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Hi all,
Newcomer here and new boat owner. I have a new H210 with V8-300C and SX drive. I am looking into swapping out the SX with a DPS-B duo prop. Has anyone done that? Wondering about the cost, etc. Any info or advice would be appreciated.
Thnx.

Welcome to the forum!
May I ask why you would want to change out one of the best outdrives available?
Have you contemplated a 4 or 5 blade prop instead of a duoprop?

Oh and pic's of your boat, please!

_________________
2011 Four Winns H180 SS.
Aussie built Mustang 2800.
SOLD - 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS

My understanding is that only the lower unit is different, so it would be pretty much a bolt-on change, although the upper-unit gear ratio may be different as well. However, I don't see where you would get enough benefit on a higher powered 21ft boat like yours.

I don't know what year your new boat is, but see below for the Four Winns Fast Facts from a 2005 H210, comparing SX or B1 to DP/B3. At WOT, top speed and fuel use are the same. There is small increase in fuel efficiency at cruising speeds for the DP. One would presume the DP would have a little better hole-shot also.

Dual prop drives are most important for heavier lower speed boats. For example a 27' Vista powered by a single 5.7L

_________________

"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

Thanks for the reply. As I said, I am a new owner/boater and, having looked at a lot of boats in preparing to buy, what I saw most often matched with 300hp engine was a duo prop. The hole shot, better low rpm maneuvering, greater fuel efficiency, all noted with a duo prop. Talked to a reputable dealer here in northern California who says he seldom sells a boat with a single prop. So that's what led me to inquire. The boat is brand new. If I don't do it now I will probably never do it.

Re. 4 or 5 blade prop, I haven't a clue. I am relying on the logic that high horsepower engines benefit just as well or more from duo prop.

Photos to come, promise. It's a 2015 H210.

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the data you provided. I would guess the comparison is similar for the 2015 H210, which is the boat I bought. The boat came from out of state and the dealer was not very helpful about changing out the drive. It was a good price so I took it, even though I wanted the duo prop. From the info I gathered and feedback from a reputable dealer in northern California the upper unit is the same, only the lower swaps out. Still it's an expensive undertaking and I am hoping to hear from someone who did it.

Have you taken the boat out and spent much time with the current setup? My Funship 214 weighs almost 1000lbs more than the Horizon 210 and with the 5.7 and SX drive, it gets up and goes pretty well....
You might find you don't need to spend the extra $$ (now and later).

What part of NoCal?

Good luck, whatever you decide!

Erik

_________________
2002 Funship 214
VP 5.7 GX Si
2003 Tahoe

Thanks for the reply. I wanted to do it now because I could possibly get full credit for the SX as a new drive. If I use it, it's now used and drops steeply in value. That said, the more I look into it the less appealing it becomes, mostly for cost reasons. I still think duo prop is the way to go, but I might just as well wait a few years to do it. I have a house on Clear Lake and will be mostly boating there but also elsewhere in NorCal. Where do you go?

Happy Holidays,
Dave

I live down in the San Diego area now, but lived up in the East Bay for a few years. We used to camp up at "Clear" Lake and would take my uncle's boat - that's where I learned how to water ski, in fact....More recently, one of my buds has a cabin on the Delta which is only accessible by boat.

Nowadays, I usually boat down on Mission or San Diego bays, or trailer up to Lake Mohave or Havasu.

Erik

_________________
2002 Funship 214
VP 5.7 GX Si
2003 Tahoe

I would agree with your assertion that the best time to change would be while you could still sell the SX as a new (never used) unit.

To look at how it would affect your resale value, I looked up a 5 year old H210 with 300+ HP to see how much the DP option would change the price (NADA price guides). The answer is $1300-$1500 retail value. I did the same comparison on an older boat like mine, and the upgrade price for DP was only about $800.

You are going to have great performance with either drive, and the DP would have slightly better performance than the SX. A negative for the DP is the cost of props. Depending on where you boat, and who drives the boat, then the cost of props could also be a slight factor to consider.

Just curious... what have you found out would be your cost to change to DP?

_________________

"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

"Just curious... what have you found out would be your cost to change to DP?"

I really haven't been able to establish a solid figure. It is dependent on the credit given for the SX. If the boat would have been ordered with the DP the difference would have been $3,000, which I assume included the props. To swap out now, I need to obtain a DP lower drive unit and the prop set, plus labor to pull the SX lower unit and install the DP lower unit and props. I am guessing at $4,000. I also am unsure of how all this effects warranty, which makes me uneasy. In all, it just seems too expensive and complicated to do right now.

So you use your boat in salt water? How is that going?

I use my FW in salt water with no major issues. I trailer the boat, so I do not have to worry about barnacles or bottom painting. I also rinse the engine with fresh water for 5 minutes after each use in salt. Only difference is having to change the exhaust manifolds about every 5-7 years, and thermostat housing every 12-15 years. I used my previous boat with 4.3 OMC cobra the same way and the engine block did not have any serious corrosion issues after 25 years.

After each salt use, I also wipe down the cockpit interior surfaces (vinyl, windows, and gelcoat surfaces) with fresh water dampened microfiber rags to remove salt spray. I do this as I am arriving back at the boat ramp for retrieval. I also rinse exterior of the boat with a hose upon returning home, preferably with soap and water.

However, with salt water use, my painted steel FW trailer did not last at all. The inside of the tubes are not coated, and hold moisture/salt, so they rust out from the inside out. Here is my thread about that:
http://www.smwebhead.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=13467

Ray

_________________

"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings