Largest Outboard Motors Part Four: Evinrude 300 HP G2
Evinrude E-Tec G2 300 hp. motor is the only two stroke motor out of all the large horsepower outboard manufacturers. Boat propellers used are three blade boat prop for better speed or a four blade boat propeller to push the heavier boats better.
Emission laws and gas prices have given rise to the four stoke engines more because they have historically been better on gas milage and generally are less environmentally harmful with their exhaust output.
Evinrude’s highly advanced E-Tech engines meet or exceed all emission regulations worldwide. They have chosen to stay with the two stroke motors because of the overall performance advantages they have over a four stroke engine. Twice as many power strokes per revolution with a lot less engine parts, no cams , valves or other parts required in a four stroke engine. That translates into less engine weight that is 558 lbs on the base models.
The engine cowling on the G2 300 has a dynamic look to it that stands out from other engine brand motor covers and is available in five different colors and fourteen trim colors so buyers can choose the colors best matched to their boat. It is also lighter than similar size cowlings because of the use of a thermoplastic material instead of the common fiberglass style hood.
The engine is a vee six design that can rev up to 6000 rpm’s. Fuel is a direct injection inside the cylinder in stead of an intake manifold for better delivery. Oil is injected in to the cylinder at the same time by use of an electronically monitored infection system.
The gearcase has an improved design for less water resistance and higher speeds. The gears and bearings have been beefed up for improved durability so bigger boat props can be used.
To buy Evinrude props call us at 1-800-573-5533 or visit our website for the best prices on Evinrude stainless steel propeller or any other large outboard.
Largest Outboard Motors Part Three: Mercury Verado 350
Mercury 350 horsepower Verado uses Mercury performance boat propellers
Mercury has come out this year with their new Outboard Motor the 350 horsepower Verado. Using a 5.44 inch gear case it takes Mercury’s line of performance boat propellers and the after market boat prop makers performance style of boat props.
After five years in development the Verado 350 is an amazing engine with major technical advances that people have come to expect from the leader in marine propulsion. Instead of going for brute V-8 horsepower the Verado is an in-line six cylinder that has a supercharger on it to get the 350 horsepower out of it. The benefits of this design is lighter weight ( over 110 pounds lighter than the Yamaha 350 ) better fuel economy and a compact size that delivers plenty of torque to push the bigger boats.
Some general engine specs are 2.6 liter displacement, weight is 668 pounds, wide open throttle RPM range is 5800 to 6400, 1.75 to 1 gear ratio. Shaft length options are 20 inch, 25 inch and 30 inch. Retail price is $27,505.00. Color options are Platinum black and and two different whites.
Mercury also has developed a 400 horsepower outboard for racing. It is very similar to the 350 that can use the same gear case or for high speed applications their Sportmaster gear case. I’m sure you will see a version of this 400 horsepower engine offered to the public recreation use in the near future.
Looking at the size of these high horsepower outboard motors, not only the Mercury 350 but all the other brands of 300 hp. plus motors it seems to me the boat propellers on them seem way to small. I don’t know why they have not made the size of the gear case, propeller shaft and Mercury boat propeller 
. I think they would be more efficient.
If you buy one these outboards call us at 1-800-573-5533 or visit our website for the best prices on Mercury stainless steel propellers and Mercury aluminum propellers for these or any other modern marine engine you might have.
The Largest Outboard Motors Part Two: Yamaha F350
Stainless Steel Boat Props and the Yamaha F350 Outboard Motor/strong>
Yamaha’s largest outboard is the four stroke V-8 aluminum block 350 horsepower F350. This is one awesome outboard engine. Stainless steel propellers will work much better than boat propellers that are aluminum because of the high torque these engines make. This is Yamaha’s first V-8 engine and has double overhead cams, 32 valves (4 per cylinder) and fuel injection. This thing weighs 804 pounds which makes it the heaviest outboard ever produced, so it’s not really a portable. Base price is $26,245.00 and comes with a 3 year warranty.
The major features on this Yamaha are: Ionic combustion sensors that can adjust spark timing depending on combustion conditions. Command Link® Digital Electronic Control system with redundant electronic engine control, automatic multi-engine synchronization. A system that relieves pressure in the exhaust ports using In-Bank Exhaust with Dual Power Surge Chambers. Improved corrosion protection inside the cooling passages and on external parts. For a large outboard engine it is surprisingly quiet and super smooth running.
It has been a real challenge to develope gear cases strong enough to handle the newer larger horsepower outboards. Yamaha has solved this by using ultra hardened gears and ultra heavy duty bearings that can give maximum dependability and durability.
Dan’s Discount Propellers sells boat propellers in all the best brands and in all sizes for these engines and all modern outboards and for all newer sterndrives at the lowest prices on hundreds of boat props. Aluminum propellers and stainless steel props. For expert recommendations please call us at 1-800-573-5533
The Largest Outboard Motors Part One: The Suzuki DF300AP
Outboard motors have progressed down thru the years in all aspects of performance, horsepower and boat propellers have led the way. Suzuki’s most powerful motor offered is their V-6 four stroke DF300AP model. It is rated at 300 horsepower with 245.6 cubic inches and weighs 615 pounds. RPM wide open throttle operating range is 5700 to 6300.
