I feel like I am starting a propeller collection. Thank goodness for PayPal Credit and no payments/interest for 6 months!
A couple weeks ago when I pulled my boat out by trailer so my cousin could refinish the outdrive, we had a little incident with the forward prop. The weather was crappy so the wife didn't want to go out. So the fork lift guy lowers the boat into the dock and all we have to do is walk the boat around with the lines to the other side of the dock where one of the ramps is located. We pulled the boat out and that is when I noticed I forgot to put up the outdrive. When in rack storage, the drives stay down and since we didn't go out on the boat I didn't think to put up the drive. A quarter of a blade on the forward prop was totally torn off. I will never do that again.
When we bought the Cobalt it had cupped-22 pitch Bravo III props installed. And that is what we were immediately looking for to replace with. That is how we scored the killer deal on that new set of old stock 22p props for $100 (retail value ~$1,000).
After buying the 22p props, I learned that from the factory, the Cobalt had 26p props. The previous owner must have gone down to 22p because of the smaller lake and the various water sports they did with the boat. Our lake is much larger and we have more room to stretch out the RPMs. With the 22p I could hit redline.
So, I found a good deal on used 26p set for $360. Put them on and now I have troubles hitting 4600 RPM. I do some research and find out they had cupped and non-cupped versions of the same prop set. I had installed 26p cupped but the factory ran 26p non-cupped. From what I have read, the difference between cupped and non-cupped is an approximate 200 RPM decrease going from non-cupped to cupped. The old generation B3 props like mine had pitch that went up in even increments (20, 22, 24, 26, etc). Each 2" increase in pitch decreases RPM by 400.
So now I am looking for cupped 24p props because I hear they would perform slightly better than the non-cupped 26p. I happen to find a used cupped rear 24p prop for $145 so I buy that. I am keeping my eyes open for a forward prop but those seem to be the ones everyone needs and they are more expensive for it. A local guy has a set of used but mint cupped 24p props selling for $575 that he said he would even trade for my new 22p props. He didn't want my used cupped 26p props. I was thinking about it but really didn't want to trade my new props for some used ones. He wouldn't trade for the 4x3 B3 props he has listed for $750.
I checked ebay one last time and found a set of the new style 4x3 B3 props where the forward prop is four blades and the rear prop has three blades. See below for Merc's press release about the 4x3 props. Ebay sent a 10% off coupon that was going to expire today so the set ended up being $560 +$30 for shipping. The set looks brand new.
Pic of prop set:
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/ ... B/$_57.JPGSo now I have:
22p cupped set - new - want to keep as spares but I will list for obscene amount on Craigslist
22p cupped rear - used - going to sell
24p cupped rear - used - going to sell
26p cupped set - used - going to sell
26p 4x3 - used - going to use
I also have a used Volvo Penta SX / Cobra SX 14-1/4 x 23 Stainless Steel Propeller made by the Michigan Wheel Company which I have listed on Craigslist for $150.
Quote:
Mercury Propellers is proud to introduce a complete redesign of the 4-blade front / 3-blade rear Bravo Three propeller line. The update impacts the 20-, 21- and 22.5-pitch 4-blade front Bravo Three propellers only. The rear propellers continue in production unchanged.
These propellers feature a completely new geometry from the ground up. The new design results in better acceleration under both light and heavy load conditions. Mercury’s testing shows eight percent faster acceleration from 0 to 20 with the new geometry - with no penalty in top speed.
Orders placed after January 25, 2010 from Mercury will be fulfilled with the updated product. For convenience, the new propellers will maintain the same part numbers as their predecessors. The new propellers can be identified from the older designs by a C stamped on the rib of the inner propeller hub as shown in the diagram at right.
In terms of WOT RPM, the new Bravo Three propellers run very closely to the prior generation of Bravo Three propellers, so if you are running within the proper RPM range on an old Bravo Three set, substitute the closest pitch of the new propeller line. Cupped propellers will not be offered in the new line due to the additional pitches that have been added to the new line.
For top performance, mixing old and new Bravo Three propellers is not recommended. 4 blade front, 3 blade rear props generally offer faster acceleration and enhanced holding compared to the older 3 blade front, 3 blade rear type.
Below is a conversion chart to assist you in locating the correct part number for the new Bravo Three propellers. This list also includes high-polish part numbers as well.
New/Old Bravo Three Conversion Chart - Standard Matte Finish
Old Part # (3 Blade Front/ 3 Blade Rear).......Description New Part # (4 Blade Front/ 3 Blade Rear)
823661A60 / 823662A60 20 Pitch .................... 8M8022360 / 8M8022370 20 Pitch
823661L / 823662L 20 Pitch Cupped ................ 8M8022380 / 8M8022390 21 Pitch
823663A60 / 823664A60 22 Pitch ..................... 8M8022380 / 8M8022390 21 Pitch
823663L / 823664L 22 Pitch Cupped ................ 8M8022400 / 8M8022410 22.5 Pitch
823665A60 / 823666A60 24 Pitch ..................... 8M8022420 / 8M8022430 24 Pitch
823665L / 823666L 24 Pitch Cupped ................. 8M8022440 / 8M8022450 26 Pitch
823667A60 / 823668A60 26 Pitch ......................8M8022440 / 8M8022450 26 Pitch
823667L / 823668L 26 Pitch Cupped ................. 8M8022460 / 8M8022470 28 Pitch
823669A60 / 823670A60 28 Pitch ..................... 8M8022460 / 8M8022470 28 Pitch
Hi-polished Bravo Three part numbers (4 blade front / 3 blade rear)
New Part # 4 blade front /3 blade rear Description
8M8022349 / 8M8022359 19 Pitch Hi-Polish
8M8022369 / 8M8022379 20 Pitch Hi-Polish
8M8022389 / 8M8022399 21 Pitch Hi-Polish
8M8022409 / 8M8022419 22.5 Pitch Hi-Polish
8M8022429 / 8M8022439 24 Pitch Hi-Polish
8M8022449 / 8M8022459 26 Pitch Hi-Polish
8M8022469 / 8M8022479 28 Pitch Hi-Polish
Hi-Polished Mercury Racing XR Bravo 3 props (4 blade front, 3 blade rear - Cupped)
Description:
These high polished props are designed for 250-525 HP sport cruisers and performance Bravo 3 applications. A large diameter 4 blade forward propeller followed by a smaller diameter 3 blade aft propeller feature built in cup for incredible handling and boat control. Intended for the Bravo 3 XR drive and can be used with the Bravo 3 and Bravo 3 X drives.
As a general rule the odd pitch numbered Bravo 3 XR propellers run similar engine RPM to the next higher pitch even numbered Bravo 3 propellers. For example, the Bravo 3 XR 27 pitch matches the RPM of a Bravo 3 28 pitch 3 blade front / 3 blade rear non-cupped prop.
842945L80 / 842945L80 28 Pitch Hi-Polish
842945L70 / 842946L70 27 Pitch Hi-Polish
842943L80 / 842944L80 26 Pitch Hi-Polish
842943L70 / 842944L70 25 Pitch Hi-Polish
842941L80 / 842942L80 24 Pitch Hi-Polish
842941L70 / 842942L70 23 Pitch Hi-Polish
842939L70 / 842940L70 21 Pitch Hi-Polish
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I came across this on-line. Get to your favorite fishing hole at over 100mph!
