"Shawn Willden" wrote in message
...


My
suspicion is that this prop is just too much for my engine to turn, but I
don't really know if 2 inches of pitch make that much difference.

2 inches of pitch would make a BIG difference


At plane, with a wide-open throttle (assuming the throttle cable is
adjusted
correctly), the engine peaks out at 3500 rpm.

No question about it, you are running too much pitch. At 3500 RPM your
engine is probably only producing about 60% of its rated horsepower. I am
guessing that your hole shot has the RPMs down in the low 2000 range, at
which point your engine is only producing about 1/3 of its rated horsepower.

You need more RPMs from the engine!


So, before I go buy a prop, what do you all think?

I think that you should "try before you buy".

Many of the boat shops carry loaner props for exactly this reason. Some
rent the props, then apply the rental to a purchase. Others just take a
security deposit and loan them out.

Call the shops in your area and see what is available. If you can take two
or three at a time spend a few hours test driving props. Put a prop on,
launch, take a few quick passes, come back and repeat. Once you settle on a
prop, buy it! And buy it from the shop that provided you this service, not
the cheapest online place you can find!


Rod