Michael Snow
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I'm NOT an expert, but I've seen a lot of questions, so I'm going to try my best.
Most Nitros are going to have Mercury engines. As such, I'll discuss the three Quicksilver props you probably have: Tempest Plus, Trophy Plus, and High Five. All are stainless steel props and I'll be discussing v-6 motors (150hp and up).
The Tempest Plus is a 3 blade prop with PVS plugs (more on those later). It has good bow lift and good top end. You'll typically gain 1-3mph on top end, but holeshot will be less than a 4 or 5 blade prop.
The Trophy Plus is a 4 blade prop with PVS plugs. The freshwater models come only in a small tube (or hub) size. On the larger v-6 models, the diameter of the outside of the prop's center "hub" is smaller than the diameter of the lower unit housing that the prop shaft comes out of. This makes the prop act more like an over-hub exhaust than a through-hub exhaust (see Cavitation Ring later). It will give you better holeshot than a Tempest Plus and a little lower top end speed. If you have a heavy boat, this is probably your best "all around" prop.
The High Five prop has 5 blades and is great for holeshot. Again, you'll have a little lower top end speed than the Tempest or Trophy. I've never used one, so that's the best I can give you on it. It's probably the prop you want if you're going to pull skiers on a bass boat.
The PVS plugs (on the "Plus" models) allow you to control the amount of exhaust gases that are expelled during low speeds around the prop itself. These gases allow the prop to spin faster, moving further into the powerband of the engine, giving you better holeshot. If you have too many plugs in, you'll notice little to no improvement in speed to plane (holeshot). If you have too many removed, you'll just blow out (prop will spin without giving any forward movement). There are three sizes of plugs (sm, med, large) and the props ship with 4 large plugs installed. For my 911CDC, I have 2 large plugs in, 2 removed.
A Cavitation ring is a piece of material (plastic or nylon) that slips over the front end of the prop hub where it attaches to the lower unit. This diverts the gases from going around the hub of a small hub prop and makes the gases go through the hub. Again, on my 911, I use a cavitation ring (it came with the prop and suits my needs).
Be careful not to "overtweak" the setup, because a boat with no "luggage" and a 1/4 of gas is much lighter than 2 people, lots of gear, and a full tank of gas and full livewells. So, if you find that "optimal" setup to get the best holeshot by removing plugs, when your load changes and the boat is heavier, the force required to move the boat is higher, thus the resistance can cause you to experience blow out. Just don't get TOO overboard.
Most Nitros are going to have Mercury engines. As such, I'll discuss the three Quicksilver props you probably have: Tempest Plus, Trophy Plus, and High Five. All are stainless steel props and I'll be discussing v-6 motors (150hp and up).
The Tempest Plus is a 3 blade prop with PVS plugs (more on those later). It has good bow lift and good top end. You'll typically gain 1-3mph on top end, but holeshot will be less than a 4 or 5 blade prop.
The Trophy Plus is a 4 blade prop with PVS plugs. The freshwater models come only in a small tube (or hub) size. On the larger v-6 models, the diameter of the outside of the prop's center "hub" is smaller than the diameter of the lower unit housing that the prop shaft comes out of. This makes the prop act more like an over-hub exhaust than a through-hub exhaust (see Cavitation Ring later). It will give you better holeshot than a Tempest Plus and a little lower top end speed. If you have a heavy boat, this is probably your best "all around" prop.
The High Five prop has 5 blades and is great for holeshot. Again, you'll have a little lower top end speed than the Tempest or Trophy. I've never used one, so that's the best I can give you on it. It's probably the prop you want if you're going to pull skiers on a bass boat.
The PVS plugs (on the "Plus" models) allow you to control the amount of exhaust gases that are expelled during low speeds around the prop itself. These gases allow the prop to spin faster, moving further into the powerband of the engine, giving you better holeshot. If you have too many plugs in, you'll notice little to no improvement in speed to plane (holeshot). If you have too many removed, you'll just blow out (prop will spin without giving any forward movement). There are three sizes of plugs (sm, med, large) and the props ship with 4 large plugs installed. For my 911CDC, I have 2 large plugs in, 2 removed.
A Cavitation ring is a piece of material (plastic or nylon) that slips over the front end of the prop hub where it attaches to the lower unit. This diverts the gases from going around the hub of a small hub prop and makes the gases go through the hub. Again, on my 911, I use a cavitation ring (it came with the prop and suits my needs).
Be careful not to "overtweak" the setup, because a boat with no "luggage" and a 1/4 of gas is much lighter than 2 people, lots of gear, and a full tank of gas and full livewells. So, if you find that "optimal" setup to get the best holeshot by removing plugs, when your load changes and the boat is heavier, the force required to move the boat is higher, thus the resistance can cause you to experience blow out. Just don't get TOO overboard.
