Need some Prop Advice for a '92 Supra Sunsetter

[DenverHams]

We're pretty new to boating and just dinged up our prop pretty good this weekend on a first run of the season. Please see attached pic of the prop.

I'd love suggestions on the following:

1) Is it repairable?
2) Is it worth repairing?
3) If we look to buy a new prop, suggestions on what to buy?

We typically have 7 little kids in the boat (ages 8 and under) and 4 adults. We primarily wakeboar/skate/surf, a little skiing, and a lot of pee breaks!

Thanks for your advice!

[haugy]

Repairable, yes. But it will likely cost as much to repair it as it would to buy a new one.

If it was just bent, I would say repair it. But it's gouged, nicked, and bent. That's gonna be a costly repair.

As for what to buy, how did you like the performance of that prop? Too slow getting going? Can you get up to 45mph or above easily? And I mean can you cruise at 45? Or would it have to be glass, no people in the boat, going downriver, etc to get to 45mph?

It's already a 4-blade so you had a good one on there. Only thing you would want to change is the pitch depending on the answers above.

DO NOT GET STAINLESS STEEL!!!!!!!!!! Yes, they are shiny, yes they look nice, and yes they are strong as hell. But the point to a soft prop made of bronze is that it gives. It bends, instead of your driveshaft, or worse your transmission. When you hit something, somewhere along the drive line something has to have some give. The transmission and engine won't, so if you make the prop solid, one of those will go.


I've never been the best at choosing pitch, so I'll let some of the others chime in who may be more help. But welcome to the club. You haven't boated enough if you haven't damaged a prop. I stopped counting props at 30.

[DenverHams]

Thanks haugy - very helpful advice! Looks like we'll be picking up a new prop.

The performance seems to be ok, but honestly I don't know any better. I'm about 185 lbs and it seems to pull me out of the water on a ski pretty good. However, the vast majority of what we do is on wakeboards/skates/surfs that don't seem to take as much umph to get the boarder out of the water. We definitely can't go 45 unless conditions were perfect with minimal weight in the boat. We don't really ski faster than 32 so I'm not sure that we need much more than that.

Thanks for the stainless steel advice - very helpful. And, I appreciate knowing that although this is my first prop - it won't be my last!

I think we have a 13" but I'm not terribly sure. And, I would assume that we have a LH turn. Would this be true of all '92 Supras? I'll take pitch recommendations and even locations to buy a prop if you've got them. Thanks!

[wotan2525]

That prop can be fixed for far less than the cost of a new prop. Take it into the shop and get an estimate. It only needs minor welding and a regular resurfacing to be back to new.

[Memmer99]

I would call JT over at Nettle Props in Austin Texas. He has the best deals on new props and can also quote you on the repair if you decide to go that route. He sold me an ACME 480 and it's the perfect prop for wakeboarding with under 2000lbs of ballast. It is also great for surfing. Oh and you can't get better service anywhere!

http://www.nettleprops.com/
512-837-7707

[DenverHams]

Thanks Memmer. I actually have a call into Nettleprops and am waiting on a call back from Robert. We use fat sacs and have about 1k lbs of weight. We really like surfing and would love a wake that would help us get a bigger wake. Thanks for the reference.

Does anyone know where I can find the manufacturer recommendation on diameter, pitch, etc.? Any recommendations on 3 vs 4 vs CNC, etc. props for a '92?

Again, appreciate everyone's help. It's been a great learning experience.

[Memmer99]

I believe my 89 and your 92 are the same engine and trans, same rotation. In my opinion the ACME 480 is the perfect 4 blade for our boat but they may have come out with something even better. You can also call ACME directly. They were a lot of help when I was looking for a prop. You want to go Nibrel CNC so the prop bends and does not chip as easy when you hit something.

[haugy]

That prop can be fixed for far less than the cost of a new prop. Take it into the shop and get an estimate. It only needs minor welding and a regular resurfacing to be back to new.

Man if you can get that redone for under $250 I'll be impressed. The edges are nicked, so they have to be filled, but if not done right will create a real weak spot. Then it has to be straightened, trued, and then balanced. For that kind of job, down here that would be minimum $200. Then you run the risk of not know how he did it, or how strong it is. Is it perfectly balanced, etc. Once a prop gets that pricey, it's a new one. I'd rather have a fresh made solid prop than one bent, trued, and welded on to that extent.

Can you really get it done that cheap down there? Up there? I've had welded props sling their welds and fail after a few months so I also a little leary about welded and repaired props. If it's just bent, repair it. Anymore than that I normally buy a new prop. I don't want to sling a blade into the hull like I did years ago.

[wotan2525]

Man if you can get that redone for under $250 I'll be impressed. The edges are nicked, so they have to be filled, but if not done right will create a real weak spot. Then it has to be straightened, trued, and then balanced. For that kind of job, down here that would be minimum $200. Then you run the risk of not know how he did it, or how strong it is. Is it perfectly balanced, etc. Once a prop gets that pricey, it's a new one. I'd rather have a fresh made solid prop than one bent, trued, and welded on to that extent.

Can you really get it done that cheap down there? Up there? I've had welded props sling their welds and fail after a few months so I also a little leary about welded and repaired props. If it's just bent, repair it. Anymore than that I normally buy a new prop. I don't want to sling a blade into the hull like I did years ago.

My prop guy works out of his home shop but does probably half the marina repairs within a 100mile radius (and keep in mind.... We've got 10,000 lakes. I'll show him this photo when I stop out there this week and see what he says.

[DenverHams]

Appreciate all the help. I spoke with the Nettle Props guys and they recommend the ACME 480 (like Memmer said) or potentially the ACME 208. The manufacturer recommendation is the ACME 422 (for anyone who may be searching for that information). The NP guys are doing some research to understand how our elevation here in Denver may affect the prop we'll want to pick up.

I'd love to hear what your friend says about whether a repair is worth the effort/price.

Thanks!