Stainless Prop Hub?

[Stamey]

My buddy has a 14x23P, aluminum, on his 2007 20' Mariah with 4.3 and Gen II. It got torn up at the end of the season due to low water in the lake and a very narrow cove to the ramp. We were discussing upgrading to a stainless prop but he is less than excited about it because, he says, he doesn't want to damage his out drive or engine if he hits something in the water.

I thought the hubs were designed to break if something that hard was hit in the water. I told him so but he is not convinced since he tell me that he has hit a rock with the aluminum prop and stalled the engine. Probably in his cove (he lives in a lake community and uses the community private ramp which has the narrow cove with rocks lining each side).

So, is the hub in an aluminum prop different than a stainless, and is it not designed to break rather than hurt the out drive or stall the engine?
What about the stainless, do you have to get a special hub to have it sacrifice before the out drive?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[sutor623]

Re: Stainless Prop Hub?

This tends to be a controversial topic. Some people say that an aluminum prop will spare the lower unit/outdrive. Others say that if you hit something hard enough with either one you will damage the lower unit. I personally have spun hubs with both types of props with (LUCKILY) no lower unit damage.

My OPINION. Aluminum will buy you a little bit of room when it comes to sparing the lower unit/outdrive. You are a bit more prone to damaging the lower unit when you strike an object with a SS prop, but I dont think the difference is big enough to make a huge deal about it. Honestly if I were running my motor where rocks and crap were a concern, I would run aluminum simply because I could replace 3 aluminum props to every one SS (pricewise). SS is less prone to damage, but bend up a $300+ SS prop and tell me how you feel afterward.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Stainless Prop Hub?

If you go with the "old technology" rubber slip hub the only difference might be how smooth the Al vs SS inside bore is meaning how easily can the rubber slip hub hang on to one metal vs another.

I had a 125 hp Johnny back in '72 and I could be fishing in a tree line where the saplings were 1 to 2" in diameter and bend a blade. I went to a new to the industry then, OMC SST, stainless prop and fished the same water and for the 10ish years I owned the boat, never bought or repaired another prop.

Another time I was in Lake Austin, Texas, the "Town Lake" of the city of Austin, TX. Rocks, like rocks weighing tons would pop up from nowhere.

My 2c, is that I want and have a SS on my boat, but if I were boating in Lake Austin, Aluminum would be the prop of choice and I'll bet you that I don't care how I hit a rock, the blades of the prop could disintegrate and there would be absolutely no damage to my lower unit.....now if the skeg were in the way, it could shave it off, but the gear train.......nada.

Mark

 

[Stamey]

Re: Stainless Prop Hub?

Thanks for the advice. I'm gonna tell him he probably should stay with aluminum, considering his ramp.

Chris