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10 hours of testing brand new SSRX 22' w/ express tube. PROP Problems?!?!

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thunderheadj

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First of all, i posted this info as a reply in an earlier post in the set up forum, but feel that this deserves it's own thread.  Please help.  Need to order new prop.

I was able to put over 10 hours on the boat this week.  had a blast.  Prop is not the right one for sure however.  Just got off the phone with the dealer and he said he would give me full value back on the crappy aluminum prop (145) towards a Yamaha stainless that retails for $518.....  Doesn't sound too great of a deal.  I like to bargain shop for stuff like this.  

Here's what happened.  The boat is an SSRX 22' with the express tube and 115 Yam. It's a pretty light boat.  We had either 2 or 4 adults with 2-3 coolers and some toys etc and 2 young kids @ 80 and 60 lbs.

The boat has a 13 5/8 x 13 aluminum yami prop.  It launches out of the hole much better than expected and gets on plane right away....however, no matter how i trim it, the prop slips like crazy after planing.  If I ease into the throttle after launching, it will grab and climb to about 30mph GPS.  Problem. If I mash the throttle, it will jump up to 65 to 6600 rpm!  Partly due to slipping, partly due to wrong prop?  If i trim down all the way it will still hit 6500.  When it is trimmed at what feels like the sweet spot where the motor seems to be happy, i am only at 3/4 throttle at about 3/4 trimmed up according to trim gauge.  If someone walks from the back to the front, it will lose grip and slip and fall flat again.  

Dealer says that it needs a stainless prop, the Yamaha 14" x 13 pitch.  He says this should fix it.  Too much flex on the aluminum.  I don't know about that....  It seems to me that it needs a larger diameter for sure, but I would think a 14p would be better considering my rpm should max at 6100.  I just need a prop that will grip.  There is really no setting as far as the motor goes, trying to lower it a notch.  It's at it's lowest setting, resting on the top of the transom.  I almost feel like the motor is up too high...  I had to keep most of my weight in the back of the boat to be able to keep decent grip.  

Any thoughts?  I need to get something ordered.  Is the dealer on the right track?  Should I be looking for a Merc prop llike a Mirage Plus maybe?  14x14ish?  I've had quite a bit of experience with props on 21 foot bowriders with 300+ horse inboards, mixed with trim tabs, hooked hulls etc.. but this is a whole different beast.

Thanks in advance everyone.
 
The dealer recommended the Yamaha Pontoon Performance Series 14 diam. x 13 p. 3 blade stainless.  Not really sure how these are designed for pontoon performance, but would be cool if it weren't just a sales gimmick and they really worked!  
 
I see that this prop has larger diameter and more blade surface area for better grip etc...  Maybe I should trust the dealer.  Wish they wouldve recommended this when i bought the boat new a few weeks ago.
 
I had this issue with an aluminum Black Max prop. Blew out with just slight trim. Felt like motor was too high, but it was in the lowest hole. Changed to an Enertia. Thanks Todd! Same size prop. It grips water like a monkey in a tree. And I can trim up a lot and not blow out. Night and day difference. No other changes.

I always felt like it was prop design that was making the difference. I'm no prop expert. But I felt the Black Max was pushing water not only straight back, but too much out to the sides. When the prop is near the surface, water pushed out to the side breaks the surface, which has the effect of raising the rear of the boat due to it not pushing back down to counter the same force on the opposite side of the prop. With the stern being raised, the prop gets even closer to the surface, and it sucks in air and blows out. They say certain props increase stern lift. I believe that is the physics behind this (more force perpendicular to the shaft). I then switched to the Enertia. Thanks Todd! I believe this prop focuses the "cone of force" trailing the prop in a much narrower cone straight back and parallel with the shaft. This means less water being forced through the surface resulting in less stern lift, which in turn results in much less blowout because the prop runs lower and in clean water. Same thing as sending people to the back of the boat. I can trim up a LOT more with the Enertia, and the only thing I changed was the prop. The Enertia is a Stainless prop, but I don't think your problem is stainless vs aluminum, I think it is all in the prop design.

