New Barchetta Owner
 

Just spent my first weekend on the water with my 1995 Mariah. I am very pleased. I was wondering if anyone is running a 23p prop on their boat with good results. I currently am running a 48-78122a40 (21p). It performs well but RPMs get to 5000, a little high from what I understand.

Re: New Barchetta Owner
 

I think there is something wrong with your tach if you are reaching 5000rpm with a 21" pitch prop. That pitch should have you down around 4600 at WOT. Access the backside of your tach & give the little dial a spin a few times before resetting it
at "6 cyl". The other issue may be that your prop has been rebuilt at some point & its no longer a 21" (it may be less) so that might account for your high rpms.

All that said, we do have one member here who says he successfully runs a 23" pitch prop on a '94 or '95 Barchetta 180 with the 4.3. For most of us though a 21" is the maximum and its only used for cruising.

New Barchetta Owner
 

The prop is pretty beat so you could right about the pitch being off. Do you know the name of the member with the 23?

Re: New Barchetta Owner
 

I do. "SEMIjim" is his name and here's a quote from one of his earlier posts...


Btw: We're running a 14x23 prop on our '94 182 Barchetta with the 4.3L MerCruiser V6, 4 bbl. carb and she runs fine. Good hole shot and, IIRC, 45 MPH at 4800 RPM WOT.

Jim

Note though that his situation & his use of a 23" prop is unique on our site. Probably 75% run 19" pitch 3 blades and the balance run either 20" 4 blades or 21" 3 blades.