B-Faithful
Well-known member
Any word on your new prop and performance ? Do you like the powertech?
Dale - Powertech Prop Testing
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DaleH
FOUNDER of Classic Parker Forum
B-Faithful":4zmwtlfy said:
Love it, but 'real' meaningful numbers cannot be obtained at this time. We believe I may have a piece of junk blocking a reed finger as my compressions are low across the board on all cylinders. Plan is to check it out on SUN. Otherwise the motor starts and runs fine ... just no zip above 4500 RPMs. Lack of air to ingest into the cylinders due to blowdown from a leaky crankcase could do it. Fingers crossed ...
As far as the Powertech prop goes ... grips like a 4WD truck! Boat leaps onto plane, more just goes from headway speed to plane without any transition, literally out of the hole and up on the water. Accelerates like a Ferrari and holds onto the water. Was able to dial out an additional 1/8th segment on my motor trim gauge - that's HUGE! And it still stays hooked up. To blow it out, I need to go up almost the full 1/4 gauge scale next, but she'll ventilate in mod seas or waves once past 1/8th extra up.
Stay tuned for more data using GPS and fuel computer.
Capt Keith
Well-known member
I'll add a kudos for Powertech props. I have not had time to post any hard data to the Prop data base thread but I do have some thoughts on the Powertech.
I have a 23 DVCC with a SUZUKI 250 HP. The reduction gear ratio is 2.29 to 1 which is lower than Yammi,Merc and Bomb's and Suzuki therefore builds a larger diameter prop. The factory props are 16". made by Solas and are very efficient for a 3 blade.
The 2300 DV likes to ride "bow high" and stern lift is lacking. I have put wide span trim-tabs (12X24) and this helps once the boat is up on plane and running. But hole shot and running attitude was severly lacking. I decided it was time to move from a 3 blade prop to a 4 blade and see for myself what kind of improvement it could do.
After reading the many post on here I called Ken at prop gods and started the process of prop testing. First up was a Mercury Bravo 1. Ken recomendede that prop first for the Zuke. Size was 15 1/4" X 22". Stern lift was good but I had to turn alot of RPM and went nowhere. 5400 RPM's got me 22 kts. Fuel consumption horrible.
Next up was a Merc Rev 4, 19" pitch. Awesome stern lift, excellent grip and a little more speed, but stillI had to turn alot of RPM to move the boat. 4800 RPMs got me 25kt and a little less than 2 MPG.
I called Marcus at Powertech and he said the Suzukis like "blade surface" and the Mercs didnt have it. Powertech just so happens to build a 16" diameter 4 blade specifically for the Zuke and Ken shipped me one out to try. We would start with a 17" pitch.
The prop arrived and on she went. No "hub kit", mounts right on the shaft using the spline. After the first test run all I can say is WOW. Talk about acceleration and grip. Alot like the Rev 4 but more punch. 4800 RPM's got me 29 kts at 2.2 MPG. The Suzuki liked the additional blade surface without a doubt. I have had 2 good days of testing and am very impressed.
Now with a gain there must be a loss right? We'll there was. Top end is only 35 kts vs the 39 I had with the 3 blade. Also the 17" Powertech is way "underpropped" because I could reach the rev limiter at 6400 RPM's. After consult with Marcus at PowerTech I am waiting for a 18" pitch to arrive in the mail. She may still be a little underpropped but I plan on running with a load (4-5 people with full dive gear) so we are thinking that 18" will be the correct pitch.
I know the Merc's serve the Yammi,Merc and Bomb crowd well and I dont dispute the data. I can say that for those running a "Zuke" give powertech a try.
Had the Powertech not worked I was on my way to following grouperjim's advice and go for the permatrim cav plate addition. But I think I will be happy with this setup. At least I hope I am because I'm tired of testing!
I have a 23 DVCC with a SUZUKI 250 HP. The reduction gear ratio is 2.29 to 1 which is lower than Yammi,Merc and Bomb's and Suzuki therefore builds a larger diameter prop. The factory props are 16". made by Solas and are very efficient for a 3 blade.
