Prop with a lower pitch?

[scrobo]

I ordered Smart Tabs from boaters World.

Looking forward to getting them.

When I discussed my problems with the guy at the store (very slow to plane and chime walking) he told me I might want to consider a "prop with a lower pitch" at which point he had to go and hung up.

So I had to bring my question here.

What does it mean "prop with a lower pitch"? and how do I know what "pitch" my prop has? And how will the Pitch affect my boat?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Prop with a lower pitch?

Read this.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=158083

 

[scrobo]

Re: Prop with a lower pitch?

Well.... I am a bit less confused. But still confused

I'll tackle this when I get home from work.

As it stands right now.. I am just going to wait for my tabs to come in and see if that changes the boat's handling. We'll be up doing trials at Bass Lake in 2 weeks.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Prop with a lower pitch?

Never get your advice from Boater's World.

That's like getting BBQ advice from McDonald's.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Prop with a lower pitch?

So what are you still confused about? Pitch is the "transmission" for your boat. You have one gear -- high gear all the time. A prop with the proper pitch for your engine/boat/load combination is crucial. That's why selection is such a crap shoot. Too much pitch (too high a gear) makes the engine lug. Too little pitch makes it over rev. Happiness is somewhere in between. Every engine manufacturer sets a maximum recommended wide open throttle RPM range for their engines. A prop with the proper pitch will allow the engine to operate at or within that rpm range at wide open throttle. To determine this you need to make wide open throttle runs with an average load. Note RPM and speed. If rpm is below the recommended range, you need less pitch. If rpm is higher than recommended you need more pitch. But with an outboard, engine mounting height is incorrect in many cases so that needs to be set properly first. Then worry about props. Of course the engine also needs to be in a proper state of tune and delivering its rated power. A new prop is not a solution for a rotten running engine.

 

[smithrock]

Re: Prop with a lower pitch?

Never get your advice from Boater's World.

That's like getting BBQ advice from McDonald's.

I'll second that! Those guys don't know anything about anything!