Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hi Everyone,
After the motor is broken in, I would say that if you try a steel prop, you can raise your motor at least one bolt hole. Although one hole up is a standard height when the boat and motor are assembled, quite often it is not the most efficient placement of the motor. When assembled, motors are put on at a height that gives overall decent speed, and good handling. But...if you are looking for more, changing props and raising the motor can do wonders with a result of a great handling boat, good gas consumption, and excellent handling. If you stay with an aluminum prop, the height you have will be best. A stock aluminum prop has very little cupping and a bunch of flex, so keeping it deeper is what it takes to get acceptable performance.
Now...put a steel prop on there with some good rake and cup, you will have a prop that will not only lift the bow...it will lift the entire boat, resulting in less wetted surface and a faster ride.
You mentioned with some aggressive trimming you could get to 5500. I would assume this means you trimmed to the point the bow was porpoising or ventilation started? If not, you might have more trim to go, which will bring your RPM's up further. If that is the case, and without running or seeing the boat, I would bet you could get to a steel prop with about 2 inches less in pitch, and raise the motor 2 holes...all of this dependent on what prop you find that works best on your rig. If your dealer is willing to bring in a few different props for you to try, see if you can get them all at one time and head to the lake for some testing....chances are, one will significantly stand out as being the best in handling, lift, torque, and speed...THAT is the one to go with.
with any prop change, there are trade-offs as well. A prop designed for speed will not be as good on hole-shot, but a vented prop can curtail some of that issue, allowing the prop to slip a bit until there are enough RPMs to send the exhaust gasses past the vent holes....the prop will catch and pop you out of the hole.
Steve
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