Stainless Prop Type for 225 Merc on a 2004 Pro V

[walleyefry]

Has anyone out there played with different props for correct rpms combined with max speed. I here the 2004 ProV hulls are different than past years . Going to run a 225 on this boat with a stainless prop.
Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!.

Lefty

[PJM]

walleyefry


You did not tell us which model Pro-V you are running But my guess is either a 1900 or a 2025. The Tempest would be my first choice then a Mirage in a 3 blade. In a four blade the the Offshore or a Revolution 4

[Walleyefrey]

Thanks much for your response PJM. The boat is the 1900. Can you expand on any of your info, as far as what you have learned from various props you mentioned. I know some props are better for speed while others bite better on the low end. Just trying to save myself from buying several props.
Thanks again for your knowledge.. Are the 2004 hulls making any difference compared to the 2003 hull when it comes to prop selection?
So many rumors out there.

Lefty

[Brian_MN]

A 19 pitch Revolution 4 should be about perfect. On a 2003 1900 with a 200 Opti, the Rev 4 did 55 MPH at 5580 RPMs. The 225 should let you get close to the 5750 RPM redline and maybe 58 MPH.

[PJM]

Walleyefrey

Pro V boats have a heavy hull so you need a prop with good bow lift. What you get with a 4 blade Offshore and Rev-4 props is good hole shot, good bow lift and great holding in rough water. The down side if you want to call it that is you loose a couple of MPH on top end, no big deal. The 3 blade Tempest or Mirage are large diameter props with great bow lift. With larger diameter props you can mount the motor higher on the transom and the higher the motor the less drag. With the 3 blade prop you have less mass, with less mass you have less drag so that is why a 3 blade will give you a couple of mph more the a 4 blade. After reading Brian post I would demo the two four blade props and the Tempest with you boat loaded down with how you will use it. You look at some of the test results that companies like Yamaha put out, they test the boat with 12 gallons of gas and a couple of guys in it and in cold water. You buy the same boat and you could be off by seven or eight MPH because you boat is loaded with 50 gallons of gas and the water is warm. So demo a 19 or a 21p in these props and watch the tach.............PS don't try a Lazer II prop on your boat the hull is to heavy

[Brian_MN]

I agree with PJM, he knows his stuff when it comes to props on ProV's. One interesting thing I noticed last year was that I actually picked up 1.5 MPH going from the Tempest 21 to a Rev 4 19. RPM's were close to the same, and the props were tested about 20 minutes apart. Go figure.

[Walleyefrey]

Will check with my dealer to see where he mounted the motor, hole wise
Just wanted to say thanks for your replies. The posts answered a lot of questions. Great to have a site like WC.

Good Fishing

Lefty

[Walleyefrey]

PJM or Brian

When installing a new motor,do ,most people start in the first hole or the bottom.Or do you start in the bottom hole and then play with props? Seems by most posts guys end up raising the motor to the first hole for best performance with any prop. Or am I wrong on this. Any Help?

Lefty

[Brian_MN]

All my ProV's have ended up with the motor on the third hole. No need to go lower, you're just dragging more motor in the water. Any higher, and the boat gets real sensitive to trim and blows out easily in turns. The third hole up has always been the "sweet spot" for me, on my old 1775, 2 1800's, and 2 1900's.

[PJM]

Walleyefrey


The second hole is usually where the cavitation plate is level with the botton of the boat. Motor height depends on the diameter of the prop. The larger diameter the more blade surface and what happens is the blade dip deeper into the water. On the other hand a four blade prop might have a smaller diameter but the additional blade area it keeps enough prop in the water to maintain a good bite. That is why Brian might be able to run higher on the transom with those 4 blade props. It sounds like Brian has his boat dialed in with a four blade prop. Most people run a out there are running a 3 blade prop so if you looking to get a four blade which is nice, Brians information seems right on

[Brian_MN]

I should add that prior to the IPS hull coming out, it was tougher to find a combo that worked well on the third hole up. The new hull design allows a cleaner flow of water to the prop, which in turn allows us to mount the motor higher and go faster with better trim response.

[Walleyefrey]

Thanks Guys

I guess I will start in the second hole with a three blade and go from there. I mostly run river systems, not to rough of water. Will be heading to Cabelas National on maybe Bay De Noc,that water would probably the roughest I would run the boat on.

