What's a good inexpensive prop replacement

Althepal78

Althepal78

Active Member
Jul 11, 2023
184
Spring Hill Florida
Boat Info
1998 Sea Ray 180 Bowrider
Engines
3.0 mercruiser 135HP or something like that
I'm looking forward to getting a new replacement for my prop because it has been chipped. Is there a good off brand model I can get that's not as expensive as the original? I have a 1998 Sea Ray bowrider 180 with a mercruiser 3.0 alpha 1
 
Althepal78 said:
I'm looking forward to getting a new replacement for my prop because it has been chipped. Is there a good off brand model I can get that's not as expensive as the original? I have a 1998 Sea Ray bowrider 180 with a mercruiser 3.0 alpha 1
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Just take it to a local prop shop, they can recondition it pretty inexpensively.
 
Do you think this is fixable late post
1000006383.jpg
 
That's very easily fixable. But know, that there's nothing wrong with your running an aluminum prop.
Your wallet will weigh more, and I'm not the only one who would rather repair an aluminum prop than to be buying a new gear case because my Stainless Steel prop hit an immovable object.
If your wallet is too fat, you might consider doing as I did and buy another aluminum prop as a back up, then when or IF you need to repair another one, you won't need suffer any down time and it's always good to have a spare.
Not really a whole lot different than the spare tire in your car (don't forget a prop wrench).

In any case, I've used Homosassa Propeller a number of times over the years.
They've always been fair and reasonable.
10559 W Yulee Dr, Homosassa, FL 34448
352.220.4215

They're a bit North of you, but usually have a couple day turn around. I recommend them wholeheartedly.
Most, if not all the Dealerships up around here use them so they stay busy. Give them a call, they may have a used prop you could pick up when you drop yours off. If so, they could probably ship your current one after it's fixed.
 
I had a 175 Sport with the 3.0. Stainless steel prop wasn’t an improvement in anything but the hole in my wallet. I recommend to stick with aluminum for that engine and your boat. But hopefully @Lazy Daze will pipe in. He’s an expert on those size boats.
 
The Chesapeake is shallow where I boat. The first few years I was fixing an aluminum prop 2 - 3 times a year. Then I bought a stainless. Have not repaired one in over 20 years.
Stainless is MUCH cheaper in the long run.
 
The jist of it is... Stick with aluminum on the 3.0L. The engine just doesn't make enough torque to take advantage of the SS properties (less blade flex). It can't spin up the heavier SS quickly enough.

Not sure about "expert"... but I'll take the compliment regardless, Bill :)
 
Lazy Daze said:
The jist of it is... Stick with aluminum on the 3.0L. The engine just doesn't make enough torque to take advantage of the SS properties (less blade flex). It can't spin up the heavier SS quickly enough.

Not sure about "expert"... but I'll take the compliment regardless, Bill :)
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It’s not so much about blade flex as it is about a stainless prop being much thinner than an aluminum prop. A stainless prop cuts through the water much more efficiently than an aluminum prop.
 
Maggieiscrazy said:
Better performance, better fuel mileage and they don’t get damaged every time you hit a little something.
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I have a lot of rocks and it is shallow where I am from. Many videos say stay with aluminum because I can damage my engine in the long run. I might have to trust that. Most of the videos people lived on lakes and had stainless steel props and not to many things would hit as hard as these Florida rocks :)
 
Pirate Lady said:
The Chesapeake is shallow where I boat. The first few years I was fixing an aluminum prop 2 - 3 times a year. Then I bought a stainless. Have not repaired one in over 20 years.
Stainless is MUCH cheaper in the long run.
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how often are you hitting hard objects with it?
 
I know that when you hit sand with an aluminum prop it removes material like sandpaper. Oysters and mussels do more damage. Rocks do severe damage. Stainless is much more durable against the first two but not the latter.
 
Althepal78 said:
What the advantages of a stainless prop? . . .
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Maggieiscrazy said:
Better performance, better fuel mileage and . . .
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The three Propeller parameters that effectively alter performance and subsequent mileage would be Blade Pitch, Prop Diameter and Blade Count. The radical bulk of the time, prop material will NOT effect mileage and/or performance.

The lone exception to that rule would be when the HP, torque and prop loading exceed the strength of material in question and it starts bending rather than maintain its rigidity (aluminum vs stainless). This is the "blade flex" that Lazy Daze referred to, and in this particular case those levels are well below that threshold.

Maggieiscrazy said:
It’s not so much about blade flex as it is about a stainless prop being much thinner than an aluminum prop.
A stainless prop cuts through the water much more efficiently than an aluminum prop.
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This is quite simply, not so. A propeller's drag is determined largely by the collective surface area of the blades.
Given that measurement would be in tens of square inches, and you would measure blade width using a micrometer, it should be readily obvious that the blade width is comparatively irrelevant in the big picture.
 
Yendor said:
The three Propeller parameters that effectively alter performance and subsequent mileage would be Blade Pitch, Prop Diameter and Blade Count. The radical bulk of the time, prop material will NOT effect mileage and/or performance.

The lone exception to that rule would be when the HP, torque and prop loading exceed the strength of material in question and it starts bending rather than maintain its rigidity (aluminum vs stainless). This is the "blade flex" that Lazy Daze referred to, and in this particular case those levels are well below that threshold.


This is quite simply, not so. A propeller's drag is determined largely by the collective surface area of the blades.
Given that measurement would be in tens of square inches, and you would measure blade width using a micrometer, it should be readily obvious that the blade width is comparatively irrelevant in the big picture.
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I beg to differ.
 
Going a bit off topic here since the question to whether our Pal should use SS or not is still "no benefit". But...

A lot of people think that an aluminum prop is an aluminum prop is an aluminum prop (and the same for SS). But your better manufacturers of props (Merc, Yamaha, etc) DO use superior metallurgy which allows their props to be more corrosion resistant AND stronger (less flex)... and the strength then allows the blades to be thinner (less drag, although granted it's a minimal difference) and still resist flex.

The differences are most noticeable during hole shot and top end speed. But, there IS a difference that can be seen/measured... and noticed in real life use, not just in a lab.

I've personally seen the difference many, many times. And you'll come across lots of people (for example, with a small block) that switch from Al to SS (but keep the same pitch) and report back about noticeable improvements.

Is it a night and day difference? No, of course not. But then - it really comes down to one's own preferences as to "what's worth it".

There's a real reason that your better companies put time and effort into better metallurgy and the research/design.
 
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