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Old Mercury Choppers
- Thread starter Woody
- Start date
BayviewRick
Member
The Chopper was designed to run half in/half out of the water for best performance. Probably for this reason, they became somewhat famous for cracking. This is also somewhat hard on the gear case, etc. The Chopper is also considered an inline prop, which compared to todays standard, doesn't spool water as well, not giving you as good of a hole shot. A replacement Chopper is available through Mercury Marine for $520.00. I've personally, never used one, if anyone has more info, or has one, let us know your results. Rick
www.Bayviewmarinecenter.com
www.Bayviewmarinecenter.com
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BayviewRick:
The Chopper was designed to run half in/half out of the water for best performance. Probably for this reason, they became somewhat famous for cracking. This is also somewhat hard on the gear case, etc. The Chopper is also considered an inline prop, which compared to todays standard, doesn't spool water as well, not giving you as good of a hole shot. A replacement Chopper is available through Mercury Marine for $520.00. I've personally, never used one, if anyone has more info, or has one, let us know your results. Rick
http://www.Bayviewmarinecenter.com <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif Thanks Rick! /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif
The Chopper was designed to run half in/half out of the water for best performance. Probably for this reason, they became somewhat famous for cracking. This is also somewhat hard on the gear case, etc. The Chopper is also considered an inline prop, which compared to todays standard, doesn't spool water as well, not giving you as good of a hole shot. A replacement Chopper is available through Mercury Marine for $520.00. I've personally, never used one, if anyone has more info, or has one, let us know your results. Rick
http://www.Bayviewmarinecenter.com <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif Thanks Rick! /infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif
I was able to do some prop swap and testing with a buddy. He has a few choppers. A 24P small ear, 26P Big ear and a 28P. All the props are over the hub. The hole shot stinks, very hard to get on plane. Once on plane they run ok. At the top end wot. I noticed they they didn't carry the bow well. So I had more boat in the water and less top speed. JW said in an earler post. Smaller checkmate seem to run well with the Laser 2, larger C'Mates run well with the tempest and tempest pluse as well as the trophy and trophy pluse.
1975 Checkmate Tri-mate 2, 2.4 200+
1975 Checkmate Tri-mate 2, 2.4 200+
BayviewRick
Member
The poor hole shot is probably caused by being an inline prop. If you compare to something like a Cleaver, the Cleaver has smaller cups, allowing it to spool water quicker, getting you on plane, out of the hole quicker. What prop is right for the boat... depends on how you use it. If your just out for some fun/day on the water, it'll work fine, if your serious about skiing, or have the need for speed, getting out of the hole is important, the "Chopper" may dissapoint you over a Cleaver, Tempest, etc. Todays Props are raked, cupped, Lab finished, three, four, five blades.. you name it, it's being done! Rick
www.Bayviewmarinecenter.com
www.Bayviewmarinecenter.com
So the "in-line" means no rake? I assumed it referred to the in-line, pre V6 Mercs of that era. No rake = no bow lift - not good.
I have plenty of power props. I am looking for a max speed, light load, surfacing style prop. Of course a good hole shot would be nice too but not primary.
I have plenty of power props. I am looking for a max speed, light load, surfacing style prop. Of course a good hole shot would be nice too but not primary.
BayviewRick
Member
OMC raker prop works well. Good holeshot and carries the bow well. You would only give up maybe 1mph on top end.
Surfacing props work great on boats that do not need bow lift from the prop. Running a surfacing prop. IE chopper or cleaver type may give you more rpm but may slow you down due to more boat being in the water.
IF your boat has a jackplate to get the engine high enough to use a surface prop then my sugjestion is to try one.
There is no exact prop for any given hull. The best advice is to try as many props as you can before deciding to buy one. What will work on one boat/motor combo, may be totaly wrong on the next
1975 Checkmate Tri-mate 2, 2.4 200+
Surfacing props work great on boats that do not need bow lift from the prop. Running a surfacing prop. IE chopper or cleaver type may give you more rpm but may slow you down due to more boat being in the water.
IF your boat has a jackplate to get the engine high enough to use a surface prop then my sugjestion is to try one.
There is no exact prop for any given hull. The best advice is to try as many props as you can before deciding to buy one. What will work on one boat/motor combo, may be totaly wrong on the next
1975 Checkmate Tri-mate 2, 2.4 200+
The modern Chopper II (made for the V6 Mercury's) is a good top end prop for our 'Mates. They are a large blade area round ear prop and have a lot of bow lift (high rake + cup) and great top speed. The Lightning ET is also supposed to be very fast (per my local Checkmate hot-rodder) but will have a little less bow-lift because it has some 'cleaver' influence in the blade design. For our heavy hulls, both are really only good for top speed.
The best top speeds I've seen posted with a 3.0 225 on a Pulsare were with a 28" Chopper. My local Checkmate mechanic swears by the ET though, and will sell it for a couple hundred more than the Chopper II. I'd really like to try a 24" ET on my 225 Promax/Pulsare
[This message was edited by JW on December 28, 2002 at 07:43 AM.]
The best top speeds I've seen posted with a 3.0 225 on a Pulsare were with a 28" Chopper. My local Checkmate mechanic swears by the ET though, and will sell it for a couple hundred more than the Chopper II. I'd really like to try a 24" ET on my 225 Promax/Pulsare
[This message was edited by JW on December 28, 2002 at 07:43 AM.]
C-mate 280
Member
The lightning ET has a very good hole shot on my Pulse 185, and I have found it to be a great mid speed prop as well,considerably better than a merc chopper and also better than my Tempest plus. I am hearing all kinds of good things about the laiserII on shorter Checkmate hulls so Im going to try one. The Trophy on my boat, is best for water skiing and carrying heavier loads as well as keeping the boat on the water in rougher conditions.