Lefty

[Walleyefrey]

Brian

Are you srtickly talking four blade Rev 4 prop on the third hole. Or will a 21 pitch Tempest work there also, as far as performance. I am hoping to set the motor in the right hole before I drive away, if that is possible. Sounds like you have fooled with the prop game a bit. Thanks again for the info.

Lefty

[JAK]

Brian, I am curious, when you swictched from the 21 Tempest to the 19 Rev 4, what kind of load did you have? Fuel? Livewells full? How many people? What were the water and air temps? What hole was the engine mounted in?

I also have tried switching back and forth on the same day. I also have played with heights. I am just testing out a theory. I will let you know what I found out, but do not want to effect your information.

THANKS!!!

[Brian_MN]

The 21 Tempest and 19 Rev 4 bolt work great on a 1900 ProV with the motor in the third hole. My experience with the two was that I was able to lift the bow more with the Rev4 prop, and actually picked up a little speed. The Rev4 was also smooth, popped the boat on plane a little quicker, and had great thrust in reverse. The difference was small, but what the heck, might as well get all the performance you can, right? If you have a dealer with test props, by all means try both of them before plunking down your money, tiny differences in hulls, the position and number of transducers, and the exact HP your motor is putting out combine to make each boat unique.

[Brian_MN]

I actually spent a full day testing both props. I wanted to see how they did when the boat was heavy as well as light. The first day I had the boat light, with just me in it and 10 gallons of fuel. Both props popped the boat on plane quickly, and speeds were nearly identical, with the Rev4 being maybe .5 MPH faster. Then I fulled up the gas tank and both livewells, which I estimate added close to 550 pounds, and threw in my tackle boxes and stuff, another 100 pounds. That's when the Rev4 really worked a lot better. The 3 blade was slower out of the hole, and the spray line moved forward a good 6 inches. The Rev4 was able to hold the bow up, and I only lost about 1 MPH, compared to 3 MPH with the Tempest.

As for conditions, I kept the motor in the 3rd hole, it was about 50 degrees outside, and the water temps were in the high 40's.

You've got me curious about your results now....please post what you did!

[JAK]

Brian, it looks like you had roughly the same type of results that I had.

I have tested Offshore Renegades, Rakers, Tempests, and Rev 4’s. In general I found that the 4 blade props were just a touch slower when the load was light. When fuel and water (Roughly 100 gallons total) were added, the 4 blades lost only about 1-1.5 mph. The 3 blades (Tempest) lost 2-2.5 mph. With a full load they ran almost the same speed.

I found that the Raker had the most lift with by far the least amount of trim, but it had some handling quirks. If I were to run a Raker, it would have to be worked. The Raker lifted the boat well and ran very flat. There was no need to run the trim much past half way. The Raker also liked higher heights. The Tempest was a good all around prop. It seemed to like more trim and continued to lift the bow at near max trim. It continued to pick up speed as the trim was run up. (I tested the Tempest a little deeper ¾”, when I filled the livewells and had a half load of fuel with two people. It seemed to like the lower setting when the load was increased, it did not drop off as much as when it was up higher)

Both 4 blades held much better in the corners and were vastly superior in rough water. The Rev 4 had the most bite of all the props I tested, but I did not like the midrange and holeshot near as well as the Offshore Renegade. The Offshore was also about 1 mph faster than the Rev 4. The Renegade was MUCH stronger in the mid range. It is possible that the Rev 4 would get better mileage, but was unable to test it for that.

Both of the 4 blade props liked the engine height from 1" to 2" higher than the 3 blades. I believe that the extra blade surface area more than compensates for the higher engine height.

I think that the Rev 4 would have the most holding power in rough water, but I was not able to run it in anything lager than 2 footers. It seemed to set the bow down fairly soft when running over boat wakes.

I have not tried any testing with the PVS system yet; I bought the plugs/vents this winter and plan on trying them next spring.

As you can see each prop had both strong and weak points. I think that overall if you want good holding power and a prop that is NOT load sensitive, a person should look at a 4 blade.

I talked with PJM on the phone one day last spring and we compared notes. He has also seen similar results. I have to say that I strongly agree with his assessment that boats like ours need a large diameter 3 blades or a 4 blade. Props like these allow the combination to work closer to its full potential.

FYI, I am currently running an Offshore Renegade

[Brian_MN]

Hey, I really liked your post, you did some real thorough testing! I've never tested an Offshore Renegade, but I'll be sure to give it a try this spring. Boat should be here in a few weeks, motors a few weeks after that. I went to a 225 Opti this year, but am not expecting a real dramatic difference, maybe another 150 RPMs, which will be fine.