The top feature of the DF300AP is that it can be a right hand or a left hand rotation motor with just a simple adjustment, called the “Suzuki Selective Rotation”. It is the first outboard moter that can do this. This is a major advantage for twin engine boats because you do not have to buy a special left hand rotation engine that costs more and also has different gear case parts. Dealers no longer have to stock left hand engines and the parts for them.
A two way low position water pick is used for increased water flow that provides better engine cooling. The “Suzuki Precision Control” is a fly by wire control system that gives smoother throttle and shifting response. For better fuel economy on long distance running you can get their “Suzuki Lean Burn Control with Oxygen Sensor”.
Suzuki Boat props for these engines are available in aluminum and stainless steel, but stainless steel is recommended because they can better handle the huge amount of torque these engines produce.
At Dan’s Discount Propellers we have the best boat propellers prices for these engines and all other modern outboards and sterndrives and we can help you with boat propellers selection with a simple phone call at 1-800-573-5533.
Volvo Penta forward drive boat propeller
Volvo Penta has come out with a duo prop stern drive made for wake surfing. The Volvo Penta boat propellers are forward of the drive instead of behind it and are over two feet further forward than the regular duo boat props. Designed for safety, a wake surfer who surfs the sterndrive wake extremely close to the back of the boat is very unlikely to get injured by the propellers if he falls off his board. We offer these forward drive boat propeller sets at Dan’s Discount Boat Propellers.
This forward drive lower unit is bolted on to the regular duoprop systems stern drive midsection and can be trimmed so a bigger wake will be created. The boat propellers on the forward drive are of a new design for the best performance and cost a little more than the duoprops.
The drawbacks to this drive system could be substantial. With the propellers located in front of the lower unit instead of behind it they much more at risk to being damaged if they hit anything. Even when you trim the lower unit all the way up the boat propellers are still a good foot below the bottom of the boat so beaching it could be a problem and you will need a special boat trailer for it that positions the boat higher up on the trailer so the propellers will clear the road.
Boat manufacturers are deciding now if wake surfing is going to get so popular as to justify them offering this Volvo Penta forward drive in their boats.
Dan’s Discount Propellers offers boat propellers at huge discount prices for these forward drive boat Penta duo prop propeller and all boat propellers at super discount prices. You can order online or by phone at 1-800-573-5533.
Two Boat Propeller Sterndrives
Volvo Penta was first to come out with a sterndrive with a single boat propeller in 1959 and they were first with a sterndrive that has two counter rotating boat propellers on a single prop shaft in 1982.
The advantages of a sterndrive with two boat props are much less slippage that gives a better bite on the water, improved low speed steering response and less vibration. This system also gets the boat up on plane quicker and keeps you on plane at lower speeds than a single prop sterndrive. Reverse maneuverability is much better also.
Volvo Penta’s Duoprop sterndrive is used with gas and diesel engines up to 380 horsepower. It has an electronic trim system that trims the lower unit automatically to predetermined positions. It also has a one of a kind hydraulic steering system that uses external mounted cylinders. Either aluminum propellers or stainless steel propellers can be used but you cannot use one of each on the same sterndrive.
The Mercuiser Bravo III two propeller drive came out in 1993. You can also use aluminum or Mercruiser stainless steel props. Some unique points of the Bravo III are an oil monitoring system that has an alarm that goes off if the oil level gets too low. A trim switch that limits the angle of the drive while under way so the u-joints will not be damaged by too much binding. Bravo III’s are available on gasoline engines with as much as 525 horsepower. Mercruiser has more service dealers than Volvo Penta and repairs and replacement parts can cost less.
Both systems use a cone clutch for smoother gear shifting and either one would be a good choice if you are interested in a two boat propeller sterndrive.
Dan’s Discount Propellers offers boat propellers at huge discount prices for both these drives. For a price quote please call us at 1-800-573-5533
Disappearing Boat Propellers
The Dis-Pro Boat Company located in Canada produced an inboard style wooden boat between 1914 and 1926 (and some were built up into the 1950’s) known as the “Dippy” that you could raise the drive shaft and boat propeller up into the bottom of the boat using a manual hand lever while under way so you could avoid hitting stuff like rocks and stumps and saving you from boat prop damage. Pretty clever idea for that era.
The boat looked like a big canoe that was steered with a rudder on the transom connected to a rope and pulley system. The small inboard single cylinder engine was located under a bench seat with the drive shaft extending out from the motor almost a foot that connected to a little gear box that was the pivot point with the propeller shaft coming out the box on the other side and out through the bottom of the boat. The propeller shaft and boat propeller were inside a waterproof case so the boat was water tight.
With the hand lever you could raise and lower the propeller shaft to any angle you wanted and the boat even had a skeg located in front of the boat propeller that if you hit anything with the skeg it would automatically raise the prop shaft up so it would stop the boat props from being damaged. Seems like a good idea for today’s inboard boats.
