Should I be able to spin the prop with the boat in gear?

[EricG]

Obviously not running....

Maybe a stupid question. Sorry if you feel it is.

While out the other night just cruising up the river, it felt like the prop kept coming out of the water - engine would rev up a bit - then catch.

I searched around here a bit. Didn't really know how to say what I was looking for - so didn't know what to type in the search field.

So - I got it on the trailer - backed it into the yard and hooked up the muffs and fired it up. The engine runs fine - doesn't skip a beat. I pulled the cover over the engine compartment. I put it in gear and it just didn't sound right - let me make that a bit more clear - the engine sounds fine - very smooth. I put it in neutral - all good - reverse - not quite right. Don't know how to describe it other than that. I walked away from it.

Came home today and decided to try something. I just jumped in the boat - on the trailer - and put it in gear. With significant force, I can spin the prop by hand. The whole shaft spins with it. I did the same in reverse. It gave very little resistance to me trying to spin it. In fact, it made kind of a clunking sound in the out drive.

The out drive was brand new last summer. It might have 50 hours on it.

Thoughts? Thank you in advance.

 

[dc380]

Others will chine in I'm sure, but what you have is a spun prop. It can be repaired by a prop shop.

The inner bushing, has detached from the metal housing.

I used to always carried a spare aluminmum prop, just in case this happened.

 

[Lazy Daze]

New style prop or rubber-hubbed prop?

If old style, sounds like it needs to be re-hubbed - that would explain the over-revving underway.

Were cables replaced along with the drive?

Might need a cable adjustment (if new) - I'm not totally following what you're getting at as it sounds like you have two things going on.

You should not be able to spin the prop by hand if it's in gear - other than spinning it the wrong way - but that will make a clicking sound.

If the shift cable isn't adjusted properly it won't allow full engagement. If you put the drive in forward, then spin the prop the wrong way it will make that clicking sound. Now put the drive in reverse and again spin it the wrong way (opposite of before) so you get the clicking sound again. The clicking sound should feel and sound the same regardless of if you're in F or R.

 

[EricG]

Thank you for the replies. Let me clarify.

When in forward, I can spin very easily with clicking in one direction. When I try to spin it the other direction, I have to really work to get it to move - but I do get it to move a fair amount. The whole prop and shaft turn. I can "feel" it moving something in the out drive.

When in reverse, it spins pretty easily in either direction with clicking in either direction. Not much resistance at all.

If I have a "spun prop", would the shaft turn with it? I really don't know -

I do wonder about the shift cable. I bought the boat right after the out drive was replaced. I do not know if they were replaced at the same time. My previous boat had a shift cable issue. I did seem to have some trouble recently (a month or so ago) getting it to shift from forward to reverse without stalling. I just worked the control back and forth a few times and that seemed to bring it out of it.

 

[dc380]

Sounds like something else is going on. If it were a spun prop, the prop spins around the rubber hub. Nothing else moves.

 

[ShamuToo]

Your drive has an engagement gear. I think it's called a dog gear. It has studs on one face of the gear that catch in matching slotted holes in the face of the gear it engages with (on the same shaft, one slides into the side of the other) It's not totally engaging , probably due to shift cable adjustment. Let's hope it's that simple anyway.

 

[EricG]

Your drive has an engagement gear. I think it's called a dog gear. It has studs on one face of the gear that catch in matching slotted holes in the face of the gear it engages with (on the same shaft, one slides into the side of the other) It's not totally engaging , probably due to shift cable adjustment. Let's hope it's that simple anyway.

Agreed. Simple would be good. I'm dragging it down the hill to the marina when I get home.

For the record: George's Marina in Dover, NH. Can't say enough good things about them. George appears to be a straight shooting - no bull**** - kind of guy. He has done work for me on my previous boat. Honest - and goes the extra mile to make sure things are done right. Only problem is - he doesn't take plastic. Let's hope this is a cheap one.

 

[EricG]

I am happy to admit operator error. Crazy current + trim tabs all the way down + outdrive trimmed up gave the illusion of issues. I had it in the water all last weekend fully loaded with no issues at all.

I just need more summer now.