Top Tips On Servicing A Boat Propellor From Inspection To Removal
In order to make a boat go forward in the water the motor must twist a propeller at high speed and convert that torque into pushing water backwards which propels the boat in a forward manner. There is a lot of slippage, as many times the propeller is rotating faster than what the boat can move forward because the boat weighs so much more than the water this being pushed backwards by the propeller. For this reason, it’s important to choose a propeller that is carefully matched to the size of the boat and the horsepower of the motor in order to get the best acceleration when needed.
When Buying A Used Boat It’s Important To Check Out The Motor And Propeller
It can be fairly difficult to buy a used boat if you’re not familiar with boats in general and haven’t spent a lot of time working on them. In addition to that, many times it’s difficult to inspect the boat while it’s already in the water, and at the same time, a boat out of the water is nearly impossible to test without putting it into the water.
For best results, it’s important to spend a lot of time carefully inspecting the boat while it’s out of the water in every way possible, then put it into the water and run it through a series of tests. After you’ve tested the boat in the water to see how performs forward, backward, turning right, turning left, fast, and slow, then it’s best to take it back out of the water and reinspected again carefully from bow to stern.
Of course, when buying a boat secondhand from a private party, there is little guarantee or warranty involved, once you buy it’s yours and there’s no return. On the other hand, if you buy a boat from the dealer that is reputable, there is almost always some kind of warranty at least on the motor, steering system, and the hull.
Normally, a boat dealer will have also carefully inspected the boat before buying it or taking it in on a trade, then they’ll carefully repair any known problems that they have found. Since they are experienced at buying and selling boats they’re usually pretty good at making inspections and repairs in order to not have problems with the warranty later.
Servicing a boat propellor can be difficult on a larger boat that is hard to get out of the water, however, on a smaller boat the inspection and service is fairly simple on dry land. On some larger boats it’s necessary to put on a mask and wetsuit, dive into the water, and do all the work underwater, which is usually a job for an expensive, highly trained professional.
When Servicing A Boat Propellor You’ll Usually Need To Remove It First
There several ways the propellers can be attached to the drive, some are as easy to remove as bending a cotter key with a pair of pliers, removing the key, and then undoing the prop nut with the ratchet. Normally there will be a couple of washers or spacers and they should be returned in exactly the same order as they are removed. One way to make sure is to put them somewhere safe in exactly the correct order for later replacement.
Underneath the propeller there will be what is called a spline which looks similar to gears on a shaft. If there is sand, dirt or corrosion on the spline it’s a good idea to clean it off and give it a fresh coat of marine quality grease that is made withstand salt water and still maintain its ability to lubricate.
If you’re merely inspecting and repairing the old propeller, after you do so then just replace it exactly the way it came off, or if replacing it with a new one, it will also go on the same as well. Any bent, chipped, or otherwise worn blades should be carefully examined by a professional and if they are determined to be unusable the entire propeller should definitely be replaced.
One Inspection That You Should Do Before Removing A Propeller From The Shaft
Also, when servicing a boat propellor you should always inspect it first while it’s still on the engine. Start by carefully turning it with your hand with the engine in neutral and not running. While turning it you should be pulling from side to side to see if there’s any looseness in the shaft first, then look at it from the side view to see that each part of the propeller is exactly lined up with the other parts.
When a propeller hits a submerged log or rock many times one part of it will end up being bent slightly, which will create an uneven amount of torque in the water causing the motor to work extra hard to propel the boat. This can also cause a vibration that will be noticed at a certain speed or RPM of the motor which may be difficult to trace back to the propeller.
Although removing most propellers is a fairly easy job for the average home mechanic, the inspection of the propeller itself should most likely be left to a professional that is experienced with marine propellers. Many of the defects of a propeller that has hit a submerged object are difficult to see with the untrained eye and only an expert will be able to diagnose the problem.
Even if you haven’t done much work on your boat, it’s a good idea to do as much as you can before asking for help in order to learn about your own boat. It’s important to always work slowly and cautiously, keeping track of the parts in the order that they’re removed, for their future replacement. There are plenty of how-to videos on the Internet that you can watch explaining many of the steps that need to be done in excellent detail. Then, don’t hesitate to turn to the professionals for their experienced, honest opinions when you need them.