E27 Prop strut loose

[Merchey]

Bad news, looking for advice.


I have an E 27 with Atomic 4 inboard power. Last week a diver cleaning my hull informed me that my prop strut was loose and wiggling by hand. I just had the boat hauled to investigate to find that the fairing over the bracket is missing and the strut can be manipulated. Further it appeared that there weren’t any bolts holding it in place, like someone had simply faired it in. Last time the boat was out of the water this wasn’t seen. Early in the summer I wrapped a dockline. Motoring doesn’t seem any different before or after that event. I have always had enough vibration while motoring at any kind of speed to rattle the lazurette lid. I don’t see evidence that I am leaking from under the gas tank where the prop shaft would bolt through the hull, but I do leak a little bit at the packing gland enough that my bilge pump pumps out a little bit (maybe a pint or two) somewhat regularly.


I am waiting for an estimate from the boatyard and have been warned that it will likely be expensive. I’m expecting multi thousands of dollars and wonder what options I should consider.


Restore with the existing Atomic 4
Repower with diesel
Repower with outboard
Sell/donate/scrap boat and buy a healthier boat because the cost isn’t worth it for a 73 E 27

 

[Christian Williams]

I think most prop struts are glassed into the hull. Perhaps the yard can grind away and reinforce the area.

It may be that a new strut has to be found, or adapted, and installed.

It's a labor job that has to be done dry--but several members have done it, or had it done.

The value question always has to do with the quote from the yard, how much you like the boat, and the issue of trying to sell a boat with an unfixed fix. And if a tax deduction from an inflated donation value has accountancy appeal (which it usually doesn't, unless you're rich to begin with).

 

[GrandpaSteve]

Bad news, looking for advice.


I have an E 27 with Atomic 4 inboard power. Last week a diver cleaning my hull informed me that my prop strut was loose and wiggling by hand. I just had the boat hauled to investigate to find that the fairing over the bracket is missing and the strut can be manipulated. Further it appeared that there weren’t any bolts holding it in place, like someone had simply faired it in. Last time the boat was out of the water this wasn’t seen. Early in the summer I wrapped a dockline. Motoring doesn’t seem any different before or after that event. I have always had enough vibration while motoring at any kind of speed to rattle the lazurette lid. I don’t see evidence that I am leaking from under the gas tank where the prop shaft would bolt through the hull, but I do leak a little bit at the packing gland enough that my bilge pump pumps out a little bit (maybe a pint or two) somewhat regularly.


I am waiting for an estimate from the boatyard and have been warned that it will likely be expensive. I’m expecting multi thousands of dollars and wonder what options I should consider.


Restore with the existing Atomic 4
Repower with diesel
Repower with outboard
Sell/donate/scrap boat and buy a healthier boat because the cost isn’t worth it for a 73 E 27

I'm no expert, but if the strut is in good condition and just loose, I would look into securing it properly.

 

[toddster]

May be worth perusing this page from the manual:


I find it a little hard to interpret, but it does seem to suggest that the strut was just held in place by fairing material. i.e. the bolts appear to be inserted just to have something for the resin to hold.
Several threads detail how others have replaced these struts. Seems like if the strut isn't broken, all you need to do is clean out the box and re-cast the resin. Although I suppose if it's been run that way, something is probably worn unnaturally.

Mine is a little different. Some previous owner apparently skipped all that and through-bolted an adjustable strut to the outside. It may have been a custom welding job, but I think I saw something similar in a Buck Algonquin catalog. It looks weird, but it's one of those "if it works, don't try to fix it" things. I replaced the cutless bearing six years ago and it's still in good shape. Looks like I maybe better try to advance those aft bolts a few turns though. (Or maybe I'd just better leave it alone.) The bolts come up through an inch-high wedge of epoxy behind the batteries. Anyway, it seems rigid and it doesn't leak, so this ugly-duckling has kind of grown on me. (Bit of moisture coming from a rain-water leak aft of there. Yeah, that remote area needs some attention. )



Oddly, I don't see any sign that the "fairing box" as shown in the manual was ever present, but maybe the hull is thicker than I think it is under there. I'm not sure that converting from that to this would really be any less work. You'd still have to cast resin to get things aligned properly, I think(?) But through-bolting seems like a good thing here.

Bottom line - for an old E27, this is one of those jobs that probably only makes financial sense as a DIY.

 

[alcodiesel]

Todd, I like the look of your strut- There's a certain utilitarian beauty to it.
Also it's kind of Frankenstein-ish, just right for the season. Frankenstein was strong as heck.

Where do you get these drawings from? I have never seen this one in this site's drawing library.

 

[supersailor]

That is not an Ericson strut. Perhaps the engine was added later or the strut was changed. It should have a unit that looks about like this. If it works, use it but it should cause additional drag.

 

[Christian Williams]

I'm sure that Toddster's mechanical strut works fine, but as I understand it the glass-in factory method was done because of the self-aligning nature of the procedure.

It's hard to line up a strut, so the strut is installed "floating" in resin.

Same reason the packing gland of our rudder post is installed in the rudder tube with 5200 adhesive.

The bronze gland "floats" in the 5200, aligning itself correctly as the adhesive cures.

This was explained to me by a yard manager at a gold-plated boatyard.

 

[toddster]

Yeah - At first I thought it was sombody's "quick and cheap" way to avoid excavating a broken strut, but when I think about how to actually do it - I'm not so sure. I think it would be really hard to drill bolt holes precisely enough ( and drill and tap the strut plate at the right angle) to keep the strut aligned. Maybe not impossible. But I'd guess that they poured resin around this thing and then tightened the bolts. It's a bit of a mystery.

 

[toddster]

Where do you get these drawings from? I have never seen this one in this site's drawing library.

These construction details are in back of the owner's manuals for various boats. They seem to be kind of a random collection and sometimes manuals for other boats of the same vintage can have relevant drawings.

 

[Captain Bligh]

Strut

My two cents for whatever it's worth: My 73 E29 has the traditional style strut bedded in the hull and thru bolted with SS screws aprox. 3/8 inch size. Like most of us I never miss a chance to eyeball any Ericson whether in or out of the water. Have never seen a strut like the one pictured, not even in October . Should vibration continue, have prop pitch and balance checked too if I may suggest.

 

[supersailor]

Also, check the propshaft alignment. One of my engine mounts had collapsed causing a misalignment. New mounts solved the problem.