Any members have experience with prop dynos? I have been told that it will simulate the load of the boat being on water and it will handle the RPM of my motors all the way to WOT. Reason I am asking is I just had a bunch of motor work done on my boat which is completed and ready for pick up, but due to the location and time of year I will most likely not be able to get it in the water for a sea trail. They do have a prop dyno though and advised that I can run it on that. The company who has done the work has been nothing but great to me and its not that I dont believe them with what they say about the dyno's performance, I just do not know enough about them to feel comfortable about just using it and not sea trailing the boat after the work that was done before I hook up and bring it home. Any thoughts/opinions or anybody that has experience with prop dyno's would be appreciated.

I had a small one at my shop that was more for smaller engines, pretty simple waterbrake fed by a garden hose. Worked ok but not suited to supply enough water to the engine for cooling under load. Mine would measure up to 300hp it said but I would never push an engine to that level because of the cooling set up. Like I said mine was small & rolled around on casters. Randy

Most shops just have a dyno that is capable of loading the engine, but don't give any real data. It still will give you a good idea if the engine is running correctly. Land & Sea makes a real nice unit that can measure 800 HP at the prop and software that will give you good data just like on a regular engine dyno. That's what I have and have dyno'd hundreds of boats at the prop.

Bob Lloyd
Full Throttle Marine

Talk to Bob he published a bunch of tests on different exhaust systems a while ago to give true power readings. He should be able to tell you whether that is a good idea or not. Randy

Thanks for the reply's. I believe the prop dyno the company has, is rated up to 850hp or somewhere in that ball park. I'm sure they would not buy junk products either so I am pretty confident that the prop dyno they use/own is top of the line. I was just unsure if it really puts a good idea of a load on the motor with out being in the water. I know putting it in the water is the best option but mother nature really controls if that is going to happen or not.

"Yes" would be the answer to your question. About the only thing they couldn't check would be water leaks that would only show up in the water.

Bob