Brunton Autoprop

T

tt65

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 Apr 2004
Messages
217
Location
UK
Visit site
I really want to clean my old faithful 3 blade Autoprop and would like to get an "as new" shine. Over the years tried all sorts but reckon I could do better somehow. Currently covered in dark encrusted mud type stuff. Tidal mooring so prop does go down into mud daily. Any advice would be welcome.

Incidentally last year I applied Lanolin to prop and ss prop shaft to keep barnacles away. What a waste that was!

Anyone want a part used tub of lanolin?
 
tt65 said:
I really want to clean my old faithful 3 blade Autoprop and would like to get an "as new" shine. Over the years tried all sorts but reckon I could do better somehow. Currently covered in dark encrusted mud type stuff. Tidal mooring so prop does go down into mud daily. Any advice would be welcome.

Incidentally last year I applied Lanolin to prop and ss prop shaft to keep barnacles away. What a waste that was!

Anyone want a part used tub of lanolin?
Click to expand...

Like this you mean?

DSCF0008.jpg


Hard work first year, easier every time thereafter. Start with 300 wet/dry used very wet, then 600 very wet, then 1000, very wet. Then several polishes with Brasso with a final one just before launch as this takes off any last minute tarnish. Next lift out, try to clean whilst still wet as it is easy to push off the slime with a soft piece of plastic, then re-polish.
 
Crikey! but yes, that is what I want mine to look like. So comfortable seat, bucket of water and reams of wet and dry. I wonder if my wife would tackle it - doubt that somehow.

Will really give it a go. Thanks for that Robin.
 
tt65 said:
Crikey! but yes, that is what I want mine to look like. So comfortable seat, bucket of water and reams of wet and dry. I wonder if my wife would tackle it - doubt that somehow.

Will really give it a go. Thanks for that Robin.
Click to expand...

There is another job you ought to do...

Since it sinks into mud, the mud may contain abrasive particles that can get into the bearings for the blades...:eek:

You ought to periodically grease the bearings with waterproof grease using a gun fitted with a flexible applicator hose and greasing nipple.

There are two screws on each blade, one in the body of the blade and the other in the centre of the bearing cap. Undo both. Insert grease through the body of the blade aperture. Squeeze until the grease fills all the bearing and comes out of the open hole. Replace screws. Do the same for all three blades. Enjoy ! :D
 
I don't remember how long it took the first time to remove the previous owner's antifoul, but once done I reckoned little more than an hour to restore the shine prior to relaunch. There were a few barnacles on the blade roots and hub on liftout but otherwise just a sort of slime or limescale coating, fairly easily removed. If lazy the limescale can be treated briefly with something like Harpic with limescale remover, although I always did the job as she was in the boatlift and it came off easily using a bit of old plastic batten as a scraper. The polishing was a sort of therapeutic job, sat on a chair.

BTW the older Bruntons like mine in the picture have open bearings that should never be greased, newer ones had grease points.
 
Simon et al

Yes, mine is an older one like yours, no greasing. I do put pressure hose through bearing area. Mine must be close to 20 years old. Last year I tightened up each blade bearing but not necessary this year. I think that has been done about once every 5 years or so.
Actually mine looks exactly the same as yours, same rope cutter, and similar P bracket. (Westerly Fulmar).
I will endeavour to post a photograph series, before and after kind off. Got harpic in the car boot, sun shining, no grandchildren to mind for a few days so off I go!.
For any non Brunton converts reading this:
It transformed the boat after the original 2 blade fixed..
Faster top speed under power. 7.5+ from barely 5. It has real punch that was not there with the 2 blade fixed.
Less revs and less fuel when cruising under power at my chosen 5.5 knots.
Motor sails vastly better, usually a bit of engine and a mere zephyr and 5.5+ again.
Sailing speed is at least 1 knot more under most conditions. Engine in gear.
Engine in neutral and it is rotating like mad and takes 2 knots off sailing speed. I have tried bump starting engine but failed.
Less prop walk
The only down side is that she can be a bit fast at idling revs (800 rpm) and up to 3.5 kts. Short bursts deal with this.
Emergency stop in about 3 inches!!
You can tell I love my Brunton. Do they do T-Shirts?
 
I also have an Autoprop on my Beneteau Oceanis 281. I'm very happy with the propeller and the way it works, it's nearly 8 years old now and I have had no problems at all. It's a very clever piece of kit indeed. I suspect that you pay £500 for the propeller and £500 for the idea someone had..........

The only thing that I don't like about it is their own 'nose cone anodes'. They're over £20 each from Brunton's and they are a pretty poor design, as they are screwed on to the boss of the propeller, and the anode wastes around the screw holes first, so it drops off. They have never lasted me more than half a season. I don't bother now, but buy a collar anode for £6 and fit it onto the shaft, right up against the propeller. That lasts 2 seasons normally.

I have never painted mine but have tried polishing it to a mirror finish, using Solvol Autosol polish and a small 'random orbit sander' (£19 from Machine Mart - excellent!) fitted with a wool buffing bonnet. It came up very well, but it didn't stop it fouling up.

So I had Propspeed treatment, from www.propspeed.co.uk. In the first year it really didn't work, so they reapplied it, and in the second year it seemed to work OK at keeping the fouling off. The jury's out I suppose - it's a bit early for me to recommend it to others.

It's a silicone like coating, almost like a varnish, and it has to be applied by an 'approved applicator. BUT - it destroys the lovely polish that you worked so hard to achieve. However it's only under the water, I suppose, and if it keeps the fouling off then it may be worth it.

Just my two pennyworth - may help someone.
 
The trick with the cone anodes (told me by Brunton) is to dab some paint around the screw holes, I used Primocon, this stops these eroding faster than the rest of the cone. After doing that the anodes were still intact after 12 months.
 
Bruntons told me at the LBS that they need servicing every 1000 hours, I went back a gave the blades a bit of a twist and found 2 of them with a little movement, v bad said Mr Brunton so off it came and back it went to them, it is something you can do yourself, with the kit costing some £200+, there were dark murmurings about water getting into the guts and doing bad things resulting in the prop throwing a blade/s, that was enough for me. When it came back, it looked too good to put back on, i thought it was something that i should sit on the coffee table and gaze at. However I fitted it, lashed it up with loads of useless lanolin product and went out last week end, one thing i did notice was the absence of a clunk as i went from ahead to astern, so perhaps it was necessary.
 
Before!

Havnt started on it yet, polishing GRP took priority today. Will post an "after" whatever the result.
 
Best I can do.

Here is the "after" photograph. Neither my photographic skills nor my polishing ability really shine here. Will try to do better next year. There seem to be marks that no amount of wet and dry will remove over the blades but not over the boss. Suggestions on this welcome.

On the other hand the the rest of the boat came up luverly, not bad after 27 years I think.
 
tt65 said:
Here is the "after" photograph. Neither my photographic skills nor my polishing ability really shine here. Will try to do better next year. There seem to be marks that no amount of wet and dry will remove over the blades but not over the boss. Suggestions on this welcome.

On the other hand the the rest of the boat came up luverly, not bad after 27 years I think.
Click to expand...

Your Fulmar looks lovely.

Waxed hull ?
 
We used Autoglym Resin Polish for years and it is really excellent. There use to be a 'marine' product (Aquamarine System 5 cleaner and System 6 polish IIRC?) that was really good and not stupidly priced but they had packaking problems and it was discontinued but it was made by Autoglym. The Autoglym car product looks, smells and works just like the Aquamarine one and I would hazard a guess is the same product.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top