[JAK]

Brian, I am not sure if you can run an Evinrude prop on your Mercury or not. FYI. The Offshore Renegade has been re-named the Cyclone

[Nokes]

Brian, I noticed that you ran 2-1800's. What prop did you run for the best overall performance? Mine has a 150hp on it.

[Nokes]

Brian, I noticed that you ran 2-1800's. What prop did you run for the best overall performance? Mine has a 150hp on it.

[Viper]

Have you tried a Viper? The shape of the Viper blades appear to be similar to the Offshore, except it has 3 blades.

[Viper]

Have you tried a Viper? The shape of the Viper blades appear to be similar to the Offshore, except it has 3 blades.

[West Erie angler]

Any of you prop tweakers play with the 5 blade High Five?

I have a 2002 Pro V 2025 SE/ 200 HP EFI with a 3 blade 21 pitch Tempest. It does not give my boat enough bow lift at mid speed. Makes for a rough/wet ride in 2' to 4' chop. Fully loaded I get a top end speed of 49 mph to 51 mph.

I was going to try a high five this spring. Any suggestions on which pitch to start with. My current 21 pitch Tempest puts me right on the max RPM's of 5800.

[JAK]

I have not tried the Viper since it was re-tooled. I have considered it, but have not had a chance yet.

I ran an old style Viper on a previous boat for several years and about 8000-10,000 miles. It held up very well and was good on that hull. I only tested about three props back then.

It looks like the new Viper has added some rake to it along with an increase in the lobe ear. They also added some diameter. I think that the 21 pitch is now 14 3/4". It looks like it should be much better than the previous model that I ran for years. (Of couse this is on paper) I am just thinking that because of the weight of my rig (around 4200-4300 pound full of water, fuel gear, and two people) that it may not have enough blade area/rake to provide the lift I need.

You have got me thinking ...I may have to see if I can borrow one this spring and confirm/disprove my theory.

[JAK]

WE angler,

I have not personally ever tried a High Five on any of my rigs. I have found that the 4 blade props work well for me. I have ridden in several boats while testing a High 5 and comparing it to other props.

However, I have recomended to 2 friends that they try the High 5 for their applications. One had excellent results on a Warrior. It was a completly different boat than when running the Lazor II. This was on a 17' boat. Bow lift increased dramticaly and the ride was MUCH smoother. Wave re-entry was more like a 19+ foot boat! His speed went up by 2-4 mph depending on conditions

The other friend has an 1850 Tyee (98) that has the wider beam, but was pre-IPS. These boats were very prop/engine height sensitive. The High 5 also worked well for him. It has some steering tourqe, but can be controlled with trim.

I know of one boat that tried the High 5 back to back with the Offshore Renegde. This was on a 2150 Baron. The High 5 had slightly more bow lift. It had a LOT more steering tourqe and was 2.5 mph slower than the Offshore Renegade. We did not try different engine heights on his boat. He settled on the Offshore Renegade.

I have heard very good things about the large hub Trophey after it has been tuned. I do not know how they perform in stock condition?

I also know that Mike from Wave Wackers uses a High 5 on his 2025 Pro-V IFS with his 200 Merc. He told me that rough water control outweighed the extra 1.5-3 mph that he got with other props.

[PJM]

West Erie angler

The Tempest has great bow lift but there is something wrong with your statistics. The motor you are running is a 2.6 liter block and you are your speed fully loaded and rpm don't sound right for that motor. I have set up several 2025 with one had a 200 EFI and the others had 225 EFI Yamaha with the 3.1 liter block which has more torque then the 200 EFI 2.6 block had better top end. Both took a 19p Tempest and the RPM was just below 5500 rpm. So either the motor is mounted wrong on the transom or there is something wrong with the prop. If that prop is turning 5800 rpm then bring it to a prop shop have it check out. The cupping on the blades might not be right causing hi rpm and no bow lift. The more cupping will give you more bit and also lower your rpm. I have tried a High 5 and is has a great hole shot but I was not impressed with top end. A four blade would be much better.

[West Erie Angler]

After reading your post I realized you are right! My factory aluminum prop was the 21 pitch. My Tempest is a 19 pitch prop.

Who sells this 4 blade renegade. How long has it been around?