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Need a new prop for my Echelon


amarfanhar

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I currently have the stock Dymex - Mister Minus 13x13L 3 blade prop on my 1993 Echelon LX. The prop is in good shape and performs adiquately but I need a spare and an upgrade may also be nice. The top end speed is 43mph at 4850RPM. The hole shot is good. I have a little vibration and a few small dings on the current prop. I have done some upgrades to my Merc 350 265hp increasing both torque and horses by 30%.

I run my boat at elevation in Utah at 3500 feet to 6000 feet. I am wondering which prop I should switch to. I use the boat mainly for slalom skiing open water and sometimes in the course but we also surf and wakeboard a little as well.

Recomendations? Reviews are welcome. :biggrin:

Edited by amarfanhar
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I'd recommend a 13x11.5 prop it'll give you better low end hold speed much more consistent than the 13x13 at that elevation otherwise a 13x12 would work well. It'll bring the top end speed down 2-3mph roughly but the improved performance imho you'll feel this is a whole new boat. Keep in mind most places, ask first, allow you to exchanged props as well.

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I agree, a 13x11.5 (ACME 525 or OJ 328) would probably be the best blend of performance for how you use the boat and that altitude you're running at. That will be a HUGE upgrade from the 13x13 cast propeller you have on the boat now.

If you want to give them both a try to see which one works best for you let me know.

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I have upgaded my prop a couple of times. Initially upon bumping up the hp from 265 to 385 I changed to a stainless CVP 13 x 13 M level prop. This was in the late '90's so prior to the CNC props. It worked very well, but even then needed some tuning to eliminate the cavitation. It dramatically improved performance, 200 rpm up in top speed and cut a second off the 0-36 mph time. The next upgrade was to an Acme 13 x 11.5 that I subsequently added lots of cup to, which dialed in the rpm to speed ratio I wanted. It works very well, provdes a great holeshot and really good top end. The Acme 515 is probably the basic prop you want, but more for lower altitude. The next level down might be a better match, I think that might be the 525. Either Acme or OJ makes great props and are both very helpful over the phone. The CNC props are also very smooth compared to the cast ones.

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  • 1 month later...

How did that 525 work for you? I have a 96 Echelon and am also looking for a new prop. High elevation is not an issue with me as I live on the central coast of CA but I am looking for better hole shot with some weight and the wedge down. Also looking to clean up one side of my wake. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

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How did that 525 work for you? I have a 96 Echelon and am also looking for a new prop. High elevation is not an issue with me as I live on the central coast of CA but I am looking for better hole shot with some weight and the wedge down. Also looking to clean up one side of my wake. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I have an extra 515 if you want it. $235 plus ship.

Edited by eyepeeler
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How did that 525 work for you? I have a 96 Echelon and am also looking for a new prop. High elevation is not an issue with me as I live on the central coast of CA but I am looking for better hole shot with some weight and the wedge down. Also looking to clean up one side of my wake. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

If you're using the boat for skiing or footing then the 525 is the most aggressive you'll want to go with, anything more oriented towards wakeboarding and acceleration will sacrifice too much top end. WIth the 525 you'll still get 46 out of the boat without much trouble, but you'll have much better hole shot than you would if you're still running the stock prop. Plus you'll get the other improvements a machined prop offer (smoother running, less cavitation, etc.).

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How did that 525 work for you? I have a 96 Echelon and am also looking for a new prop. High elevation is not an issue with me as I live on the central coast of CA but I am looking for better hole shot with some weight and the wedge down. Also looking to clean up one side of my wake. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I have a 515 (13x12) and a 231 (13.12.5) that I need to get rid of since I got rid of my direct drive this year. Both are in perfect condition.

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If you're using the boat for skiing or footing then the 525 is the most aggressive you'll want to go with, anything more oriented towards wakeboarding and acceleration will sacrifice too much top end. WIth the 525 you'll still get 46 out of the boat without much trouble, but you'll have much better hole shot than you would if you're still running the stock prop. Plus you'll get the other improvements a machined prop offer (smoother running, less cavitation, etc.).

No skiing or footing so top end is not an issue. Would the 515 be a better fit for my boat in that case?

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No skiing or footing so top end is not an issue. Would the 515 be a better fit for my boat in that case?

No, the 515 is going to be oriented more towards the top end of the spectrum in terms of performance. It will be better than what you have on the boat, but in terms of wakesurfing and wakeboarding performance, it will be like accelerating away from a stop sign in second gear in your car, where as the 525 would be like starting in first gear.

Of course if you can find a deal on a 515 that may make sense, but ultimately you'll be sacrificing some acceleration and low speed performance over the 525.

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No, the 515 is going to be oriented more towards the top end of the spectrum in terms of performance. It will be better than what you have on the boat, but in terms of wakesurfing and wakeboarding performance, it will be like accelerating away from a stop sign in second gear in your car, where as the 525 would be like starting in first gear.

Of course if you can find a deal on a 515 that may make sense, but ultimately you'll be sacrificing some acceleration and low speed performance over the 525.

OK...thanks so much for your help!

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The 231 is going to be on the other side of the 525, meaning you'll probably give up a little more top end than you want, but gain the benefit of additional performance at slower speeds. I would probably go with the 231 over the 515 based on how you use the boat, but the 525 is most likely the ideal prop for you.

You can view our recommendations for your Echelon, as well as most other Malibu boats, in our Prop Finder.

Edited by skicrave
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  • 8 months later...

Hey All,

Just wrecked our prop...day one of the holidays... :(

Two questions...can I do any serious damage to my boat with the current prop...we fixed it as best as we could, but we have a good rattle and noise in it.

secondly, we mostly slalom ski and wakesurf with the boat...which prop would be my best option.

this learning curve of owning a boat sucks...Bring on another thousand ;)

Ard

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Hey All,

Just wrecked our prop...day one of the holidays... :(

Two questions...can I do any serious damage to my boat with the current prop...we fixed it as best as we could, but we have a good rattle and noise in it.

secondly, we mostly slalom ski and wakesurf with the boat...which prop would be my best option.

this learning curve of owning a boat sucks...Bring on another thousand ;)

Ard

Bummer on the prop. I would definitely replace or professionally rework it, not worth the risk of all the other damage a component like that being out of balance can do.

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I looked at the chart, but it doesn't really say which prop is best for me, just that they all offer good low end and top end. We are moving to a much shallower lake soon, so I am sure prop damage is in my future at some point. Which is the best prop for me? We do it all behind this boat - wakesurf, wakeboard, slalom, barefoot....and tube. Elevation is 617ft, so that's not an issue. Boat is a '94 Echelon LX, 265 merc. I'm not ready to buy one now, but will need to when we move. We are currently running what I think is the stock prop: DYMEX 0653C 694 13x13L.

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I've got the 515 (13x12) and it works great. If you are looking for more holeshot and/or weighting the boat, go with the 525 (13x11.5).

Actually we do weight it down a bit for surfing, but I have had zero issues ever getting out of the hole. I really am very happy with what I have, it provides good performance at both ends of the spetrum, and I don't want to lose any top end. So I'm thinking the 515 for me too.

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