MC Novice needs advice... prop shaft howl

[Topless67]

Hello,

New to Mastercraft V drive boats.

2002 X Star
62.5 original hours
330 LTR enging

Never damaged
I'm the second owner

I took the boat out once last fall when I bought it and it seemed to run just fine.

I winterized it and it was stored outside with the MC cover on.

I just pulled it out of storage, hooked up all the water lines etc in preparation for the season.

With a fake a lake, I started it in my driveway.

Started right up with no issues.

engaged the tranny to spin the prop and a load squeaking howl and vibration was coming from the rear of the boat. I throttled back and dropped it into reverse to see if the squeal would come back. Tranny engages smooth but spinning the prop in reverse cause the squeal and vibration.

With the engine off and in neutral, I can spin the prop by hand and recreate the squeal.

It sounds like it might be coming from where the prop shaft goes through the large brass housing on the bottom of the boat.

Am I NOT supposed to be putting it in gear out of water? It looks like the prop shaft spins in a hexagonal type bushing. Have I screwed something up or is there another cause.

Vibration is pretty severe when I am spinning prop with the engine running.

Has something "frozen" over the winter while in storage?

The sound does not appear to be coming from the v-drive and the fluid appears to be normal "off pink" color and at the appropriate level according to the dip stick.

Please help this rookie!

Thanks,

Justin:mad:

[ROB]

You need to get water on that prop if you are going to put it into gear. You can actually cause damage if you continue to run in gear without the lubrication of water. Have someone with you to keep the prop and shaft lubricated.

[bigmac]

As stated, no water lubrication = quite a racket in the driveway. I suppose doing that too much could damage the strut bearing, but I've not seen that reported much here. Replacing that bearing is kind of cumbersome process, but I wouldn't worry about it. Put the thing in the water and I'll bet the noise goes away.

Look here for info on strut bearings (http://www.skidim.com/searchprods.asp?searchstring=shaft+bearing&pagenumber=1&sort_on=&sort_by=)

[Topless67]

Thanks fellas... Like I said, I am a newbie/rookie.

I just hope I didn't damage anything.

[bigmac]

I just hope I didn't damage anything.

I'd be very surprised if you did.

[panshovel68]

As stated, no water lubrication = quite a racket in the driveway. I suppose doing that too much could damage the strut bearing, but I've not seen that reported much here. Replacing that bearing is kind of cumbersome process, but I wouldn't worry about it. Put the thing in the water and I'll bet the noise goes away.

Look here for info on strut bearings (http://www.skidim.com/searchprods.asp?searchstring=shaft+bearing&pagenumber=1&sort_on=&sort_by=)

Strut bushings
http://www.skidim.com/searchprods.asp

[TMCNo1]

http://www.ojprops.com/products/strut_bushings

[FrankSchwab]

Thanks fellas... Like I said, I am a newbie/rookie.

I just hope I didn't damage anything.

I remember that sound from the time I tried that. A combination of fingernails on a chalkboard with the screaming of the souls of the damned.

If you had any hearing at all, and a lick of common sense, you probably pulled it back out of gear as quickly as you possibly could. The likelihood of damage is about zero. If, on the other hand, you sat there for five minutes revving the engine to see if you could shatter the windows in the house, you might have to worry about replacing the strut bearings.

Now that you've done that once, you probably realize that you just don't need to do that ever again. Everyone has to learn that lesson.

/frank