Solas Amita 3 weight

[RVS3]

I recently replaced the prop on my '95 Stratos F/S. I bought the Solas Amita 3. I was quite surprised to discover how much lighter the new prop was compared to the original aluminum one I took off. Is that unusual? I'm just guessing, but I'd bet the old one weighed twice as much as the new one. Is that good, bad or unimportant? Thanks.

 

[flyingscott]

I believe solas uses a different manufacturing process to make there props just different thats all good props all around.

 

[Maclin]

Welcome to iBoats!

How sure are you about the prop you took off being aluminum, lol.

I took one off one time, previous owner had said it was aluminum, it was not shiny at all and kind of bare aluminum looking, and it about turned my wrist and I almost dropped it before I realized it had to be stainless

Just sayin' even with new mfg methods, thinking aluminum to aluminum would be hard to be halfsies in weight comparo..But I get enlightened about once a week or so hanging out here at iBoats !

 

[steelespike]

If the old one is stainless it will attract a magnet.Aluminum is not magnetic.

 

[82rude]

Maclin, I know lots of people that paint their s/s props black so people will think their al and wont bother pilfering them.

 

[Maclin]

I ended up keeping the one I mentioned and re-furbing it. I didn't even notice the thinner sharper blades, just took the owner's word for it and wasn't paying that much attention when I took it off, quite a surprise, kind of like thinking you have a Coke and get a big swig of unsweet Tea Nice surprise though, way better prop than I thought at first. It is all polished now, may need to cover it up to discourage extra looks

Again, welcome to the forum RVS3 :rockon:

 

[Texasmark]

When compared to the available thrust, once you get the prop rotating, the weight of it has little effect on performance. Usually the benefits of an SS prop, which are usually of the high performance type, far outweigh any losses caused by added weight.....I guess. Never had an alum perform like a SS and SS always outweighed alum on my boats.

 

[Maclin]

I agree Texasmark.

With all apologies to the OP, continuing on down the spinning weight rabbit hole...

I have not seen a discussion anywhere online about a prop's flywheel effect. I imagine there is some flywheel effect there, but as you inferred, heavier "flywheel" usually only affects the revving speed with no load. An example comes to mind for me, some of this may apply. A friend's dad had racecars and one in particular I remember had a small 265 V8 in a full size 4door Impala or Biscayne with a very heavy flywheel, was a three-on-the-tree stick car. You could floor it in neutral and tell that it revved slow, but on the track it was literally a class record holder (Pappy Cline's "Eradicator"). Did not drop much RPM when shifting, had some stored energy there. Flywheel can also smooth out the power delivery.

Ok, back to props....If (when?) the aluminum flexes then sometimes that can translate to the engine getting into higher rpm range, like a torque convert sorta, with what sounds like a better holeshat when listening to the engine (butt dyno effect). But always ends up with slightly less bite on top end with lower top speeds when comparing same-same absolute pitch. I think.

 

[Texasmark]

Got an old aluminum prop? Get a pair of Channel Lock Brand offset pliers (the original type) and put it in a vise on your work bench. Grasp the outer edge of the blade and have at bending it. Whatever headway you make, consider that this prop is used to be spinning in a movable solid and to put the kind of pressure on it that you just put on it would take a wallablue of an engine with prop shaft torque out of sight. My opinion. No technical references!

 

[SkaterRace]

I thought the same about my old prop that is likely a good 15 years old or more. I figure it is a different blend of aluminum or something to that effect.