How easy should the prop turn by hand

[Chrisoswald]

Originally Posted by Kyle

Is it possible that the shaft packing is too tight.

I would take off the packing cap and try to spin the shaft. Heck it's a cheap replacment anyway. Pull the packing rope out of the log and try to spin the shaft. If it is still in a bind then remove the shaft and see if it is bent.

I'm willing to bet that the alignment is not the problem. If the packing is removed the shaft should have several inches of play up down side to side. If the shaft is still hard to turn it will be either bent or something is wrong with the strut or berrings. Remove packing from log and report back.

i did loosen the packing nut completely..it was spinning freely on the shaft and still need two hands to spin that sucker.

[Kyle]

Originally Posted by Chrisoswald

i did loosen the packing nut completely..it was spinning freely on the shaft and still need two hands to spin that sucker.

Remove the shaft and we will keep our fingers crossed that it is not bent or the strut is not bent. Something is not right.

If you can't spin it by hand easily you need to fix it. You don't want to burn up the berring in the tail of the tranny or tear anything else up.



Have u ever hit anything submerged before? Are you the only owner of this boat?

[FrankSchwab]

If you're going to replace the hose and packing, then while you're waiting for parts go ahead and remove the hose from the through hull fitting (the "shaft log"). Then verify that the shaft appears to be more-or-less centered in the hole going through the hull. It'll bend and sit on the bottom of the hole, but you should be able to easily move it left, right, up, down. If it's forced against one side or the other, you need to resolve the issue.

If the prop is now easy to turn, then you have a lot of friction in the stuffing box. Time to figure out why and deal with it.

If, after removing the hose, it's still really hard to turn the prop, then you have some binding going on in the strut bearing. I'd pull the shaft at that point, inspect, and replace the bearings.

/frank

[mzimme]

Can someone post a picture of all these parts you're talking about? After reading throught his thread I think I'm going to check the bearings and alignment on my 83 S&S because I can't turn the prop by hand. I do have the PS trans, and I haven't really tried to muscle the prop either, but it definitely does not spin freely by any means.

[EJ OJPROP]

With the rubber strut bearings the prop will not spin freely out of the water. The rubber bearing is water lubricated. The bearings we have been installing in our struts since 04' are self lubricated and will allow the prop to spin freely out of the water.

[mzimme]

Originally Posted by EJ OJPROP

With the rubber strut bearings the prop will not spin freely out of the water. The rubber bearing is water lubricated. The bearings we have been installing in our struts since 04' are self lubricated and will allow the prop to spin freely out of the water.

So I should try spinning after the boat has been in the water for a more accurate assessment?

[CantRepeat]

Originally Posted by EJ OJPROP

With the rubber strut bearings the prop will not spin freely out of the water. The rubber bearing is water lubricated. The bearings we have been installing in our struts since 04' are self lubricated and will allow the prop to spin freely out of the water.

I figured, by now, everyone would have the plastic type bearings. Heck, my 92 had them when I bought it.

[Chrisoswald]

Update....got the prop off and got the castle nut off the prop shaft in the shaft coupler. Working on getting the coupler off the shaft. Soaking it with pb blaster and have some tension on it with a socket wedged between the trans coupler and the prop shaft. Hopefully it will break free tomorrow. Still hard as hell to turn by hand. Even with the rubber strut bearing should it take two hands?

[Chrisoswald]

So.....coupler is off...really not that hard to do..if you are going to tackle the job use a liberal amount of PB blaster and let it marinate overnight. I tired to do it yesterday and kind of hit a wall so i let it soak overnight and with three or four turns of the wrench it popped right off.

The shaft really wants to lay firm to the starboard side of the boat. i pulled the shaft and it is straight. My pal that works at mastercraft is going to check the strut to make sure its not bent. Everyone wish me luck!! Ordered new shaft log hose and packing and if the strut is fine will get some new bushings...the nylon ones...im hopeful that all my issues were just the old rubber bushings.

[TRBenj]

Originally Posted by CantRepeat

Ok, I guess I should clarify.

If you have a 1to1 trans it should spin very easy, one finger for sure.

I would believe a 1.xx geared trans would have a little more resistance, a Vdrive possibly a little more.

None of them should take two hands muscling it to break it loose and spin.

If that is the case and still so after alignment, you've got other issues that need to be looked at.

You were correct the first time... transmission ratio has no effect on ability to spin the prop by hand out of the water. These trannies are hydraulic... so if theyre not spinning and building pressure in the pump, there is nothing pressing the clutches together and it can freewheel. Its not like youre spinning engaged gears or anything.

Like Eric said, the only thing that *should* be causing any sort of resistance is the strut bushing. I disagree that a rubber strut bushing will make it difficult to turn though. Even a brand new boat with a fresh bushing should turn with one finger. A properly aligned boat with his vesconite bushings spins easier though. My buddy has them installed and you can spin that prop by hand and it will turn a few revolutions before stopping. Crazy how little friction there is.

Bottom line, if the prop is hard to turn by hand, then youre either misaligned, or something is bent.