Kiwi Prop

Vinny · Mar 20, 2009

DanoDano,

I have one on our H40 and do like it. I had a little problem with it being over propped but I don't think that is all their fault. It seems that when the 4JHE was put into the H40 Legend it didn't quite fit so Mack Boring fit the engine with an old style wet exhaust gas mixing elbow (3GM) that could be turned side ways to allow Hunter room in the aft cabin design. This takes the exhaust from 3" on the 4JHE to 2" on the modified engine. Thus it was little over propped because the engine is about 10 HP light in the H40.

The prop it self works well now that we unpitched it a bit and it makes a marked improvement in backing. It also seems to improve the speed under sail somewhat. I can tell you this, under power going forward at 7 kts you can idle down, shift into neutral then into reverse and power up and it will bring her down to no forward motion quite quickly. Also going into a slip in a cross current with enough forward way to get in you sometimes you need some real stopping power and it will do that as well.

I'm not affiliated in anyway with the company in fact I don't even use Kiwi shoe polish.

Jim Seamans · Mar 20, 2009

Dano, Have finished one season (last year) with the Kiwi. I'm impressed. Forward speed under power is very good, 2200rpm still doing 6kts. Backup is very strong with very little prop walk. My wife is the one putting it in the slip and she has been very happy with it.
Sailing (subjective here) I think I picked up .5 to 1kt of speed. As with Vinny I'm a little over prop and will back off just a little, since I'm unable to get up to top rpm with current prop setting. I'm out of the water and will be adjusting it this weekend..

Otherwise very very happy with the prop.

edmund99 · Mar 20, 2009

I put a Kiwi prop on my H40 replacing a three blade prop with a large surface area. The Kiwi prop has performed well, I gained almost .75 knot under sail in about 12 knots of breeze. The remarkable difference was the rudder sensitivity. Seems the old three blade passed a rather large dead zone of water back to the rudder. Now, it is quite responsive under sail. Conversely, I lost about .75 knot under typical cruising rpm's. I can rev it up a bit, and actually be better in spec, so I'm not worried. I increased the pitch slightly from the Kiwi setting. I did have a first haul issue with the prop being under lubricated and after the first season it was frozen. But after that everything is fine.

Rick Sylvester · Mar 21, 2009

Dano, sorry to hijack the thread

but Vinny's post about his 4JHE elbow got me thinking. Does your elbow look like this?

Vinny · Mar 21, 2009

Rick Sylvester said:
but Vinny's post about his 4JHE elbow got me thinking. Does your elbow look like this?

That's it. It is directly off a 3GM. The one for a 4JH is a straight 3" pipe with the water nipple on the top. It would have come out into the aft cabin about a foot without the mod.

Paul356 · Mar 21, 2009

I have a Kiwi on my 356 and like it quite a bit. Less prop walk, definitely a lot better sailing performance. A little less forward speed that my stock 3-blade, and a little less bite in reverse, but that's to be expected. I'd probably put the fixed 3-blade back on for a really long motoring trip, like cruising down the Mississippi or (I guess) the ICW, but for the kind of motoring in the normal course of day sailing or shoreline cruising, it's perfectly adequate and I'm guessing probably close to a fixed 2-blade.

Rick Sylvester · Mar 21, 2009

Maybe my exhaust flange is different than yours

because I just mic'ed it and the o.d. of the black part after flange and it's less than 2". Based on that I'm reasonably certain that the diameter of the exhaust outlet diameter is considerably smaller than 3". Having just replaced the flange twice recently and having bought the exhaust gasket each time from the Yanmar dealer I'm pretty sure mine is around 2" (or less.)

Having said all that, although I'm pretty sure mine was from the factory (I'm the second owner) I have no doubt that things get substituted as you suggest.

I'd take it all apart (again) to check it to be sure but, hey, I don't love you that much

Vinny · Mar 21, 2009

Re: Maybe my exhaust flange is different than yours

Rick,

You are correct, ours is under 2" but the original for our engine was 3". I think the flange that we have covers the larger exhaust hole. If I remember the original has the flange and mixing elbow as one piece. I was going from memory when I said 2" but I did get the 3" drawing from Torresen (http://shop.torresen.com/) because the parts person I was talking to could not find a mixing elbow like I was describing (for a 4JHE) so they sent me the drawing for the one that was suppose to be on our engine. I then called Hunter and they referred me to Mack Boring who fessed up to the change so Hunter could use the engine.

And I feel the love but I don't look forward to removing mine either. I figure that at it's best I'll have to remove the heat exchanger after I break off the bolts. I would love to figure out a way to use the correct mixing elbow but the only way that could happen is if I got it custom made out of SS. Then the problem would be that the exhaust hose would have to be replaced all the way out the back and I'm sure the holes through the stringers would also have to be enlarged as well. So that isn't happening.

When I get back home the week after next I'll email you the line drawing of the original part, that's if I remember.

Kiwi Prop

.

.

.

.

.

Attachments

.

.

.

.

.