anotherdimension

my baja 342 has a pair of 502s spinning bravo 1 4 blade 28pitch props im only getting 3900rpm somethings not right,manual says 5200 with these props ,any suggestions please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!also top speed is 64mph

Payton

Are they EFIs? Could they be running in "safe" mode for some reason?
Have those props always been on the boat?

You've got a very low prop slip # (7%). Maybe you simply have to go down a size in prop pitch.

cbeastwood

64 mph at 3900 is optimistic. Is this speed via the speedometer or GPS? If it's by speedo, you're top speed is probably more like the high 50's...

I'd say you're over-propped. I'm running 26's on my 342 with 496 HO's and am thinking about having the 26's labbed as my max rpm is around 4800. I think it's just too much weight for those engines with 28's.

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

Your props must have come with the boat? There is no way a pair of stock 502's (if they are) are going to spin a set of 28 pitch props to the correct rpm in a Baja 342. Your only problem is your overpropped. Try a pair of matching 24's but don't buy props until you have tried a few sets. Your boat should probably run 66-72 with those motors at just over 5000 rpm's depending on load. Its easy to really load these big boats down too if you get 4 people on board and a full tk of gas plus gear,Smitty

anotherdimension

cheers guys many thanks they are efis props were with the boat when i bought it last year only just started using it after having had a lot of repair work done on the motors the guy i bought the boat from is not sure if there original with the boat,speed check was the boat speedo so none to accurate,most tests have been with half tank of fuel and just me and wife,no gear on board,so ill try a pair of 24s first see what that does,can i find out from baja what it came with new?
c beastwood whats your fuel consumption with the 496 motors, mine are the stock 502s, new manifolds and risers and one head skimmed and valves redone on one engine, id love to try and sort this boat out it sounds great but doesnt go that great , thanks guys!

cbeastwood

My fuel consumption is normal for a twin-engined big boat (i.e. - terrible).

If you go to www.boattest.com and search for the 342 under Baja, their test boat ran 70.1 mph at 5,000 rpms. GPH at that rpm was 66.4. It says that this was achieved with 14 x 28 props but I find that hard to believe unless the test was done in a virtually empty boat in salt water with a good wind at their back...I've hit 70 in the open ocean in similar conditions ONCE...

anotherdimension

cbeastwood many thanks for that id love mine to come near the 70 mark,im going to try smaller props but im so low on revs at 3900 rpm, there a great boat, a little rattly ie things work loose when it gets choppy, but it looks so sexy is yours a hard screen or glass?

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

If this test is what someone based the props on this boat from (its possible) the big difference is they are saying 14" dia by 28 pitch,that would have been some kind of cut down prop which would have rpm'd higher,a typical bravo 4 blade is 15 1/4 dia so maybe thats were things got so far off,just caught that re-reading the post,Smitty

cbeastwood

Smitty,

Interesting observation - I had no idea that these were smaller diameter props than normal. 1 1/4" sounds like quite a bit of diameter to remove but it sounds like it really worked for that boat. So well in fact that I may look for a set to replace my 15 x 26's...

Anotherdimension, I don't think that these boats are more rattly than any other that are so full of options - microwave, refrig, full windshield, etc. - there's a lot to bang around so I guess I just expect it a little bit. Mine doesn't really rattle that much though. Just the cabin door really...Here are a few pics of mine...post some of yours!

johnnyboatman

iTrader: (5)

what gear ratio, if it has 165s like some of the newer stuff poss could came with 28s, but my 29 came with 23s