Re: Complete Amateur Needs Help…

[Don]

Do you know what pitch the propeller is? If it is an OMC prop, the diameter and pitch should be stamped on the side of the prop between the blades. Something like: 13×19…In this example, the diameter of the prop is 13", the pitch is 19". In other words, theoretically the boat should move 19" with every one rotation of the prop. Someone may have over propped the rig with a propeller with too much pitch, which is very common. When this happens, the engine lugs/struggles while trying to accelerate/plane the boat…..The simplest way to relate this information is to think of a manual shift car. What would happen if you had the manual shift car in its highest gear just loafing along at about 25mph, then hit the gas hard to accelerate? Yes, nothing much, other than the engine would probably ping/knock while the RPMs were increasing very slowly. This same thing happens to outboards.