Boat Prop Maintenance

Boat Prop Maintenance - A Guide

by Todd Alan

Not many boat owners pay too much attention to maintaining
the propellers of their boats even though the performance of
a boat depends largely on how well the propeller has been
maintained. However, if you can follow some simple steps in
maintaining your propeller, you should be bale to take your
boat into the water without any trouble.

It is always a good idea to periodically remove the prop
from the shaft and check for any damage to any of its
components. The tools you would require for this would
depend upon the make and model of the prop.

Most of the commonly available boat props use a nut
retaining device that helps keep the nut in place whilst in
use. The two main types are the locking tab washer and the
cotter pin. You can remove a cotter pin by using a plier to
straighten it out. Once straight, it can be gently tapped
out of place, and then pulled out using the plier. If you
need to work on a locking tab washer, you would require a
flat-head screwdriver. The screwdriver needs to be inserted
under the tabs that are bent downwards, and these need to be
pried upwards till they go past the notches in the washer.
There could be more tabs to be unlocked, and you should
check for these as well.

The uncovered propeller nut should then be taken out. Since
the propeller blades are often quite sharp, it is best if
you wear leather gloves whilst you work on this. With the
nut taken out, any spacers inside the shaft also need to be
removed, and the propeller can then be taken out. Removing
the thrust washer which is generally present in the front
side of the propeller is also important.

With the propeller and its components out, you can then
remove any plants, fishing lines, or any other material that
is tangled in the propeller shaft. If these are not taken
out from time to time, they can hinder exhaust gas and water
flow, thereby causing expensive to fix frictional damage to
the prop. In order to evade seizing, you should apply a
fairly thin coat of waterproof grease in the grooved
(splined) area of the prop shaft.

While you re-install the propeller, you should check for any
excessive wear or damage to any of the components. The
thrust washer needs to be a perfect round, should fit the
shaft snuggly, and shouldnt have any deep scratches. Worn or
damaged washers, which are fairly easy and inexpensive to
replace, can cause a fair amount of damage to the propeller
as they would not provide the required spacing in the
propeller.

Check you prop for any nicks, cracks, as well as bent
blades. If the props center barrel has developed cracks, if
it has nicks that are larger than an average thumbnail, and
if the blades are severely bent, it is best that you take
the prop to a professional boat props repair center. - 920

The top place for information
on(http://www.boatpropshop.com) Boat Propellers.