Prop work

[John McCarroll]

This week I am removing my prop to clean, buff and have it inspected. I have used the search function here and on Youtube but have not seen this process documented. If anyone has an link or advice please share. The prop is on our Ericson 27 "Tamaki". Thanks! JM

Part 2: removed the cotter pin and lock nut, I can see it is a taper fit on shaft so I am going to borrow the prop puller and remove prop.

 

[EGregerson]

prop

do u have a pic of the prop?

 

[John McCarroll]

do u have a pic of the prop?

I will take a few and upload.

 

[frick]

Prop Knocker

I will take a few and upload.

Most Boat Yards have a Brass Prop Knocker.... It is soft so as not to deform the Bronze or Stainless Steel Prop.

So..
1: Place a Board Between your Prop and the Bottom of the Hull and wedge it in it the prop can not turn.
2: Remove the Prop Nut.
3: place the prop knocker behind the prop (My yards' Knocker extends beyond the Prop Strut) Use larger Hammer and knock it loose.
4: It is possible to knock the whole shaft out of the prop coupling on the Transmission so be careful.

Rick

 

[tenders]

A prop really should be pressed or squeezed off a shaft, not whacked, to avoid bearing and transmission damage. You can use a two-arm "gear puller" of sufficient mass sourced from an auto parts store for a two-blade prop. I have a device in my garage designed for popping brake rotors off of car wheel hubs that would also work with a two-bladed prop as well. Three-blade prop pullers are more complicated.

Not to hard to construct your own squeezer out of a few threaded rods, some plywood, and perhaps some aluminum plate for stiffness - Tom Metzger has posted photos of his cutless bearing puller that would be insightful for a custom design.

 

[Alan Gomes]

Most Boat Yards have a Brass Prop Knocker.... It is soft so as not to deform the Bronze or Stainless Steel Prop.

So..
1: Place a Board Between your Prop and the Bottom of the Hull and wedge it in it the prop can not turn.
2: Remove the Prop Nut.
3: place the prop knocker behind the prop (My yards' Knocker extends beyond the Prop Strut) Use larger Hammer and knock it loose.
4: It is possible to knock the whole shaft out of the prop coupling on the Transmission so be careful.

Rick

I would add Step 3a: "Listen to the tinkling sound of your transmission gears being smashed into little pieces"! :0

 

[Ian S]

+1
PLEASE! use a gear puller. a whopping $6.85 @ home depot on line. Prop knockers or harmonic knockers are really more appropriate for ski boats with V drive or heavy duty transmissions. the only other knocker I am familiar with is one to remove the shaft from the coupling not to remove the propeller. and even at that I would not use it. If I had a stubborn coupler I would agin use a puller to remove the coupler. One should not use blunt force on the output shaft of the transmission.
A puller may also be obtained at harbor freight or any decent hardware store for a few dollars. Now granted that's a cheap crummy puller but you'll only use it a handful of times, maybe once. This is the best way to remove a propeller properly. A three jaw puller is always best (if it can be accommodated) as it is much more stable than a two jaw (imagine a stool with two legs?) Also any three jaw puller will be convertible to a 2 blade should you have an interference issue. I would also strongly reccomend drilling a small pilot dimple in the end of the shaft for the stud to ride in so it will not slip (it will have a pilot on the end of it). Some shafts have this some do not. Build up the tension sufficiently, then a couple of medium force blows with a plastic mallet or dead blow hammer and wallah slides right off. Two other notes. Don't loose the keyway (if applicable) and apply a light coating of anti-seize compound prior to re-installing.

