Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

[craze1cars]

Hello,

For the past 3 or 4 years, I've been running 17 pitch 3 blade Turning Point Hustler Aluminum props that I've bought here on Iboats. They work perfect for my boat. Perfect RPM, no blow-out, good holeshot. BUT, being aluminum, I'm finding they get nicked up real easy when doing things like stirring up a little silt while beaching...even when I didn't notice hitting anything.

I have been sporadically filing the nicks, then eventually changing out housings and reusing the same hub (I'm on my 3rd housing now in 4 years). And this third (and last) one is now starting to get a few little nicks and dings. I have the "old" hub design, so I can't find any more old stock Hustler housings anymore as they changed their hub design.

So....since I'll need to buy a new hub anyway, and I'm tired of the aluminum ones getting nicked every year, I thought I'd switch to stainless and make the bigger investment, assuming it won't get nicked every time I stir up a pebble. And I can then keep my old style hub with slightly nicked aluminum housing as the perfect on-board spare.

Turning Point makes what I believe is a stainless duplicate of my current aluminum prop. And based on my favorable experience with the alum version, this is my #1 shopping choice at the moment. But my mind is always open. Therefore, as long as I'm in the market for a stainless prop, I thought maybe I should see what my other alternatives are, and if they're worthy of consideration. As the Turning point Hustler is a ported (vented?) 3 blade prop with fairly aggressive cupping, and that combo works great on my machine, I want to get the same.

So there's the long way around to my core question:

Which OTHER brands/models of STAINLESS, 3 BLADE, AGGRESSIVE CUPPED props have VENT HOLES for exhaust gasses to escape and enhance holeshot? These are the props I'd like to study, price, and consider for purchase. Interchangable hub is no longer a priority for me, as I never change pitch and hopefully the new stainless housing would be stronger (and cheaper to repair than replace anyway) when the time comes. Thank you for any input someone may have!

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

OK...maybe I need to qualify this a bit further:

Prop needs to fit 1992 Alpha 1 Mercruiser 3.0

For example, I keep searching and finding out that Michigan Wheel Rapture props are vented and get good reviews. BUT, it also appears they don't sell that prop to fit the Alpha 1? Or am I missing something there? I keep finding aluminum versions of it, but not stainless...

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

Why not buy a prop without vent holes and have someone/you drill some vent holes later?

 

[Irv964]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

If the Turning Point SS version of your existing prop is identical then I would stick with it imo, it gives you perfect RPM, no blowout, and a good holeshot so changing brands even to an SS may give you different unfavorable results?

Are you sure you are only hitting small objects like sand and pebbles? If your not 100% sure then your stainless may cause some damage to your lower unit as they are far less forgiving than aluminum? My 2 cents..........Irv964

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

Why not buy a prop without vent holes and have someone/you drill some vent holes later?

Because that costs more money? I suppose it's worth considering. I have no idea what this costs to pay a pro to do it, in addition to the cost of a brand new prop. Anyone? And I figure the manufacturer would have a better idea of exactly where/how big to make the holes than I would...I'm certainly not excited about the prospect of spending $300 to $400 on a prop and then immediately taking a drill to it in my workshop or anyone else's.

And thanks Irv, for your thoughts. As I said in my initial post, sticking with the Turning Point is exactly what I'm most likely going to do. But just maybe something else would happen to be better? I just like being 100% informed when I make these little decisions, so I know what all my options are. I'm not finding a lot of other options, but maybe I'm not looking in the right places which is why I'm asking my question.

As for what I'm hitting to create the nicks...it's clearly tiny stuff. Just little nicks about the size of the tip of the pen here & there. But eventually they add up as much as I use this boat. I killed one housing when I hit rocks during a drought last year...clearly a significant difference in feel/sound/damage. I'm not at all concerned about forgiveness of the material. The little stuff will do no damage at all to the drive. And the big stuff, if I happen to hit something significant again, will cause the rubber hub to give before the drive fails. A lot of people seem to repeat that concern on this board, but I've personally never really understood the fear of stainless from an outdrive damage standpoint...as long as the props have breakaway hubs, as almost all do these days, it would seem to me the drive is protected.

 

[guy74]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

The hard plastic hub will protect the gears, but a yeilding prop material will save the propshaft from being bent, it's basic physics. Get whatever you want, it's your money, I run aluminum and composite props when I'm running shallow unpredicable waters because a bent shaft is a big problem. You can't just whip out prop wrench and change a shaft in the water.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

Fair enough, I accept the fact that I may or may not be risking my lower unit. All comments on alum vs stainless props are appreciated and noted, and I've read them all many times over the years in previous posts on this board and in many other publications. They also have nothing to do with my original question and I'd like to get back on track before we digress further. This is most likely my own fault because I got too wordy in my description and encouraged the digression. So everyone please ignore my long winded earlier posts and please answer the following question ONLY if you are able to assist:

Please help me make a list of any and all manufacturers/models you know of that are factory vented, aggressively cupped/raked, 3 blade, 17 pitch, stainless steel, AND will fit on a 1992 Alpha One. Thank you in advance to anyone who feels they can help me research this.

