Is my Propeller OK?

[azirkhan]

Please see the attached photo, the propeller blade leading edges looks and feels blunt, does this effect performance significantly? If so is it worth to remove and have it fixed?

 

[moosehead]

No, that impeller is generally not OK, nor is the apparent gap between the impeller and wear ring in the lower right of the photo. You could keep running it, but your performance would not be optimal.

You should benefit from an impeller recondition or new impeller, and new wear ring. Both holeshot and top end should be improved.

Someone else who knows this boat may also have some advice on that intake grate as well, it looks like those tines are suseptible to breakage?

 

[azirkhan]

Thanks for your opinion, with five adults, half tank of fuel, Bimini Top open and calm water it reached 50mph yesterday. Could it do more with fresh propeller and wearing?

 

[Dr Honda]

A good impeller will give you a little more on the top... but it will be VERY noticeable out of the hole.

 

[RFoster130]

Yeah I agree, you will feel a big difference out of the hole. New wear ring and a refurb impeller from SBT will take care of it. You could do it all for about 100 bucks.

 

[RFoster130]

oops, just noticed you have a mercury boat, big price difference. One of the merc pros will have to fill ya in.

 

[redseal]

The m2 is deffinitly much more expensive. I searched around for a couple weeks bought a new wear ring, seals, new 5 tine aluminum intake grate and a solas impeller for about $950. Add in the cost for pump oil, blue locktite and thread seal and you'll be at $1000.

Another option is to have impros refurbish your impeller and install a new stainless steel wear ring into your housing. They will put the new insert in your housing for $450 and the impeller refurbish will be about $75.

 

[RFoster130]

Others on here have posted on the mercury motors that they were able to smooth out the wear ring surface with jb weld and then sand it down. Much cheaper than the cost of a new one on that boat. Make sure you swap out the intake grate if you still have the factory one, or eventually you will be tearing it apart again.

Here is a great thread for reference.

http://seadooforum.com/showthread.php?t=35733&highlight=jb+weld+wear+ring

 

[azirkhan]

running without intake grate????

What is your opinion if I removed the Grates altogether? Will performance improve? what negative issues could there there be?

 

[RFoster130]

You wont gain anything by removing it. It would totally defeat the purpose. You would have a huge hole for rocks and other junk to get into and cause catastrophic problems.