The 2300 DV likes to ride "bow high" and stern lift is lacking. I have put wide span trim-tabs (12X24) and this helps once the boat is up on plane and running. But hole shot and running attitude was severly lacking. I decided it was time to move from a 3 blade prop to a 4 blade and see for myself what kind of improvement it could do.
After reading the many post on here I called Ken at prop gods and started the process of prop testing. First up was a Mercury Bravo 1. Ken recomendede that prop first for the Zuke. Size was 15 1/4" X 22". Stern lift was good but I had to turn alot of RPM and went nowhere. 5400 RPM's got me 22 kts. Fuel consumption horrible.
Next up was a Merc Rev 4, 19" pitch. Awesome stern lift, excellent grip and a little more speed, but stillI had to turn alot of RPM to move the boat. 4800 RPMs got me 25kt and a little less than 2 MPG.
I called Marcus at Powertech and he said the Suzukis like "blade surface" and the Mercs didnt have it. Powertech just so happens to build a 16" diameter 4 blade specifically for the Zuke and Ken shipped me one out to try. We would start with a 17" pitch.
The prop arrived and on she went. No "hub kit", mounts right on the shaft using the spline. After the first test run all I can say is WOW. Talk about acceleration and grip. Alot like the Rev 4 but more punch. 4800 RPM's got me 29 kts at 2.2 MPG. The Suzuki liked the additional blade surface without a doubt. I have had 2 good days of testing and am very impressed.
Now with a gain there must be a loss right? We'll there was. Top end is only 35 kts vs the 39 I had with the 3 blade. Also the 17" Powertech is way "underpropped" because I could reach the rev limiter at 6400 RPM's. After consult with Marcus at PowerTech I am waiting for a 18" pitch to arrive in the mail. She may still be a little underpropped but I plan on running with a load (4-5 people with full dive gear) so we are thinking that 18" will be the correct pitch.
I know the Merc's serve the Yammi,Merc and Bomb crowd well and I dont dispute the data. I can say that for those running a "Zuke" give powertech a try.
Had the Powertech not worked I was on my way to following grouperjim's advice and go for the permatrim cav plate addition. But I think I will be happy with this setup. At least I hope I am because I'm tired of testing!
B-Faithful
Well-known member
Powertech makes many of the props for Honda. I am running an OFX4 and love the prop. It bites from low speeds to high. I can plane my boat around 12 mph without tabs. This was a problem with the Rev4 on my last boat as while it never ventilated at speed, trudging through the slop it would lose bite while bogging some. Plus the prop killed my fuel economy when it was choppy out. I too am very impressed with the powertech props. I dont think this prop has hurt my top end either as We hit 39mph the other day during a magazine photo shoot in a chop with full fuel and 2 on board with a single 225 Honda on a 26'4" hull. I am swinging a 15.25x15.
DaleH
FOUNDER of Classic Parker Forum
UPDATE 02Sep09:
Good - Got my boat back. Turns out I had a broken part in the throttle linkage that I could not find nor diagnose, so I brought it to an area mechanic who is #1 on OMC/Bombardier OBs. Man this guy is good, just by running it on a water test he knew where to start looking and had it fixed in 2-hours - $40 in parts and 3-hours labor, can't beat that. [Note - I paid him an extra hour to give it a good solid once over, checking everything out, which turned out to be A-OK - great for my piece of mind you know
]
Not so good - Dayum my boat is a big girl, and tall too :shock: ! On the way to the shop for the 1.5 run on the road via the trailer, the GPS antenna got smacked around by an errant tree branch. Doh! I don't know how guys who add towers get their rigs around!!!!!!
Status - My RPMs with the Powertech 15x15 OFS 4-blade prop are 5300-5400 with full gear, 1/3rd fuel, 2 guys and a dirty running bottom. My OB max is 6K, but I'll take those numbers for this time of year, as I am sure they will likely increase 200-300 in the Spring on a freshly painted hull. I also surmise my OB is intentionally de-tuned a tad, which isn't a bad thing, as the motor will last longer. All in all, that single 225hp OB is pushing a lot of boat, as she weighs in at 6100 pounds fully loaded - less crew, food, and ice.
