Hill Marine Props and Fuel Consumption

YYZRC

@johnny44 I exhausted every other possibility. I had just been waiting for the opportunity to pull the boat into shallow water to do the swap. Finally got it yesterday. 

No response yet from Hill but I just emailed them last night so not expecting to hear back immediately. In the meantime I will try to measure the pitch myself.

Grahamu

City Wide Welding in Mississauga can check them for you

johnny44

@yyzrc any updates or response yet from Hill?

YYZRC

Well, they replied promptly and said this has never happened before and asked me to ship the props back. They said they would send a prepaid label but I haven’t received one yet. 

I think I will have them analyzed by a prop shop before I send them. It would be nice to know from an impartial source what the issue is (pitch or cupping or…?). 

YYZRC

Update - Hill sent me a prepaid label to return the wonky props. 

YYZRC

Hill received my defective props. We agreed that I would purchase a set of 18p and they would exchange the defective 20p for 18p.

Will report on the difference between the 20p and the 18p on my 350EC.

captkevin

Have you received props yet?

YYZRC

Edit: just received the props 5 mins ago. 

captkevin

That stinks. What did they say about the screw up?

YYZRC

I gave up on them. Not worth the brain damage. It just is what it is now. 

J3ff

Wait.. they wouldnt refund you? What's the deal? 

YYZRC

They said it had been too long since I purchased the props - it was a year later. A year that I spent chasing the problem. 

YYZRC

Cool underwater shot. 

YYZRC

Here’s my experience 18p vs 20p on the 2008+ 350/360 with 6.2L / 377 and Bravo 3. Same day same weather conditions. Boat was probably 200 pounds lighter (fuel burn) with the 18p. 

Note that I have about 1000lbs of dinghy + hardware on my platform and therefore I needed the extra push of 18p. Without the dinghy 20p is perfect for the 350/360 in my opinion. 

20p @ 28mph

18p @ 28mph

So +250 rpm to maintain same speed. Exact same fuel burn despite higher rpm. I don’t love having to run at higher rpm but the boat planes wayyyyyyy quicker now. There are a lot of areas where I have to come off plane and then pop back on plane again so this is good for me.

captkevin

Glad to hear you got your props.

YYZRC

I've done a bit of reading regarding mixing pitches on Bravo 3. I think I will do one more test (if the weather permits) and put the 20p on the rear (stern side) and leave the 18p on the front (bow side). 

Formulaben

YYZRC said:

I've done a bit of reading regarding mixing pitches on Bravo 3. I think I will do one more test (if the weather permits) and put the 20p on the rear (stern side) and leave the 18p on the front (bow side). 

Interesting...can't wait to see how this goes.