I'll start the list based on research I have done today:

Turning Point Express E-1417
Mercury Marine Enertia 48-898994A46
Stiletto Advantage II 10317 (added after reading following post...thank you Irv!)

That's all I've found so far...are there others?

 

[Irv964]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

Have you checked out Stiletto Props? That was the prop I was going to choose before I decided on my Turning Point, I believe it had vented exhaust holes in it? Hopefully you can find one that fits your application? I read great things about them too........Irv964

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

No...but THANK YOU. I'm very, very intrigued, especially after I did a quick search and found out Stiletto is mfrd by Precision Propeller in Indianapolis. Precision is a local prop repair shop that local marinas use to recondition/rebuild props, and by pure dumb luck I happen to live 20 miles from their factory! It makes me wonder if maybe I can visit and check out blems/seconds/rebuilds or something like that, or maybe they'd sell to me factory direct at a little discount? Or will allow me to try out a demo a day? I'm gonna at least call, and maybe visit their factory.

It appears they indeed are very worthy of consideration, and it seems they make a model in my desired pitch with vent holes, etc. Thank you much for pointing them out, and I've added it to my list above.

This is exactly what I was hoping to build on when I started this post. I now have 3 props to consider shopping. Does anyone know of others?

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

I would recommend Stiletto also. In the case of the IO it's probably a better choice than Precisions Turbo line simply because the Turbo line is a performabce type prop meant to run at a higher X dimension than most outdrives are set at. It's be worth a call to them since you're so close. Talk to Kathleen or Steve. You'll probably have a tough time getting Steve but Kathleen can - and will - answer your questions. Smart lady.

On the other hand iboats does have a test-n-return program and sells Stiletto. Don't know if Stiletto is in the program but it's worth a call.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

Thanks.

Actually I did just call & chat with them today. And they agree the Stiletto is the product they'd recommend for my 3.0L I/O. And they do sell to public at their factory, but prices are nothing outstanding...$299 + 7% sales tax. I can mail order one for less than that and get the same prop for $259, free shipping, and no tax. BUT, the mail order ones do not allow exchanges/returns if I happen to not like the performance, while the factory WILL allow an exchange or return for a nominal restocking fee...so there's some reason to pay the extra $60 to consider the local purchase option. Food for thought. They do not sell any demos or blems at the factory, just new ones like I'd get at their retailers.

Iboats does not appear to sell the Stiletto for my drive. At least when I punch in my boat stats and ask for it to show me all 17" pitch props, the Stiletto does not come up. Unless their site is screwy it would seem I'd need to buy elsewhere if I wanted to try it out.

Still leaning toward the Turning Point, which is only about $20 more, and only due to the fact that I already have a favorable experience with the same prop in an alum version. Always wondering if I'm missing something though...and maybe trying something different would be a good idea to find out. It's only money, right?

Mercury Enertia sounds like a nice choice too, but $$$$$$$....about $150 or more above the price of the other two options. Probably too salty for what I want to invest. Plus it has a larger diameter at 14 5/8". Not huge, but I'd imagine more diameter brings me a little bit closer to ventilation, and I don't want that. Turning Point and Stiletto both have identical 14 1/4" diameters.

Thanks for the thoughts, and keep 'em coming! Still curious if there's other options I am unaware of out there within the parameters I'm shopping, but still only coming up with these 3.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

Iboats has the Stiletto you need. The new number is E800317. That's for the new square bore prop. It'll accept the Merc Flo Torq hub kit or the Guardian kit is DE501. Really shocked the iboats prop advisors couldn't tell you that.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Please help me find vented, cupped, 3 blade, stainless props...

I didn't talk to any iBoats reps, just was using the Iboats on-line prop finder tool. Not sure if you're affiliated with them, but if so you might let them know that their prop finder feature needs to be updated, because it's apparently leaving holes in my search.

If I start here: http://boatpropellers.iboats.com/
Put in Mercruiser, 1992, standard rotation, then Alpha 1 3.0L, then view 17" pitch propellers.

Now I read the list. Stiletto is nowhere to be seen. Obviously that sends the typical consumer like myself shopping elsewhere...so I'd think they'd want to fix this snafu.

Thank you for the new part number, etc. That helps, although I'm finding the prop a lot easier to find (on other sites) when I use what I guess is the "old" number...even on a Google search. So I suppose that # you provided must just be an Iboats sku number and not a mfr part number? Anyway, when I took the "E" off that number, I finally get to the prop on the iBoats site. Their price is very much in line, but it shows currently out of stock (maybe the reason it's left off my search results?) I'm sure if I were to call iboats they'd be able to find it for me or maybe backorder it. I like Iboats and have bought many things here over the years. And I also konw they have a price matching guarantee. So if iboats has what I decide I want, I most certainly will buy it here.

I'll sweat the little details when I'm actually ready to buy. I'm just window shopping for the moment and will probably finish the year with my current prop and hope for a stellar mid-winter sale. Not seriously buying just yet, only researching options and gathering info. Thanks again for the added info, it all helps a lot.