What’s my Prop?

Dandydan

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 27, 2018
Messages
34
Where do I go to find out what all this prop talk means. Hole shot? Pitch? What do the numbers on my existing aluminum prop mean. How can I use those numbers to determine what I’m using. Boat is a 19’ Sea Sport. 302 pusher hooked up to a Volvo Penta 290DP. Prop numbers are (rear) B385484832. Might be B36..... (front) B3854824. I appreciate any help you can give. Thanks
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,308
some light reading on Volvo Penta props

https://www.volvopenta.com/content/...r-owners/parts/propellers/Propeller Guide.pdf

your trying to compare oranges and potatoes. VP doesnt list their duo props by pitch like others. they specifically engineer their dp drive props in a series.

with a 290DP, you can use the A-series (for diesels), the B-series (aluminum for gasoline motors), or the C-series (stainless versions of the B-series) or there is the new J-series that just came out for these drives.

props 854824 and 854832 would be a B3 prop. set.

if you have problems getting up on plane and you cant hit WOT, you drop down to a B2 set.

if you are banging off the rev limiter, you go up to a B4 set.

what problem do you have with your current props?
 

QBhoy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 10, 2016
Messages
8,286
Sound advice above. Though I must say. I am not aware of any boat that’s original set up with the VP duo props...where it wasn’t propped really well from new.
As mentioned your props are B3’s. Not aware of what engine that is. Normally the 290DP were coupled to very obvious and well known engines like the following
4.3 AQ205/431
5.0 AQ
5.7 AQ271/570
tamd31
tamd40/41
kad31
kad42 etc etc.

B3’s would normally suggest petrol GM engines but occasionally the Kad diesels.
C series were the usual stainless equivalent with the J series the most recent replacement. There are F series too, just to confuse things a little. The A series were normally for the earlier diesels like the TAMD where there were 4 blades on the fwd prop and 3 on the rear. The Kad engines got away with the B and C series props because of the supercharged helping at low revs.

Anyway. Likely bored you to tears by now, haha.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,308
Qboy, he could have a ford 5.0 or 5.8 as well.

either way, you are correct. 99.99% of the time they come with the correct props unless you add power.
 

QBhoy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 10, 2016
Messages
8,286
Qboy, he could have a ford 5.0 or 5.8 as well.

either way, you are correct. 99.99% of the time they come with the correct props unless you add power.

You’ll be right Scott. I’ve never seen one with a ford engine driving a 290. Not to say it didn’t happen. Just that as per usual here in the U.K. we have a very thin narrow spectrum of engine and drive packages that came here in any numbers.
All the ones I’ve seen had VP badged GM petrols or variously sourced diesels driving them.

Yeah. As you also say...the couple I’ve owned and know of currently and over the years are all amazingly propped to suit. Literally almost spot on.
My old sealine 23ft cruiser had a AQ205 4.3 and 290DP and even at over 20 years old (at the time), she would see 4800 rpm on the dash tachometer and early to mid 30’s mph (on the dash). Great going for an old girl and a heavy hull like the sealine. No slouch our the hole either. I wake boarded off her a few times, haha.
 

Dandydan

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 27, 2018
Messages
34
Thank you all for your responses. My concern is edge roughness. There are some bumps and humps but no chips or gouges. Thinking I might replace but repair sounds doable as well. I was hoping to get another 5 mph and up on a plane a few seconds faster, but don’t know if i could justify putting another thou out for that. I did read the VP prop catalog and see the new J series is where i would have to go to stay with the VP brand. Do the other prop manufacturers make a replacement that would perform as well as VP props? Can I take a rubber mallet and backer and pound out a few ridges or would the aluminum just crack and break. Just wondering! Thanks again
 

QBhoy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 10, 2016
Messages
8,286
Being honest you aren’t realistically going to get another 5 mph and better acceleration together easily
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,308
Thank you all for your responses. My concern is edge roughness. There are some bumps and humps but no chips or gouges. Thinking I might replace but repair sounds doable as well. I was hoping to get another 5 mph and up on a plane a few seconds faster, but don’t know if i could justify putting another thou out for that. I did read the VP prop catalog and see the new J series is where i would have to go to stay with the VP brand. Do the other prop manufacturers make a replacement that would perform as well as VP props? Can I take a rubber mallet and backer and pound out a few ridges or would the aluminum just crack and break. Just wondering! Thanks again

take your props to a propeller repair shop, pay the $200 to fix the two props, or spend $650 on a new set. you do not have the training or the tools to keep a propeller running true. I have had my B6 prop set repaired a few times. once because I hit a sunken sail boat in the channel

if you had properly filled out your profile information, we could suggest a prop shop in your area.

stay with VP for DP props.
 

Scott06

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 20, 2014
Messages
5,545
Being honest you aren’t realistically going to get another 5 mph and better acceleration together easily

True. Generally with prop experimentation you can get either a little more top end or better acceleration, one at the expense of the other. To get 5 mph more top speed and better acceleration you need to add about 50 hp.
 
Top