Help w/ prop selection. 99 PT 185 75HP

[Rob Groene]

Hi all, looking for help here. I have a 99 Pro Team 185 pushed by a 99 Mercury/Force 75HP. I am currently running an aluminum Mercury 13 1/4 x 19 pitch. I am looking to upgrade to a SS prop. Any ideas of which prop? What pitch? Hopefully someone will have a similar rig and can advise. My rpm is 5200 and prop shaft is about 2 inches below pad.

 

[Bruce Freeman]

Welcome aboard Rob. What are you looking for? More MPH or better holeshot? What are your RPMS now at WOT? What are you shooting for? Fill in the blanks and somebody here will help.



BF

 

[Rob Groene]

More speed would be nice, but not really my goal. Hole shot is great the way things are. What I want is a tougher or more durable prop. I fish the Mississippi River and when running the backwaters encounters with stumps and the like are common. Many of the areas are shallow to get into so running on plane is necessary to get into them. I do not want to lose RPMs if possible.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Well.....you have to stop and consider whether it is easiier to replace a prop.........or a lower unit. You put a SS prop on and hit a stump with any amount of rpm, you are gonna trash your lower unit. If you are going to run and fish in stumpy or rocky water, I'd stick with the tin prop. IMHO....



TOXIC

 

[Rob Groene]

Toxic, there are trains of thought for stainless vs. aluminum. I have never hurt the lower unit on any of my boats by hitting wood. Fishing the River and going where we have to go you would be replacing aluminum weekly. I have only bent one stainless prop and I found a rock pile that time in an unfamiliar slough.