Prop Options for 330

kirk a

kirk a

GreatGrady Captain
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Model
Express 330
Repowered my 330 last year with a pair of new Yamaha 300's, for last year, we opted to retain the 17" props from the old 225's. I was able to trial a pair of Yamaha Saltwater Series 2 props in a 15 3/4 x 15 configuration and found significant increases in performance and economy in the mid range 4000-4800 RPMs. Roughly a 2-3 knot increase at same RPM with a corresponding increase in economy (example @4400 went from 21.8 to 25kts). Interestingly, the WOT speed was about the same with both.

All that said, I am prop shopping and it seems that those props are a solid choice for this boat / motor combination and appear to be what Grady spec'ed as well. My question, is there anything better - my objective is mainly speed and economy at cruise, as the canyons are ~100+ miles each way and I'd like some additional cushion. I don't care about WOT speed.
 
Do the old 225 motors have the same gear ratio as the new 300s?
 
No, the old motors had a completely different gearing.
 
Call the prop gods in fl, I had same issue before I did repower on 330 with 300,
 
"My question, is there anything better"

My answer: No.
I repowered my 2006 330 as well. Went from F250's to F300's.
Like you, I tried the props from my 250's on the 300's. They did fine except the top end was lacking.
I could only reach about 5,600 RPM's WOT. These were 17 pitch 4 blades built by PowerTech.

After some research, I went with the props you tried out. Yamaha Saltwater Series II in 15 pitch.
At WOT, I can now reach 5,800 which I'm comfortable with RPM wise.
Economy is better as well Vs. the 4 blade 17's. I'm seeing 1.0 nMPG at cruise (22-24 knots) which is 4200 RPM's give or take.

I am told the SWS II in 15 pitch was specifically made by Yamaha for the F300 which is a VERY popular outboard.

I personally do not think you can do better than what you tried. Hope this helps.
 
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HMBJack said:
"My question, is there anything better"

My answer: No.
I repowered my 2006 330 as well. Went from F250's to F300's.
Like you, I tried the props from my 250's on the 300's. They did fine except the top end was lacking.
I could only reach about 5,600 RPM's WOT. These were 17 pitch 4 blades built by PowerTech.

After some research, I went with the props you tried out. Yamaha Saltwater Series II in 15 pitch.
At WOT, I can now reach 5,800 which I'm comfortable with RPM wise.
Economy is better as well Vs. the 4 blade 17's. I'm seeing 1.0 nMPG at cruise (22-24 knots) which is 4200 RPM's give or take.

I am told the SWS II in 15 pitch was specifically made by Yamaha for the F300 which is a VERY popular outboard.

I personally do not think you can do better than what you tried. Hope this helps.
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kirk a said:
Thanks @HMBJack and @wspitler exactly what I was looking for. Cheers, and here's to a good season.
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I have a 2007 330 and repowered with 300's last fall. The Prop Gods and two other prop shops recommended the Power Tech OFS04 15" 4 blade props. I purchased the props at the very end of the season and was only able to run the boat once. Very noticeable difference in increased bite with maneuverability in and out of the slip. I noticed a much quicker lift getting on plane as well. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get any good data that day as it was very choppy and windy. The Power Tech 4 blade props seemed to be a popular choice along with the Yamaha's.
 
Only thing I would add, is on take off, I keep the engines trimmed at like zero to 5%. Once the boat is up on plane, I trim the engines up to about 33% or so. Doing this is no different than what a pilot routinely does with wing flaps on take off.

I think the only drawback of the 3 Vs. 4 Blades is that initial take off since any 4 blade will have more torque than a 3.
That said, the 3 blade performs really really well in all other aspects.
 
I did reach out to Ken at Prop Gods, who confirmed that the 15 3/4 x 15 would be the best choice. Now to find a pair.
 
Closing the loop. Installed the new props on Saturday. Took for a quick test run afterwards. Before changing, boat ran 30 miles an hour at 4600 at 1.0-1.1 on the Yamaha gauge. After changing, boat ran 30 miles an hour at 4300 at 1.2 on the gauge. At 4600, she ran at 33 miles an hour.

So overall, I'm quite happy with the improvement. Did not check WOT.

I'll do a better job documenting one of the next times out and use the actual rate of fuel flow plotted against speed, rather than the economy calculated on the Yamaha as it is only 1 digit. Anyone know how/when the display rounds to display economy - or if it does? There was nothing I could find in the manual. Put another way, when does it change from 1.1 to 1.2? Does it round up at 1.15, or wait til 2.0? There potentially is a difference in the range of the display of say, 1.2. Depending on how it rounds, it could be 1.15 through 1.24. Which on a heavy boat like the 330 on a long trip could be a difference.

Then again, this is like chasing something that does not exist, as I'll simply base trips on getting 1.0 and the extra is reserve.
 
I repowered my '04 with V8 300's verado with 1.85 gearcases and had to try several sets of props on my boat to get best performance. I won't bore you with all the specs and sizes but I basically tested 2 sets of 15p props (mirage,powertech) and 2 sets of 17p props (turning point, enertia echo)

While it's not apples to apples with us having different torque curves and gear ratios... I feel it's worth noting the Mercury brand props performed better in all cases.... on my particular combo.

ended up with enertia eco 16x17. WOT about 43, I can cruise 4800 at nearly 35mph, .9mpg. I can slow my ass down to about 30mph and 4500, she'll do 1.2/1.3

My bottom is horrible, looks like the moon- I need to have it blasted- its really bad. I expect to gain a knot or 2 when I have a uniform layer of new paint on the bottom.
 
I have a pair of Power Tech OFS4 15.25 x15 (4 blade) in perfect condition, if anyone wants them. I’m in Center Moriches NY.
Props came off my 330, ran them with the F250’s which since have been replaced with F300’s… now running Turning point 15 3 blades… great numbers, similar to Automated14.
The power techs were great with the 250’s, had great bite
 
twin yams said:
I have a pair of Power Tech OFS4 15.25 x15 (4 blade) in perfect condition, if anyone wants them. I’m in Center Moriches NY.
Props came off my 330, ran them with the F250’s which since have been replaced with F300’s… now running Turning point 15 3 blades… great numbers, similar to Automated14.
The power techs were great with the 250’s, had great bite
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sent you a pm
 
Please forgive me for changing topic, but have any of you 330 owners installed rod holders on the transom? I'm thinking SS toggle bolts given the limited space between the transom and fish locker. Experiences would be appreciated.
 
@Gulffisher you'll be better off starting a fresh thread with that information. A number of 330 owners have added those holders. I added a single on the starboard side behind the storage box where there was easy access. Others have done longer ones across the transom. You might also try a search, as my guess this has come up before.
 
Gulffisher said:
Please forgive me for changing topic, but have any of you 330 owners installed rod holders on the transom? I'm thinking SS toggle bolts given the limited space between the transom and fish locker. Experiences would be appreciated.
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I have the same boat and going to do holders somehow. Looking forward to the new topic and responses.
 
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