BRAVO III 4 blade prop

[garryowen]

hi guys; putting together the last link in my a1 to b3 drive swap.
have found that mercruiser started offering a 4 blade front prop and claim better performance with it.
they still show the 3 blade part numbers but when i read their web sight i get the idea the 3 blade is going by the wayside and the 4 blade is the way to go
any one run both on your b3 and able to give any advice on which way to go?
i have seen both for sale used but there seems to be more 3 blade sets than the 4-3 blade sets used for sale
thanks

 

[Tail Chaser 661]

I noticed the 4 blade also.
In a single prop drive. A 4 blade bites the water better. Great for mid range cruising.
Having 4 blades is also suppose to be better balanced then a three blade prop.

Take a look at Mercury Racings..... Bravo 3 props.
Props are cupped for really good Mid range cruising performance.
Being from there racing division. I would think they went all out on there quality control and performance tricks :huh:

 

[islandhopper00]

hi guys; putting together the last link in my a1 to b3 drive swap.
have found that mercruiser started offering a 4 blade front prop and claim better performance with it.
they still show the 3 blade part numbers but when i read their web sight i get the idea the 3 blade is going by the wayside and the 4 blade is the way to go
any one run both on your b3 and able to give any advice on which way to go?
i have seen both for sale used but there seems to be more 3 blade sets than the 4-3 blade sets used for sale
thanks

Gary, the four blade rear prop, three blade front set is a XR or Pro set. Meaning they are designed for high horsepower, high speed set ups. You can run them on your boat but would probably not benefit much from the set up. That said, I'm not an authority on bravo III props. I would think to run an XR set up you'd have to drop pitch in order to maintain wide open throttle RPM. I'm guessing.

 

[garryowen]

thanks guys' i'm looking on e-bay for a deal hoping to avoid buying the wrong pitch in a new prop set. looking to get close and then using bargin prop set for a spare if not quite right WOT.
i kind of liked the idea of the 4 blade because i went from using mirage + props to 4 blade aluminum and didnt see much difference in performance.
i didnt ever mess wilth the vent feature on the mirage's but even without that, there was a big difference in them compaired to the 3 blade aluminum that i started with

 

[garryowen]

this is all the mercury web page said about them. i'm sure thers more but i have a heck of a time finding anything on their sight


"The 4-blade front, 3-blade rear set offers better acceleration performance and enhanced holding compared to the old style Bravo Three Propellers"

 

[Lazy Daze]

I don't know. That'd be a big $$$ gamble to try it out. I'd say stick with something that is known to be good. Stay with the 3-blades.

 

[garryowen]

I don't know. That'd be a big $$$ gamble to try it out. I'd say stick with something that is known to be good. Stay with the 3-blades.

thats why i was hoping someone on here had run a 4-3 blade setup and could coment
better yet would be someone who had used both the 4-3 and the 3-3

i wish i was near one of try and swap or try and buy marinas or shops.:thumbsup:

 

[Tail Chaser 661]

I don't know. That'd be a big $$$ gamble to try it out. I'd say stick with something that is known to be good. Stay with the 3-blades.

My thoughts exactly.

Hey garryowen,

Go to.... mercurymarine.com/Propselector That might only come up with a link.
From Mercs prop selector site. You enter info such as Boat type, Boat weight, Engine size, Type of drive and ratio. And what your intended purpose is. Mid range cruising, Top speed, etc
To get even more comfy you can add and subtract boat/ passenger wgt. To see if the same prop is chosen.
Merc racings Bravo 3 prop says with the double cup. You should go down one size in pitch.

 

[garryowen]

i got that tail chaser;
they show me with a 24 pitch for my plug ins.

i didnt realise thay made the 4 blade front prop till i was checking out some numbers on murcurys web sight, for another prop making sure what it was

thats when the waters got muddy.
its not a big deal yet as i'm not sure my drive and stuff has been shiped yet