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Over the years, I'm sure all of you have noticed, as have I, that buyers of new E-tec engines are always looking for more speed, evidently not getting what they had hoped for. The answer has always been, correctly, to raise the engine and get a better prop. In the past, this has always been a Stiletto SS, a recommendation of Tom Clark. They are now off the market, and re-purposed as a higher priced line, called Turbo, I believe. So the BRP Viper seems to be the answer. This is an old 3 blade design from OMC days?

I would strongly recommend E-tec owers, and others looking for top performance, look at the brand new Mercury designed props for mid range engines, 75-115HP, the latest prop engineering available. The first offering was in a 4-blade aluminum called a Spitfire, for those not wanting to spend up for an SS prop. It is probably the best performing aluminum prop you can buy.

But the real news is the new 4 bladed Spitfire X7, made from the same material as the now famous, and top performing Enertia line for 150 HP and up. Mercury says this prop is faster, and performs better than their own Laser II and Trophy Plus, some of the hottest props available and previous performance leaders for years and years on mid-range engines. That is really saying something, comparing it not to others, but to their own top perfroming lines. Cost, delivered is $389 from jacosmarine.com., a great deal and the same price as the Laser II, currently the fastest three blade mid range prop on the market.

Owners of 75-115HP outboards, 2 or 4 stroke, should seriously look at these Spitfire X7 props. Expect to be seeing this prop on the new Montauk 170's with 90 HP Mercs rather than the Laser II currently being used.


https://www.mercurymarine.com/en/us/p...itfire-x7/

[Moderator Comment: Let's not digress into engine selection in this thread, rather stick to mounting height, prop selection and related issues for PR William. Discussion of the latest Mercury engines is encouraged in a separate thread.]