Based on my narrow experience with this, I would recommend you try an Enertia. Maybe Todd has another one...
 
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One other thing. When I had my 115, I had a black max that fit that size motor, and I did not have blowout problems like I did when I got the 150. Since I had good luck with the Black Max, when I traded in the motor I traded in the Black Max that fit it in exchange for a new Black Max that fit the 150. Only that one didn't work so well...

What I'm getting at is maybe you could try a Black Max with your 115. They are 1/5th the cost of the Enertia, and your dealer may have one you can try since they are so common.
 
Hi, Im new to the forum, enjoy reading all the posts, they really have helped!  I just test drove the same setup as thunderheadj and experience the cavitation at higher speeds also.    kaydano what did you end up doing to fix your blowout problem?  different prop?  Also looking back would you recommend going with the 25" shaft and mounting it higher to try to eliminate the cavitation?  Anyone else have experience with putting a 25" shaft engine on a 20" transom with the express tube and mounting it as high as it will go? 
 
An Enertia prop fixed it.  Thanks Todd!
 
The Mercury Enertia is the standard of the industry stainless prop for pontoon/tritoon boats.  It's available in 1 pitch increments, so it can be fine tuned perfectly.  Yamaha's comparable prop is the Reliance stainless that so many F150 owners are successfully using in 15 pitch size.

I've not heard much on the Yamaha Pontoon Performance Series prop, so I assume it's relatively new.  It sounds good, however.

I'm sorry, but I think it's up to a dealer to get any new boat they're selling performing properly.  Your dealer should send someone with you to the lake with 3-4 propellers for an in water test.  It shouldn't be up to the customer to setup their own boat or props.  And you're far from having a boat meeting its potential.

One thing that throws me is the rpm's experienced.  Your engine shouldn't hit 6600 rpm's, as the rev limiter is supposed to kick in at about 6300 rpm's.  It sounds as if the tachometer's inaccurate--overstating rpm's.  I'd suggest having the tach checked by the dealership.

You should be propping your boat to run about 6000 rpm's with 2-3 people and 1/2 tank of fuel--with no prop ventilation if the engine's trimmed down. 
 
My boat is very similar to yours. I started with the same Yamaha aluminum 13 pitch garbage and had the same issues you were having. I went to the 14x13 pontoon performance ss prop. I could barley turn 5700 rpm and it would take forever in the hole shot. I went to a Solas 13 5/8 x 13 and had the prop shop add in extra cupping. I've tried some others since and always go back to the Solas aluminum. Great prop for $120. I just don't think the F115 benefits enough from a stainless on our boats.
 
Thanks guys.  Admiral, was your boat experiencing the high rpm with major slip as well?  Did you try your solas prop before you had them cup it?  Just curious.  Also, I was thinking the same thing, that my boat should have a rev limiter of some sort.... It would go as high as I stated, according to the tach.  I obviously didn't hold it there long because it was like peeing in the wind anyway....  Any other suggestions anyone?
 
Wow! Thanks McZiggy! Ordered a new Solas 13.75x13 aluminum. Thicker blades, rubber hub, noticebly, bigger blades, and best of all it performs like it should! It grabs and goes. I'm at 25 in a few seconds and top speed on GPS my first night out was 31mph with 2 adults, full cooler, 2 kids, and half tank! I could trim it up or down without slippage. One problem. ..my tach must not be calibrated correctly. it still shows 6300+ at times but doesn't cut out. Doesn't this have a Rev limiter?
 
thunderheadj said:
Wow! Thanks McZiggy! Ordered a new Solas 13.75x13 aluminum. Thicker blades, rubber hub, noticebly, bigger blades, and best of all it performs like it should! It grabs and goes. I'm at 25 in a few seconds and top speed on GPS my first night out was 31mph with 2 adults, full cooler, 2 kids, and half tank! I could trim it up or down without slippage. One problem. ..my tach must not be calibrated correctly. it still shows 6300+ at times but doesn't cut out. Doesn't this have a Rev limiter?
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It does have a rev limited which is just a smidge past 6300 rpm. I'm glad it worked out great for you. I sure love mine!
 
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