expidia

The one that I put on when I bought the Yamaha F40 performance great.

**If I go with SS do I have to make any adjustments to the above prop specs because it SS or just order the exact same size and pitch**

Thx

Troutman561

It will be a little different. Get a hold of Ken at Propgods. Let him know what your prop and performance was and we will get you set.

gotboostedvr6

At the 40hp power level there is little difference between aluminum and stainless.

Tom W Clark

You may have to make adjustments, but not because of stainless steel, but because it will be a different model of propeller, with its own characteristics.

Propellers are not generic pieces of hardware simply described by diameter, pitch, and what they are made of.

expidia

I'm not looking for a change in performance as the reason for my changing to SS.
My reasoning is over the 12 seasons I've owned my 15 foot aluminum Lund I've probably had to send my aluminum props out for repair 4 or 5 times.
60% of our boating is on the Hudson River with an 8 foot tide.
I usually avoid windy days but on the way back to the launch I got caught in white caps with 2-3 foot seas for 4 miles. I had to leave the channel a mile from the launch as we were getting soaked. I went over a 40 foot island at 1 foot (much like grazing a sand bar as I was paying more attention to the oncoming waves than my GPS. But my choice was get broad sided by the waves if we got stuck on this sand bar and capsize or churn through the sand. It was only for like 15 feet, but thankfully I made it back to the channel. I knew the new prop was going to take a hit from this paint wise. I send out chipped blades and it's $50 round trip each time. For paint scrapes on the tips, I've re-painted my props many times. Sanding than an etching coat followed by the final coat or two. In this case white. Over the years, it never seems to matter how well I prepare the surface or my painting process as it never stays on like the OEM coating does (my guess OEM is probably a baked on finish) after a few trips out even without touching sand again just the water pressure will starting chipping the paint off eventually! I hate seeing a boat drive by on the h-way being trailered with a beat up prop or the paint scraped off. Says AMATEUR boater to me. Just like freak'in me 😱 with over 50 years of boating and I still bang/scrape up a prop at least once a season.

LISteiger

Stick with aluminum, SS will cost a lot more to repair when you ding them.

expidia

Thanks, I'm aware of that. Thats why I try and stay OEM with the same specs. But it seems Yamaha doesn't make a 10 5/8 x 12 in SS. I might have to go to 11.5 x 12 as I think Solas goes down to this small a SS. I don't want to deal with removable hubs. I like Yamaha's rubber shock system but Yamaha may be out as a choice size wise.

I like my hole shot with two of us. Top end is fine with me at 30 mph. But when 4 people onboard its a slight struggle to plane so I'm afraid to change the prop specs and make the hole shot worse with 4 people or lose my top end when two of us are onboard. Most places especially marinas won't let you return a prop for a different size once you try it out. There might be a little room for size play because I've read the stiffer ss prop might increase you 2-3 knots so if so I might be able to give myself a better hole shot.
But it does not seem to me that I could lower the prop pitch from a 12 and hurt my top speed.
Full throttle i'm around 5800 to 6000 RPM's, so I've been happy with the 10 5/8 X 12 performance. I've tried my old spare prop on the Yamaha which is 10 5/8 x 13 and I think it knocked the top end below 25 mph. I even bought another spare Yamaha OEM 10 5/8 x 13 as if I hit a floating submerged log on the river . . . I know I'm losing my prop having to send it out for repair for 3 weeks.

Tom W Clark

Well, if you want a Yamaha OEM prop in stainless, you can use either the 11-3/4” x 12” Painted Stainless Steel, or the 10-1/2” x 11” Performance 3-Blade

expidia

Yes, I've factored that in. For my size the repair is $30 plus shipping back and forth so say $50. The SS repair of the same size is $60 (double).
What I've noticed that even the paint from the repair shop on aluminum flakes off just like it does with my work. I've been using Soderblooms and the quality of their paint has been going downhill IMO and experience. I'm going to find another shop.

But I figure SS could save me a few round trips to the prop shop.

I'm also aware that aluminum is more forgiving and a whack will transfer to the lower unit less than with SS.

expidia

But even its maybe only 1 knot, it might be just enough to keep the hole shot where it is now if I have to change size in order to go with ss. But I can't see going to a lower pitch than 12.

expidia

I saw that on Yamaha's site. I was going to ask what is "painted" stainless steel? Won't that come off too when grazing sand? What would be the advantage other than the stiffness of ss?

Tom W Clark

Yes, it’s painted just like an aluminum prop, but it’s five times as strong. I though your objection to aluminum was going to the repair shop?

expidia

Thanks Tom. BTW the Solas 10-1/2 x 11 performance ss https://www.deepblueyachtsupply.com/...5-11-boat-prop
lists only for F20 or 30. Mine is a F40 hp.

Tom W Clark

I’m not talking about any Solas props. The Performance 3-Blade is a Yamaha prop, Yamaha part # MAR-GYT3B-03-11

1breakinit

stick with aloy if you are scraping the bottom on a regular occasion ,if you happen to scrape the bottom with a stainless set up you are more than likely to do gear case damage..

learn how to work your trim , i run shallow water all the time and very realy do i do anymore damage than ware out the paint on the skeg.(ok , maybe a few dings as well ,but whos counting . )

expidia

No, going to the repair shop . . . I deserve that grief for being a poor captain and boating out of the channel and I should not have launched with the potential of 15-20 mph winds which is what the day turned into a few hours after launching! But river cruising and prop damage can be a different animal than ocean boating due to more floating debris especially in the Spring.
Thanks for the painted ss comment. Thats what I figured that paint will come off just as easy as with aluminum when hitting sand or mud.
85% of my objective is the paint coming off the aluminum tips. I'm well aware that the stiffness is not a big factor on a 40hp. But it is a plus that ss might survive a ding from a floating or submerged branch.

vandlor

There are far worse things to lose sleep over than a scratched propeller.

Dacman

I don’t know much about props , Tom does.
But if you’re not bending blades or gouging them up frequently, aluminum is ok.. paint has no purpose other than looks. IMO
At $80 Id get two. $200 for a cheap stainless. I run Solas aluminum on my 115..... 8 years on this one. Spare in console..
I like the look of worn paint tips..... JMO

LISteiger

Just get yourself a backup aluminum prop. Consider yourself lucky you can get it repaired so inexpensively. Get a motor/prop cover for trailering . Pay attention to your GPS/depth location. The river can get hairy at times in a small boat, perhaps reconsider the days you go out. I boated on the Hudson for 20 years, mostly mud, where are you?

expidia

Thanks Tom. I did not see that one on Yamaha's prop selection site. I printed that one out and may order it.
Being an 11 (down one from my current prop pitch) that should improve my hole shot a little when 4 people are onboard I and maybe only sacrificing the loss of a mile or two on the top end I would think.