It's a piece of cake! Oh and as long as it's off , "well gee honey" we might as well put a nice feathering propeller on there , you want to get there quicker! right dear??
right guys! (-:

Capt. Ian

 

[Alan Gomes]

+1
PLEASE! use a gear puller. a whopping $6.85 @ home depot on line. Prop knockers or harmonic knockers are really more appropriate for ski boats with V drive or heavy duty transmissions. the only other knocker I am familiar with is one to remove the shaft from the coupling not to remove the propeller. and even at that I would not use it. If I had a stubborn coupler I would agin use a puller to remove the coupler. One should not use blunt force on the output shaft of the transmission.
A puller may also be obtained at harbor freight or any decent hardware store for a few dollars. Now granted that's a cheap crummy puller but you'll only use it a handful of times, maybe once. This is the best way to remove a propeller properly. A three jaw puller is always best (if it can be accommodated) as it is much more stable than a two jaw (imagine a stool with two legs?) Also any three jaw puller will be convertible to a 2 blade should you have an interference issue. I would also strongly reccomend drilling a small pilot dimple in the end of the shaft for the stud to ride in so it will not slip (it will have a pilot on the end of it). Some shafts have this some do not. Build up the tension sufficiently, then a couple of medium force blows with a plastic mallet or dead blow hammer and wallah slides right off. Two other notes. Don't loose the keyway (if applicable) and apply a light coating of anti-seize compound prior to re-installing.

It's a piece of cake! Oh and as long as it's off , "well gee honey" we might as well put a nice feathering propeller on there , you want to get there quicker! right dear??
right guys! (-:

Capt. Ian

Great advice, Capt. Ian. I would add this: If you ever need to remove the prop shaft from the boat and the coupler simply will not come off, you would be far better off sacrificing the shaft by cutting it just behind the coupler than you would be destroying your transmission! Furthermore, I certainly would *not* recommend using the trick that some do, where you position a socket (from a socket wrench) between the two couplers and then, using some longer bolts between the two couplings, attempt to force off the shaft by tightening the bolts. That is a great way to destroy the output flange on your transmission. I realize that's not what's being discussed here, which is simply removing the prop from the shaft while leaving the shaft in situ. But it's a related scenario worth keeping in mind.

 

[tenders]

"I certainly would *not* recommend using the trick that some do, where you position a socket (from a socket wrench) between the two couplers and then..."

*sniff*

I wouldn't recommend it either, but with my Atomic Four v-drive the coupler is under the engine, the shaft has less than two inches of play to slide out of the way, leaving barely even room for the longer bolts to fit, much less a puller of any type. I use smaller diameter nuts and bolts for this that do not torque on the threads in the transmission coupling, and it has been my experience that the threads on the compressive nuts and bolts start to fail long before the transmission coupling shows any sign of distress. I've done the job three or four times over the years, significantly evolving the lexicon of severe swear words in each instance, like penicillins developed against increasingly resistant bacteria. It is the hardest and most frustrating job I've ever done on a boat. The better solution is a split coupler, which the venerable Don Moyer has made available somehow.

 

[Alan Gomes]

"I certainly would *not* recommend using the trick that some do, where you position a socket (from a socket wrench) between the two couplers and then..."

*sniff*

I wouldn't recommend it either, but with my Atomic Four v-drive the coupler is under the engine, the shaft has less than two inches of play to slide out of the way, leaving barely even room for the longer bolts to fit, much less a puller of any type. I use smaller diameter nuts and bolts for this that do not torque on the threads in the transmission coupling, and it has been my experience that the threads on the compressive nuts and bolts start to fail long before the transmission coupling shows any sign of distress. I've done the job three or four times over the years, significantly evolving the lexicon of severe swear words in each instance, like penicillins developed against increasingly resistant bacteria. It is the hardest and most frustrating job I've ever done on a boat. The better solution is a split coupler, which the venerable Don Moyer has made available somehow.

Didn't know about the v-drive and clearance issues. I guess a guy's gotta do what he's gotta do. Glad you came out OK. But that method of removing the coupler from the shaft gives me the willies, regardless.

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/pss_shaft_seal

 

[John McCarroll]

Mission accomplished! Proper Prop Prep

See the blog entry I posted on the actual removal, thanks for your help here. I ended up using a borrowed "gear puller" that worked perfectly. Next task- clean and polish. If you have advice here it's always appreciated. Have a great day!

 

[John McCarroll]

All's well...

The final product...get out the wake boards!!