Need diff prop? Engine going into Safe Mode?

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solidhadriel
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Need diff prop? Engine going into Safe Mode?

#1 Post by solidhadriel » Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:04 am

Hey everyone, I have a 2014 Bentley Encore 220 Lounger Elite with a Mercury 115.

This past trip on the river, going up river, I was running wide-open throttle upstream, doing around 6200RPMs and my engine suddenly lost power. It wouldn't go forward unless I put the engine back into neutral, then forward gear. This happened twice. On the second time, I didn't continue with wide-open throttle, I kept the RPMs at about 5250, and the throttle only 3/4th the way up.

I am wondering if my boat needs a different prop and if these issues are related to me over-revving the engine?

Currently, the boat has a 13.5 x 15 Vortex aluminum prop on it.

Based on Mercury's prop selector, it is suggesting the following:

SpitFire® Mercalloy 4 blade 13x17P 8M8026590

SpitFire® X7 Alloy 4 blade 13x17P 8M0055549

Vengeance® Stainless Steel 3 blade 13.125x16P 16986A46

Vengeance® Stainless Steel 3 blade 13.125x17P 854356A46



I was thinking about going with the Vengeance Stainless Steel 13.125x16P. That would reduce my RPMs and give me a bit more oomph?
2014 Bentley Encore 220 Elite Lounger
with Mercury 4-Stroke 115HP

ron nh
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Re: Need diff prop? Engine going into Safe Mode?

#2 Post by ron nh » Wed Jul 12, 2017 8:54 am

Mine is the 17p on an 18' tri-toon @5500 RPM's max. I would think your prop would be fine though, I assume its a command thrust? do you blow out easy? If so you may have to lower it (the motor), But the 13.5 x 17 Black max may be fine, That's what mine is with a 2015 Mercury 115 CT.
Last edited by ron nh on Wed Jul 12, 2017 1:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2015 Qwest LS 818XRE Tri-toon w/mercury 115.

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wwind3
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Re: Need diff prop? Engine going into Safe Mode?

#3 Post by wwind3 » Wed Jul 12, 2017 9:06 am

6200 rpm sounds high for the 115. Did the rev overrev beeper go off? Prop may be cavitating and blowing out. Cavitation plate may be too high and/or you may being overtrimming amd blowing out the prop---esp if you have the front of the boat overloaded with lounges and people. I have a 16" pitch on my 90 and my overrev beeper comes on around 5850 rpm....Of course our tachs may be wrong too,,,,

Your cavitation plate should be even with the bottom of your transom plate when motor is trimmed down. Too low and you will lose speed and throw a wake with the plate--too hi and you will cavitate----good luck....

I am running a 16" stainless and a 16 " aluminum--same diameter. aluminum is 1-2 mph faster ----cant figger that one out --rpm's are about the same wide open...
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Bryden24shp
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Re: Need diff prop? Engine going into Safe Mode?

#4 Post by Bryden24shp » Wed Jul 12, 2017 9:17 am

Yep, I agree with wwind! Sounds like she went into safe mode for over revving. 6000 is the max RPM's. How was your trim angle? I would also check the engine height, but if its been running lower RPM's until now, something changed... How are you normally loaded, weight wise compared to how you were when it happened? Were you running alone and low on fuel or loaded as normal? Lighter boats rev faster. You may want to spin a 13 1/8X17 once, to see what it does. Reasoning is because you are running a 13 1/2 diameter now, your diameter loss of almost 1/2 an inch, will counter a 16's larger pitch. Your combination is pretty common, maybe someone has a 16 or 17 pitch you can try before you buy one. Or call Kenny at Prop Gods, he has sent me several in the past to spin and try, then buy the best and send back the rest for the credit back. Myself, I love the Eneria's and Enertia ECO's.
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solidhadriel
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Re: Need diff prop? Engine going into Safe Mode?

#5 Post by solidhadriel » Wed Jul 12, 2017 12:51 pm

This happened with 2 young people up front, who combined, probably weigh 300lbs. Trim was probably a hair less than quarter. Full throttle. The first time I experienced the problem was when we had some bumpy wake. So it could be ventilation...

So switching to a good stainless steel prop, and upping my pitch by 1 should reduce my top-end RPMs and give me a bit better power is what I'm thinking and hopefully resolve this problem.

Maybe trying a Stainless Steel 13.5 or 13 1/8 prop with a 16 pitch sound like a good plan? (Assuming I can't try before buying...)
2014 Bentley Encore 220 Elite Lounger
with Mercury 4-Stroke 115HP

Bryden24shp
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Re: Need diff prop? Engine going into Safe Mode?

#6 Post by Bryden24shp » Wed Jul 12, 2017 1:05 pm

Extra weight up front, will push down the bow and lift the stern. 300 lbs doesn't sound like a lot, but with that extra weight way out front and rougher than normal water, could have caused a fulcrum effect and played into your over revving, by ventilating the prop. Take it out again and play with it in normal conditions, before you start propping. You may have answered your own question, especially sine this the was first time it happened.
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DWRAT
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Re: Need diff prop? Engine going into Safe Mode?

#7 Post by DWRAT » Thu Jul 13, 2017 6:50 am

On a light load the Vengeance®/Silverado Stainless Steel 3 blade 13.125x16P is the prop that did best on my 115.

On a heavy load the same prop but in 14 pitch did the trick.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/122554509149?ss ... 1555.l2649


Best deal I could find was at http://www.dansdiscountprops.com

http://dansdiscountprops.com/BuyNow/Qui ... cksilverSS
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solidhadriel
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Re: Need diff prop? Engine going into Safe Mode?

#8 Post by solidhadriel » Sun Oct 08, 2017 12:03 pm

Hey, thanks for the information. I am going to be buying a new prop soon and forgot all about this post. Now that boating season is finishing up, I want to plan ahead for next season, starting with a new prop.
2014 Bentley Encore 220 Elite Lounger
with Mercury 4-Stroke 115HP

willy13
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Re: Need diff prop? Engine going into Safe Mode?

#9 Post by willy13 » Mon Oct 09, 2017 6:07 am

I am NOT an expert so I am asking a question, would going to a 14" diameter and leaving the pitch the same be an option? I thought our pontoon boats liked as much diameter as possible to reduce ventilation? How much would the RPM reduce with a 1/2" increase in diameter, leaving pitch and prop material alone?

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rancherlee
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Re: Need diff prop? Engine going into Safe Mode?

#10 Post by rancherlee » Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:29 am

Sounds like my Suzuki, it has 2 rev limiters, the SOFT limiter cuts RPM to below 3000 if operated above 6350rpm for more than 10 seconds straight and you need to return to neutral and throttle up again to reset it. The hard limiter kicks in @ 6500 and sounds like a typical limiter. Is that the old 1.7L or the newer 2.1L 115? Anything smaller than 13.75" diameter doesn't work well on my 20' tritoon. I've had good luck with Solas Amita 4blade aluminum props, and they are CHEAP!
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2003 Suzuki DF140 - Yamaha 9.9HT kicker - 39.1@6300rpm

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