Prop question

I had a mastercraft prostar 190 and I had this prop on it. I'm wondering if it's going to work as an extra (or even primary) for my 2004 sanger v210.

It's item #635103, Ambush 4-blade 13L13 (I think this means 13x13 L-hand but not sure), 1 1/8th diameter with a key slot (not splined).

When I bought it (8 years ago?) it was to replace a mangled 3-blade I had on my prostar 190 and the guys at tacoma prop said this would be great for wakeboarding. It always ran smooth and had tons of low end power. I don't care about top speed.

At the same time, I don't want to put something on that will hurt my boat. It seems for some reason everyone now thinks 3-blades are better.

The prop on my boat now is a 3-blade but I don't know exactly what it is. I think it's the stock prop. I would like more power when tugging someone out of the water, especially since I'm going to add a bunch of ballast this year.

As you can tell from my questions I don't know much about props at all, sorry!

That prop will serve as a back-up for the Sanger. Your Sanger benefits from a low-pitched 3-blade. Your hull does not benefit from the extra blade - do don't waste the money at it. Your stock prop on the Sanger should be an Acme 525 or 515. You can go to an Acme 911 and get some more torque out of the hole. OJ also makes props that will work on your boat. Eric Johnson is on this board a lot and can offer specifics.

My 07 Sanger had the exact same prop. Ambush 4 13 L 13. Granted I am at a high elevation but that prop was dog slow. I kept it for my backup. I installed the ACME 911 and it could pull a house through the water. Back to your original question, I have ran the Ambush 4 for the past two years, it will not mess anything up.

Is there only "1" acme 911? I see sites listing the 911 and all specs are the same except the "cup" changes, .080, .105, .090, but acme's site only lists .060. Are these different props or just mistakes on all the various web sites?

OK - you asked: The Acme 13X13 is the 425. Not used on your boat. Stock is typically the 515 at 13X12 or the 525 at 13X11.5. Both offer good all-around performance. With weight, I typically recommend the 911 at 13X10.5 (.080 cup). If you plan on really, really slamming the boat and operating at high altitudes the 2083 is the prop at 13X9 (.080 cup). I don't recommend the 2083 for you application unless you are talking 2,500 lbs of ballast and people and are above 4,000 MSL. Probably too much information, but you asked. You can call me if you need me to walk you through the details, I am on the web with my phone number.

Can I jump on this thread as well since you're talking about Sangers.

I have a 2003 V230 and just finished adding a fully automated Ballast system that will add about 2500 lbs. of weight for surfing. I was also wondering what the ideal prop would be for getting that much weight out of the hole and not have to run the engine at 4000 rpms. I'm looking for a prop that will be good all around for surfing as well as cruising.

Tommy Boy - You are asking the impossible. The engine has to get into the power band of the torque curve. That is about 2,500 - 4,000 rpms. You need to have the engine get up to speed fairly quick, or else it bogs. At 2,500 lbs in the 230, you are maxing out the motor. The 911 or the 2083 are your prop choices. Neither will give you top end, the 911 more than the 2083. From a stock prop perspective, your are going to move the rpm at speed about 500 rpms, to take advantage of your motor. My advice, buy a prop for 80% of your use and deal with the 20%. So, surfing is your 80% and cruising is your 20%. Hope this helps.

Hi Karl,

Thanks for responding. I guess I should have said surfing as well as wakeboarding instead of cruising, since we do about 50 / 50 of each. I will check out the 911 and the 2083. I have 2 props currently, the stock and another one. I honestly can't remember what the other prop is, but will check tonight and post what they are later. What kind of top speed loss is expected when re-propping with a 911 or 2083?

Thanks again.

V215 and 230 might be a different story but the V210 will plane up no problem when slammed with the 525, I don't think you need the extra pulling power of the 911 unless you are at altitude.

Interesting that you say that because one reason I want to do this is that it doesn't pull as hard as my old MC did. Granted it was a much lighter boat but pulling my brother out (>200 lbs) was kindof a chore with the prop that's on there (like I said, I think it's the original but I can't be sure).

I don't think you will have the 525 then, when the boat is empty it would superman start you out of the water if you dumped the throttle. Even when carrying 2k & 6 people it comes out of the hole pretty good with 3/4 throttle.

One thing that sometimes gets overlooked when talking about props is the engine. Sometimes, the engine is old and tired. Sometimes there is something wrong with the engine (tune-up required, poor compression, fuel filter clogged, intake dirty, BFA dirty, etc.). Other times, the engine may be on the low side of the power bell curve. So, not all engines perform the same. Also, not all hulls perform the same. Slight variations in the layup or how the boat sets on the trailer can cause performance effects different from another boat. We really see that in slalom boats - the effect is quite noticeable and high end skiers have to adapt technique. Other effects can be in the tranny, stuffing box, and underwater driveline gear.

So, if the prop, one of the cheapest upgrades you can have on a boat, does not work as intended, a trip to a good, experienced mechanic may be in order. I see it a dozen times a season.