2004 Rinker 232 Bow Rider, 5.7Merc Prop Question

BSelby13

I have a friend that is looking for more off the line power to pull a skier. Has a Bravo 3 5.7merc on his 232. What pitch would be suggested for that application? Or better what have people had good luck running? He will also be towing a tube from time to time.

Michael T

Most important question: Is he going to leave the prop on all the time or change props with different activities? My late wife was a top slalom skier. Before we bought a dedicated tow boat I would change my 23" pitch prop to a 19" pitch prop EACH day she went skiing. This was easy for me as the boat was on a boat lift and I could swap the props out in 10 minutes. I couldn't leave the 19" on all the time as the boat would way nover-rev the wot at it's top end so if one of the kids took the boat out they could have blown the engine due to over revving.. I experimented with props that would shift at certain loads/speeds but never found a really good one. I tried 5 bladed props (High Five) but did not like them. If your friend just wants a bit of extra hole shot and has a 23" pitch he could try a 21" pitch and be mindful of his upper revs. There are lots of options and I'm sure many forum members will contribute ideas. To be more specific I would need more info about how your friend will use the boat.MT

BSelby13

So currently he has a 24pitch prop on it, and it is impossible to have trial on a new pitch prop. So what would he have to change to to make a difference, but still be able to run the lake. Keep in mind the lake that we are boating on is not overly large. We can go from end to end 10-12mins, and side to side in less than 5-7mins.

Any thoughts about running a 4blade front and a 3 blade rear prop?

Michael T

Stupid me. I apologize. I missed the "3" on bravo - that's embarassing. I sure wouldn't think of changing a B 3 combination back and forth - even on a boat lift!, We had a discussion a while back about re-propping B 3s. I have never re-propped a B 3. I'll see if I can find that thread. In the meantime hopefully someone with better eyesight than me will give you some ideas. I know some of the guys here have discussed this issue. Again, sorry! MT

Cableguy Greg

Having two sets of B3 props is an expensive venture. If he wants better hole shot, going lower in pitch would do the trick. 22 pitch or even 20 pitch if they make them that low in a B3. When I had my 232 with an Alpha, I would change the 19 to a 17 to pull skiers and wakeboarders.

To go to a 4 blade 3 blade combo, I would talk to a Merc dealer or contact Merc itself. I wouldn't mind going to that setup myself, but I would rather put fuel in my boat right now.

Black_Diamond

$$$ to have extra B3 prop sets. I think you are still better off setting the pitch to get engine max rpm @ WOT. Too small pitch = higher engine rpm = more fuel. Just my .02