2007 330 express repower considering 300 Suzuki

[usmm1234]

Suzuki does not have a small enough pitch that will work with the heavy 330. The smallest pitch is 20, the 330 needs a pitch of 16 or 17 with the DF250AP/DF300AP engines:


View attachment 25357

That would be correct. In addition, The PowerTech Props are incredibly tough. The Suzuki props are really soft. They are made by Solas. Need I say more.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Suzuki does not have a small enough pitch that will work with the heavy 330. The smallest pitch is 20, the 330 needs a pitch of 16 or 17 with the DF250AP/DF300AP engines:


View attachment 25357

I was just adding some related experience with a suzuki repower.
The zuke dealers bundled price included 3 blade zuke props. They weren't going to credit the props if i said get Powertech. Maybe the OP can get that deal.

Zuke 4 blades do drop diameter to 15.25 from 16. That will allow a higher pitch. maybe the 15.25 x 20 pitch would work?
powertech LFS are 16" . powertech OFS are 15.25' diameter.
Its my understanding that the 15.25 are less prone to pull air in rough seas. There's always a trade off. There's more than one way to skin a cat.
I wondered if powertech 4x16x20 would have worked better than the Zuke 4x15.25x22 that I got but I'm happy with it now and I'm not spending $1000 to find out.

I know there's a formula but the proof is in the test ride, heavy with fuel and in some swells.

 

[usmm1234]

I was just adding some related experience with a suzuki repower.
The zuke dealers bundled price included 3 blade zuke props. They weren't going to credit the props if i said get Powertech. Maybe the OP can get that deal.

Zuke 4 blades do drop diameter to 15.25 from 16. That will allow a higher pitch. maybe the 15.25 x 20 pitch would work?
powertech LFS are 16" . powertech OFS are 15.25' diameter.
Its my understanding that the 15.25 are less prone to pull air in rough seas. There's always a trade off. There's more than one way to skin a cat.
I wondered if powertech 4x16x20 would have worked better than the Zuke 4x15.25x22 that I got but I'm happy with it now and I'm not spending $1000 to find out.

I know there's a formula but the proof is in the test ride, heavy with fuel and in some swells.

You don’t want to give up that 16” diameter if you have a heavy boat. Suzuki created the dual reduction gears so you could swing a bigger prop and get a hole shot more like a two stroke. The LFS 4 blade were built for big heavy boats like Grady Express models.
you can sell you Suzuki Props on EBay in a week. Use the PowerTech props to ship them in. I got $700 for mine. Run them tru the dishwasher and take photos of them.

 

[FirstTimeGrady]

How low (what hole) did you mount your Suzuki DF250AP/DF300AP's on your 330? My Yamaha's are currently all the way down, I assume we will mount the Suzuki's the same? We were told we would have ship dates this week, keeping my fingers crossed...

 

[usmm1234]

looks like the bottom hole.

 

[jip40]

Finally got the boat back with props switched out to Suzuki 3x16x17 from the 18.5’s - tremendous difference in performance. With 18.5’s couldn’t get over 3000 rpm without severe cavitation - with 17’s couldn’t force cavitation at all & top end was 38.4 mph at 5300/5450 rpm - notice the STBD gauge is showing 0.9 mpg and PORT gauge is showing 20.0 gph (20 gph at 38.4 mph = 1.92 mpg) which is almost twice the mpg on the STBD gauge. If I had to pick the correct mpg I would Have to go with 0.9 but ???

The engines are rated to max at 6100 rpm could the props cause the max rpm to be limited to 5300 - is it possible that the PowerTech 4x16x17 props would increase the max rpm

 

[High Hopes II]

I’m running the DF250AP’s on my 330 and the 4 Blade PowerTech props made all the difference in the world. I’m running 16x16’s. I would think you would be 4 Blade 16x18’s. Call PowerTech and ask for Marcus. He will tell you which props you need. Tell him Russ from Shurflo Pumps sent you.

Thanks, been having alot of issues with ventilation/cavitation with these 16x17 that Im turning now

 

[usmm1234]

Thanks, been having alot of issues with ventilation/cavitation with these 16x17 that Im turning now

Which props do you have now? If you already posted. I don’t remember.

 

[High Hopes II]

Which props do you have now? If you already posted. I don’t remember.

Sorry this took some time to respond, I spoke to an outboard mechanic (not a Suzuki mech) and showed him pics/vids of my boat running at 4400rpm, clocking 29mph. He told me to disconnect the tie bar and bring the engines parallel, the tip of the nose cone and at the middle of the prop shaft should be same distance apart. Then he told me to extend the tie rod 3/4" to bring the props closer together. I followed his directions to a T, took the boat out for a test run and wouldn't you know it, damn thing jumped up on plane with no ventilation or cavitation, which used to take me almost 1/4 mile before. Have run the boat a few times since making the adjustments and still no issues.
I have since taken more vids and pics of the motor wake and ventilation plate in the water as the boat is running, he told me to extend it another 1/4" to bring the prop washes together a little closer to the stern. He has talked to a few people with similar issues and the Merc Rav4 4x16x17 have also made great difference. As someone said earlier that the Suzuki props are a little softer and flex under heavy load losing some of the cupping.
By no means am I a mech or a prop pro but just putting out there what I did and my experience. I lost pretty much this whole season trying to figure this issue out and if anything I wrote can help someone or give them some direction to go I'm glad I could help.