Prop thoughts?

[lakeliving]

Curious to get thoughts on which prop to put on the new Yamaha f200 i4. The club event boat had a 15 pitch reliance and seemed to run great but I see there is a saltwater series prop that increases diameter. Looks the the larger diameter is better suited for bigger heavier boats. Would a 24' s with Sps and 200hp need this bigger diameter? I'm leaning towards the reliance but curious as to everyone's thoughts. Thanks guys.

Andy

 

[Willb]

Most dealers don't openly advertise this but they should do prop tuning service with you.

I pushed mine and they are going to let me try several this spring.

 

[Bamaman]

The 200 hp 4 cylinder essentially looks to be a F150 with a 1.86:1 gear ratio, a higher compression and a substantially larger throttle body for more airflow into the engine.  You should find the engine to be substantially quicker accelerating than the F150.

Had the 200 had the same 2:00:1 gear as the F150, you'd be having to go up in pitch somewhat.  Your prop will be spinning @ 108% faster than the F150.  You'd probably need a Reliance prop with 15 or 17 pitch.  Another prop option would be the Saltwater Series II they put on many of the 250 & 300 hp tritoons.

My dealer started me with a model M 14 pitch on my F150 , and it was easily running up against the rev limiter @ 6200-6300 rpm's.  Moving to the Reliance 15 pitch prop was a perfect swap.

Bennington has already been running this engine combination on their test mule boats, and they'll be able to advise your dealer on what to use for your particular combination.  I wouldn't be too concerned about the prop your boat will come with.  It's really a dealer responsibility to get the right prop on the boat.

 

[Link]

Your knowledge amazes me Bamaman

 

[lakeliving]

Great info for sure! Thanks guys. So Bama, with the salt water series you wouldn't be concerned with the larger diameter? 14 1/2 vs 15 3/4 I believe

 

[Bamaman]

Hey, propping pontoon boats is just experience and common sense.  Bennington customer service pays attention to what works well on their boats with which motor and hull combinations.  They're available to advise dealers on setups.

What's hard to prop is getting is maximum performance out of BassCat or Allison bass boats.  Those guys will start with a stock high line propeller and send them out to be blueprinted and reshaped for their specific use.  Proper prop tuning and using hydraulic jack plates gets the Allisons well into the 80's with 200 hp and almost 100 mph with a Merc. 300XS motor.   It's hard to believe that some Allisons @ 80 mph can get double the mpg as other heavier popular brands of bass boats @ 35 mph.

My first experience with Allisons was in a 13' hull with a 100 hp Merc tower of power in 1969.  We switched to Flying Dutchman tunnel hull boats in 1970 with 125 and 135 hp Mercs.

Propping a 40 or 45 mph tritoon boat is simple and easy compared with what it takes on ultra high performance boats.  I got rid of the bass boat in 1982, and have been running PWC's and pontoon boats since 1985.