Best prop for a 2012 Reinell 198 FNS with a 4.3 GXi Volvo Penta

[Saskboatguy]

Hi everyone, would love some help with prop selection for my boat as listed in the topic.

The boat is around 3,000 lbs plus some gear, and my 260 lb self plus much thinner wife (wont give wife's wait as I value my life!) and three kids.

I am currently running a quick silver 13.3 X 21p 5 blade.

The issue I'm having is about 15 seconds at WOT to get to plain. The motor sits at about 3400 RPM until it plains then climbs to about 4000 or so after plaining. After that when I trim up the motor to gain as much speed as possable I get 48 MPH at 4800 RPM which is the very end of the RPM she should run.

I would like to get on plain sooner then the 15 seconds.

Would my pitch be a little high for the weight/power ratio of my boat? Would changing the prop to a 5 blade 19P give me better plain time.

In buying the 13.3 X 21P 5 blade, did i "over prop" my boat?

I can't seem to find any answers online, hoping the many experts I see here can give me some advise .

 

[alldodge]

Your 21 5 blade is like having a 23 or 24 pitch 3 blade. The more blades the more power it takes to turn it. While more blades give you more lift, lift is not always the best thing. I light high HP boat like a bass boat can use the 5 blade, but a runabout in most cases should stick with the 3 blade, but some can use the 4 blade. You have a strong motor but it needs more low end torque to turn the 5

 

[Saskboatguy]

Thanks for the reply!

What would you suggest I go with, i was thining about the same prop but dropping to a 19P from the 21. Thinking it may give me a few hundred more RPM's during the plaining which may pop me up faster.

After reading your post, maybe the 5 blade was a mistake all around.

If I went with a 4 blade what diameter and P would you suggest for a 4 blade?

What would you suggest for a 3 blade in diameter and P?

Really appreciate the help!

 

[89retta]

I have the same motor in my boat and weight is close to the same. Prop I run is a 4 blade 19" turning point hustler and I use a 17" when I'm using the boat for water sports. Rpms are 4800 and I run about 45 mph. The 4.3 GXI are a little tricky to prop as they lack low end torque. What part Saskatchewan you in ?

 

[alldodge]

Looks like 89retta has some good info on the 4 blade.

 

[Saskboatguy]

Learning a lot here thanks for your help.

I was looking at a 4 blade 19P prop with a Diameter of 13.5".

Since my 5 blade is 13.3 and 21P I would be dropping one blade and 2P.

Too much you think?

I'm from Saskatoon, usually head to Jack fish lake or Shell Lake. Sometime Deloronde or Turtle.

I really appretate the help, prop selection seems to be complicated lol.

 

[alldodge]

No I think it will be fine. If it was me I would try to find some place to loan you a 17P 3 blade by 14 1/2 or so.

 

[89retta]

You should be fine with that prop. I did try the same prop that you have 5 blade 21" and did not like it . Lucky the shop I deal with said if I didn't like it they would refund the price. Is the prop SS that your looking at? Turtle is a nice lake. Do you ever go north of Meadow lake ?

 

[Saskboatguy]

Never been on Meadow Lake. Been to the town a few dozen times for work, but never on the lake. Used to travel around a lot of Saskatchewan lakes but now just usually stick to a few that I know well.

The prop i was talking about is for sale on Kijiji, here:

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-boat-parts-t...le/1270880705?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

I've been texting the guy, got the diameter from him. As it was on a mercury I would need a "Volvo Penta hub kit" correct? Wouldn't just fit right on the lower leg would it?

I have removed my 5 blade and replaced it with the aluminum 3 blade I got when I bought the boat new in 2012. The factory blade is a 3 blade, 14.5" X 19P.

AllDodge, very similar to the one you said you would try.

The last time I had this prop on the boat was 2012 so it's been too many years for me to remember how it performed. I'm taking it out this weekend so looking forward to testing it out again.

I'm thinking about the 4 blade stainless for a bit better hole shot for skiing and tubing. Also like the stainless as I was told they perform better. A bit better top end speed as well I hear, over the 5 blade. Not sure if this is BS or not though.

Also, if I do decide to go with the 4 blade the price on Kijij is a lot more desirable then paying for another new prop at $850.00!

 

[89retta]

Don't think that will fit as I think its for a 4 1/4" gear case . Volvo has a 4 3/4" gear case. If you want a good prop for watersports go with the 17" 4 blade Turning point hustler aluminium. Don't cost a lot. And get a 19" SS for cruising. Trust me a played the prop testing game when we first got our boat. Bought it used and came with a 17" SS Volvo 3 blade on it . Would hit the limiter easy. Tried a 3 blade SS Volvo 19" and would still hit the limiter. I could still hit with the % blade 21" SS. Finally I settled on a Apollo 4 blade SS 20" worked great but dinged it up in Lac la biche. Replaced it with the Turning point props and was very happy. I got a 17" , 19" and 21" 4 blade props for less then what I paid for the SS prop.

 

[alldodge]

Stainless is better because the blades are thinner and they don't flex. If the original 19 gets you to 4800 don't try the 17.

 

[Saskboatguy]

Thanks so much, I think I know what I need to do.

Tomorrow I'm going to be cruising around the lake with my factory 14.5" X 19P aluminum prop and will let you know how she performs with that.

I'm thinking if I was to only buy one more prop for the boat it would probably be a 4 Blade SS 19P.

That prop on Kijiji would probably do the trick, if it fits. I'll maybe stop over and see the guy selling it next week and bring my prop just in the off chance it actually will fit. The price is right for a SS.

Thanks, talk soon!

 

[alldodge]

A 4 blade 19 equals a 21 3 blade for similar diameters

 

[QBhoy]

Can't say I think much of the whole 4 and 5 blade thing. I'm sure it has its uses in certain applications and recently a friend of mine had surprisingly good results with a high 5 prop.
Personally I would play about with a good old fashioned 3 blade stainless. It would surely be between a 19" and 21" in your application.
I'm surprised your boat runs as heavy as 3000 lbs. not really familiar with the boat, but you must have a lot of gear on it.

 

[QBhoy]

Cancel that last comment about the weight...being in the U.K. I'm not totally familiar with lbs.
just figured it surely couldn't be loads heavier than my 18ft campion at 2300 lbs....turns out my campion is actually 3000lbs too. Haha. My bad.

 

[Saskboatguy]

I just got back from running the boat over 2 days with my 14.5 19P 3 blade. Definitely a difference in performance, seems a bit stronger. Limits out easy to 4800 RPM and does so with the lower leg kept all the way down. With the 21P 5 blade SS I would have to trim up to optimum speed to get the motor to 4800 RPM. Hole shot was a little better but still not really that much better. I'm guessing now if I try the 4 blade 17P turning point hustler I should probably see a big improvement on hole shot, would that be realistic? I seem to have enough torque to run the 4 blade 19P instead of the 17P. Maybe I'll go with that. Have to do a bit more thinking. Thanks for the help everyone, very much appreciated. I do have another issue but it's motor related, a "knock", but I'll post that concern on the proper forum. Take a look for it if you want to help .

 

[Maclin]

When conditions allow, I think you need to always trim up to where the hull is most efficiently going thru the water, and use the throttle to keep from over-revving. You will use less fuel, and not be susceptible to bow steer.