The “Dippy” was not fast so it was used for just leisurely cruising around lakes. Restored they are a popular and prized boat these days that is worth a considerable amount of money. A very interesting, rare and unique boat.
Boat propellers for these boats are no longer available but we can save boaters a lot of money on all modern boat props.
The First Mercruiser Sterndrive
When Volvo Penta’s sterndrive became an instant success at the January 1959 New York boat show, Mercury came out with their own sterndrive as fast as they could and called it Mercruiser. Improving on Volvo Penta’s design and using non thru hub exhaust boat propellers Mercruiser soon became the dominate leader in sales.
Mercury was the second company to produce a sterndrive, Amazingly the story behind Mercury being second begins with the fact that they easily could have been the first because the man Jim Wynne (He designed a workable sterndrive with universal u-joints that allowed the drive to be turned right and left and raised and lowered while the drive shaft was running in 1958) was working at Mercury in the 1950’s and showed his design to the owner, Carl Kiekhaefer in 1958 but Carl was not impressed and passed on the idea of developing it into a product line. A decision he regreted for the rest of his life. Mercury had to pay Volvo Penta for the patent rights to the sterndrive design they should have gotten from Mr. Wynne for maybe the price of a salary increase.
At the 1961 Chicago boat show Mercury using inside information they had about OMC coming out with a sterndrive of their own in a eighty horsepower model, two days before the OMC debut, introduced the one hundred horsepower Mercruiser.
With better designed and easily usable sterndrives and boat props compared to Volvo Penta and OMC The Mercruiser has been the leader in sterndrive sales since the early 1960’s
With over thirty years experience, Dan’s Discount Propellers can give you expert advice on what Mercruiser propeller you can use on your sterndrive and save you a lot of money on all boat props sales as well.
The First Sterndrives and their Propellers
Sterndrives have the engine inside the boat connected to a drive unit and boat propellers located outside the boat, at the transom.
The bottom of the drive unit looks like the gearcase of an outboard engine and in most cases really is. It is attached to a drive-shaft housing that is connected through the transom to the engine which transmits power through 90-degree-angles to the gear case and the boat propeller shaft. The boat propellers used are the same as the ones used on outboards.
The first sterndrive that was mass produced and offered for sale to the public was the Volvo Penta Aquamatic, introduced in January 1959 at the New York boat show.
Mercury Marine could have been the first because the man Jim Wynne who came up with the original working model was employed at Mercury in the 1950’s and presented his drawings to his boss Carl Kiekhaefer the owner of Mercury in 1957. Amazingly Mr. Keikhaefer was not interested in it at all, stating the outboard motor and Mercury propeller is the best propulsion system. Wynne was sure he had a great idea so he quit Mercury and went forward on his own by producing a prototype in his garage, mating his sterndrive model to a Volvo Penta BB70 inboard. He then went over to Scadinavia and showed his system to Harald Wiklund, the manager of Volvo Penta . Harald loved the idea and a contract between Wynne and Volvo Penta was drawn up and signed in only a couple of days.
Working with Jim Wynne, the engineers at Volvo Penta came up with the first real Aquamatic, tested it in a barrel of water just before Christmas 1958, then shipped it directly to New York for the January 1959 boat show. At the show it was a huge success with the public and also with the boat makers. Over one thousand units sold in the first year.
Volvo Penta lake tested the Aquamatic sterndrive system in a boat, starting with driving it over a small island eight times, then over a sandbar twenty two times, then over an oyster bed four times. The test ended with driving the boat straight up on to a beach at thirty five miles per hour and came to a halt sixty feet inland. The drive unit was pretty much undamaged with only minor damage to the Volvo Penta sterndrive boat propeller. Try that with your sterndrive boat.
The History of Outboard Motors – Part Fourteen
Modern Outboard Motors. Mercury, Evinrude, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Tohatsu-Nissan are the companies that make the outboards today. All make boat propellers in aluminum, and stainless steel propellers too. You can also get after market boat propellers for these engines that in many cases perform just as good and some times even better and usually cost less.
The new motors are just a little different from the outboards Mr. Waterman produced back in 1905. He would probably be totally stunned if he saw a 300 horsepower outboard on the back of a bass boat ripping across a lake today.
Horsepower ranges from 1 1/2 Hp. up to 300 Hp in both two and four stroke engines. You can get both right and left hand rotating motors in the higher Horsepower models for twin engine boats. Fuel injection, oil injection, power trim and tilt and quietness have been refined for optimum operation.
Many of these manufacturers now offer jet drive lower units that are attached to their regular motors. These outboards are designed to operate in low water situations such as rivers and near shorelines. There is more of a power loss that pushes the boat from a jet drive as opposed to a propeller driven model and they burn more gas because of that, but if you need to boat in just a few inches of water jet drives are the only way to go.
There are more options than ever in boat props for these and all engines these days and it can get confusing on what boat propeller is best for your boat. We can help you in the boat propellers section with all the information on our website and you can always call us at 1-800-573-5533, Monday – Friday 8am to 7pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm.
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