint is smaller and the hull is skipping or bouncing on the water leaveing a undulating pattern.

 

[lee42lee]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

Well I don't really care that much about the top end I was hoping for a little better hole shot and that it will make the boat ride a little higher. For some reason with my current prop I reall can't trim it all that much or it starts to blow out. I am going to test it tomorrow and I will post my results Thursday.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

I for some reason am confused why that boat couldnt turn a a 20 p 3 blade faster that wht it did? Are you sure your tach is right, im not at all

 

[walleyehed]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

The Turbo1 is a very aggresive prop...A 17P T1 will pull less RPM than most other brands in 19P, yet be faster.
This could "possibly" be a T2, but it is NOT common to get a T1 to blow-out on a stern-drive. Unless your rig is extremely heavy in the nose I would expect porpoise before blow-out with a T1.

 

[lee42lee]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

Ok guys here is the results of the new prop.

RPM before 4200-4300 now 4600
Top Speed before 48 mph now 46 mph

The hole shot is about the same but it does have more bow rise getting out of the hole and the mid range punch is a lot better. The blow out I was having is all gone and I am able to trim the motor much more than before which gives it a lot better ride. What I like most is that all the vibration is gone and the old prop had a lot of harmonic noise and this one is dead quite. I really like this prop I just wish I had the same prop in a 20 to try.

Now for the bad news. I can't believe I did this but as I was beaching the boat at the campsite I actually hit something and nicked the prop. I took the boat back out and there is no difference in it but I could still shoot myself..lol.

Walleyehed,
I am not sure which Turbo prop was on it as it was on the boat when I got it. The only thing it says on the hub is Turbo then the size. You said I could send it to Precision to get it fixed and I was wondering if the had a web site or a phone number as I want to have it fixed and keep for a spare. Thanks.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

Good results, i to found value in the midrange and total ride qualty. Top speed really is not that impotant anywho at least in my boat, i hate the chine walk @ wot and after a minute or two and running @ 4000 rpm is plenty enough @ 40 mph.

However a Enertia is in my future say a 23 and 60 mph........

 

[lee42lee]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

I have just one more question. when I get to a low speed the boat wants to porpise quite a bit. I was thinking of installing smart tabs to help this. Do you think they will help? I think my boat must be stern heavy because it still sits deep in the water at the back of the boat.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

I have just one more question. when I get to a low speed the boat wants to porpise quite a bit. I was thinking of installing smart tabs to help this. Do you think they will help? I think my boat must be stern heavy because it still sits deep in the water at the back of the boat.

Yes is the answer,send me a pair to will ya.........

 

[walleyehed]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

lee42lee, send me a PM and I'll give you the info on where to send and who to put "attn to:" on it...

 

[Bry21317]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

I have been playing with the same items as you, but using Aluminum Props instead of SS, to figure out the correct size before dumping alot of money on a prop and finding it to be the wrong size.

I also have the Smart Tabs on order, should be here today or tommorrow, I can't wait to put them on and try them this weekend.

 

[lee42lee]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

Bry,

Did you get you smart tabs on and if so how did they do for you?

 

[Bry21317]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

I didn't get them on yet, lol.

I did take the boat out to the lake, but to test a 23 pitch prop, instead of the Smart Tabs. I posted a Pic of the rear of my boat, trying to figure out exactly where to mount the tabs, as the back of my boats a little awkward and the trailer bunks are a little long. So I am still trying to figure out where to place them exactly, before I start doing any type of Drilling.

I will post back on here as soon as I do get them on an try them though. I think they will make a huge difference. I noticed when out running my boat on Sat, that when I was below 35mph, my bow seemed to porpoise quite a bit over the waves, where as once i had more speed over 35 it just cut through them, and Flew out of the water. Very nice having a boat that handles better at High speed, other than the fact it is not as comfy at low speeds. And My friend that was out there with me, his boat would only go about 37, and he was trying to keep up and I would have to pull off and wait for him, when I was just at my cruise speed, lol and he was WOT.

So I really hope the Smart Tabs will help with this. I will see if I can't get them on this Week and try to hit the lake this weekend. Since I now know what prop I am sticking with for now, out of the two that I have. My next one though I think will be the Enertia, when I go for the SS move.

Bryan

 

[walleyehed]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

Quote:
Originally Posted by lee42lee
I have just one more question. when I get to a low speed the boat wants to porpise quite a bit. I was thinking of installing smart tabs to help this. Do you think they will help? I think my boat must be stern heavy because it still sits deep in the water at the back of the boat.

Yes is the answer,send me a pair to will ya.........
__________________
Hit the wave at a sharp angle and hold your beer really high, now when at the top if you think your gonna flip.......think really fast and come up with a better plan...

I will attempt to share my knowledge with you one more time...
The reason the boat is porpoising is because you are either over-trimmed at cruise, or the BOW of the boat is MUCH heavier than you are wanting to believe. At high throttle settings, the total lift of this prop is holding the bow DOWN and steady even though you have more over-all lift, the trim is fighting against the stern-lifting qualities of this prop design. In other-words, your porpoise is self-induced.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

Agreed, what i have noticed is once up on plane if i trim out to a point where lift is maximized (boat height out of water) it is very easy to get the boat to porpise. My speed increase's and you can feel a certain ease in whcih the boat is operating......if there is only me and and one other person just a little bounce will set it off, with 5-6 people it's never present.

I have tab's and dont alway's have them in use ( wake boarding with the kid's) when the tab's are in hooked up they will dampen this condition, but from reading your explanation i take it i am losing or fighting the power out of the whole leg, engine combination. I assumed having the boat on a high of plane was the most efficent, i am wrong here....... But then again that wouldn't be a firsrt......

 

[walleyehed]

Re: My New Stiletto Prop

No, T.G., you are correct...the problem comes when the trim is too much at a cruise speed. If it takes positive trim good at WOT, it'll have to be trimmed in at lower than W.O. settings or it will porpoise...period.
Your prop cannot produce the lift required at cruise, yet lifts well at WOT...very common, but some think they have a problem when this is actually an indication of the correct lift for high-speed operation, it may not, however, be the best prop for mostly cruising....