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Intro and prop question


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Hello everyone

I just found this forum and am looking forward to getting to know everyone and learning a lot. I have a 1996 Response LX with the 320 horse FI motor. My friends and I ski recreationally on a local pond once or twice a week during the short CT season. I really like the boat except I am disappointed with the wake at 30-32 mph. I managed to break a blade off the 13x13 CVP stainless prop at the end of the season, so now I am looking for a cupped 13x12 Nibral prop. I'm thinking it will give me less prop wake. I found a used one but the guy selling it doesn't know much except the numbers on it are OJ13 and it also has either 7095 or 1095 stamped in it. Also has cup stamped. Can anyone help me decipher that?

Thanks in advance,

Joe

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Hi Joe, welcome to the site.

First, if you blasted the blade off of your stainless prop, make sure that you check the rest of your drivetrain. Make sure your propshaft and tranny are OK.

Stainless props won't absorb a shock as well as nibral.

Most guys and gals now are running the CNC machined props from either OJ or Acme and they are sublime. With the old hand made props you never knew what you were going to get. I've heard of people ordering four new props and they were all bad. Those days are over.

Your choice of a 13x12 is a good one providing a smooth great hold shot and great holding speed while skiing. The three blade is also more efficient when compared to a four blade, although a four blade can soften prop wash.

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I read at one of the manufacturers web sites that you want to use a 3 blade on a Malibu and a 4 blade on a Mastercraft. I don't know why but it said that it was a result of their testing. Also, when shopping for props, there is one that was an original equipment prop back in the 90's that was bad news. I can't recall the brand right now but I am sure that if you search a few prop posts that you can find it. Sticking with OJ or ACME sounds like the majority choice.

Welcome to the group and the Response LX, I am still learning about ours too!

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:welcome:

So you say you have been disappointed with your wake at 30-32 MPH?

At what rope length are you skiing? If you are skiing at longer lengths, you would greatly benefit from shortening the rope. Do you have an actual Slalom rope with take offs?

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... there is one that was an original equipment prop back in the 90's that was bad news. I can't recall the brand right now but I am sure that if you search a few prop posts that you can find it. Sticking with OJ or ACME sounds like the majority choice.

That was Central Valley Propeller. The OP already has experience with CVP prop's. :Doh:

...I managed to break a blade off the 13x13 CVP stainless prop...

Definitely stick with an Acme or OJ. :thumbup:

Edited by NorCaliBu
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Your wake will improve w/ an OJ or Acme, if you want a bit more low end got w/ the 13x11.5 otherwise the 13x12 will suit you well. The CVP preforms like crap and adds so much turbulence behind the boat compared to the CVP.

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:welcome:

So you say you have been disappointed with your wake at 30-32 MPH?

At what rope length are you skiing? If you are skiing at longer lengths, you would greatly benefit from shortening the rope. Do you have an actual Slalom rope with take offs?

:plus1: Play with rope length. Also if you bump your speed up the wake will start changing a great deal.

I went to a four blade on my old boat and it did soften the wake but I don't think it was any smaller.

I would say the same as been said buy the others a CNC three blade is a very good choice O.J. or Acme.

:welcome::werule:

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You might also want to check your speedo...anything from 32mph up should give you a small soft wake. If the speedo is off you could be going alot slower then you think. I have a 94 Echelon LX and the hull and wake on your boat is almost the same and the wake is really flat from 32mph up.We also are skiing at 15off most of the time with some 22off. Good luck and enjoy! :clap:

Edited by Skier007
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Thanks for the advice - the prop I originally asked about had a 1" shaft so no good for me. I'm still looking, but if nothing used shows up in a month or so I'll buy a new one. The boat has plenty of low end so I'm going with 13x12.

To answer your questions, we usually ski 15 off but have dabbled with 22 off. We like the wake at 22 off but it's a lot harder, lol. I have adjusted the speedos using my GPS so they are pretty accurate.

When I sold my old 19' pleasure boat for this ski boat we expected almost no wake, so the disappointment is more of a surprise that there is a significant although rounded wake. In fact we are in the double hump zone at 15 off. We'll see what happens with the new prop. No hurry now, even with wetsuits skiing season is still almost two months away!

For those of you in warmer parts of the country: Enjoy the water! Joe

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Both OJ and Acme make excellent props for that particular boat. The original prop is a CVP 13 x 13 M stainless 3 blade. The M stood for the cup, which was the mid level cup of the series (13x13, M and MD). If you search through the site you will uncover reports of the CVP's losing a blade, one of four on our lake had that happen, I accumulated over 700 hours on one with no problems.

The Acme prop specified for your boat is the 515 which is a 13x12 with .080 cup. If you are at altitude, you will want to alter your selection to less pitch or cup. The OJ unit for your boat is also a 13x12. Both Acme and OJ offer great service and live phone support, I would suggest calling each to get suggestions. A three blade prop will offer roughly 2 mph more top end as a four blade prop loses efficiency at the top end due to rpm, but a four blade will offer a bit more speed stability at slow speeds (18-25 mph). The three blade is recommended for skiing/barefooting applications. The wakes will be close between the two, you might notice a bit more softness / whitewater / froth with a 4 blade or also between two different 3 blade brands. The CNC nibral props are also very dimensionally accurate and with nibral being softer you will notice a smoother pull.

On that particular boat there is a bit of a hump at 15' and 22' off particularly at a slower speed. It is also much more apparent if you are flat on your ski coming across the wake, that is certainly something to work on, make sure you get a well completed turn before you hook up and pull across the wake. The difference is amazing. The wake on these boats is absolutely flat at 28 and up to 38 off, try that for some fun sometime and as mentioned, speed helps flatten the wake. Also, run the boat with close to an empty tank of fuel, that will help the wake.

There is something else you are also experiencing with a tournament ski boat, no give. Due to a strong V8, and three tracking fins, these boats do not give in to the skier, so you are experiencing a strong, firm pull which is probably pulling you up across the wakes as opposed to the pleasure craft from before. It is surprising how much give those boats have in terms of speed sag and side to side pull.

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