Unfortunately, with the GPS knocked out I can't give any updated speed or fuel efficiency numbers. At this point though, even before the OB fix/tune up, this 4-blade Powertech prop was THE best of 5 props I tested, 2 of which were pricey $300 - $500 props, to include a Renegade Offshore 4-blade by OMC and a Stiletto Turbo with high rake and cupping.
The 4-blade allows me to trim up and out another 1/8th scale of trim. The boat just gets up and goes on plane instantly, no bow lift and no need to use trim tabs or even any motor trim. As with any motor mounted as high as mine is (ALL the way up!) I do need to trim it in to take any semi-serious turn, but minor course corrections or steering around buoys to follow the wayward river down to the ocean don't require any OB trim adjustments.
PropGods - More than being pleased with the Powertech prop, I remain THRILLED with the advice and prompt service from Ken of www.propgods.com . Subjective - yes, but I really felt like he really wanted ME to get the best prop for my boat (versus just making a sale). He even followed through with follow-up emails to ensure I was satisfied. Ken stands by his word and if I want to try another prop, for a $35 exchange fee, he'll let me try another. To me, if you are going to make such an investment into a premium wheel ... PropGods is the way to go! I only wish they'd open a mobile service up near Boston - haha!
Stay tuned for more updates with real performance numbers, as a replacement GPS antenna is already shipping out my way !
Good - Got my boat back. Turns out I had a broken part in the throttle linkage that I could not find nor diagnose, so I brought it to an area mechanic who is #1 on OMC/Bombardier OBs. Man this guy is good, just by running it on a water test he knew where to start looking and had it fixed in 2-hours - $40 in parts and 3-hours labor, can't beat that. [Note - I paid him an extra hour to give it a good solid once over, checking everything out, which turned out to be A-OK - great for my piece of mind you know
]Not so good - Dayum my boat is a big girl, and tall too :shock: ! On the way to the shop for the 1.5 run on the road via the trailer, the GPS antenna got smacked around by an errant tree branch. Doh! I don't know how guys who add towers get their rigs around!!!!!!
Status - My RPMs with the Powertech 15x15 OFS 4-blade prop are 5300-5400 with full gear, 1/3rd fuel, 2 guys and a dirty running bottom. My OB max is 6K, but I'll take those numbers for this time of year, as I am sure they will likely increase 200-300 in the Spring on a freshly painted hull. I also surmise my OB is intentionally de-tuned a tad, which isn't a bad thing, as the motor will last longer. All in all, that single 225hp OB is pushing a lot of boat, as she weighs in at 6100 pounds fully loaded - less crew, food, and ice.
Unfortunately, with the GPS knocked out
I can't give any updated speed or fuel efficiency numbers. At this point though, even before the OB fix/tune up, this 4-blade Powertech prop was THE best of 5 props I tested, 2 of which were pricey $300 - $500 props, to include a Renegade Offshore 4-blade by OMC and a Stiletto Turbo with high rake and cupping.The 4-blade allows me to trim up and out another 1/8th scale of trim. The boat just gets up and goes on plane instantly, no bow lift and no need to use trim tabs or even any motor trim. As with any motor mounted as high as mine is (ALL the way up!) I do need to trim it in to take any semi-serious turn, but minor course corrections or steering around buoys to follow the wayward river down to the ocean don't require any OB trim adjustments.
PropGods - More than being pleased with the Powertech prop, I remain THRILLED with the advice and prompt service from Ken of www.propgods.com . Subjective - yes, but I really felt like he really wanted ME to get the best prop for my boat (versus just making a sale). He even followed through with follow-up emails to ensure I was satisfied. Ken stands by his word and if I want to try another prop, for a $35 exchange fee, he'll let me try another. To me, if you are going to make such an investment into a premium wheel ... PropGods is the way to go! I only wish they'd open a mobile service up near Boston - haha!
Stay tuned for more updates with real performance numbers, as a replacement GPS antenna is already shipping out my way
!BradV
Well-known member
towing with a tower is definately a challenge. I tow down main large streets and in the middle lane to avoid the trees. I know where the trees hang in between my house and the ramp. Alot of back and forth of the lanes. Still end up with leaves im 10'8" to the outside of the bunks and 13'10" to the top of my wheel on the tower.
