Folding Prop (with attitude)

[Sneaky Pete]

Following on from a recent post on this matter. This is a new, to me, boat and it requires sail drive seals replaced. Couldn't get the body of folding prop off, removed nuts and nothing moving. Eventually had puller on it and hammering to help release, but the prop continued to give me attitude. After many hours of trying eventually took a cutting grinding wheel to it, chopped it up to reveal a housing almost welded to the shaft.
So it says a lot to grease the prop every few years, only takes a short time. This one doesn't look as though it's ever seen grease.
So new prop housing, and a lighter wallet.

 

[vyv_cox]

I am not quite sure what your photos show but is this galling of stainless to stainless? Galling is a form of welding: I can confirm that once it occurs nothing can be done to separate the parts. Grease will have a limited effect in preventing galling but grease containing molybdenum disulphide has been found to be the most effective palliative.

 

[PabloPicasso]

I am not quite sure what your photos show but is this galling of stainless to stainless? Galling is a form of welding: I can confirm that once it occurs nothing can be done to separate the parts. Grease will have a limited effect in preventing galling but grease containing molybdenum disulphide has been found to be the most effective palliative.

Hi Vyv.

Is there a brand of water resistant grease with molybdenum disulphide?

 

[Sneaky Pete]

I am not quite sure what your photos show but is this galling of stainless to stainless? Galling is a form of welding: I can confirm that once it occurs nothing can be done to separate the parts. Grease will have a limited effect in preventing galling but grease containing molybdenum disulphide has been found to be the most effective palliative.

The picture shows the housing attached to the splined shaft. The shaft is as you say stainless the housing is cast aluminium, it breaks away with a bit of leveraged.

 

[Neeves]

There is a You Tube vid of removing and installing a Volvo folding prop on a Volvo sail drive. My guess is you must have looked at this one and others. Our props were the same or very similar to this assembly - except ours prop did not have spacers, mentioned early in the vid. If the spacers were missing the prop could then impinge on the sail drive - but with spacers the prop would not touch anything and would simply be retained by the splines and nuts. If the hub did touch anything and there was galling - the prop would seize and lock the drive.

I cannot see how the hub would gal to the shaft - but can see how the hub could be 'glued' to the shaft, red Loctite

Our props sail drive did not have spacers but did have a lightweight sort of saucer thing between hub and sai drive - but it was very flimsy and I always assumed the termination of the splines stopped the hub touching the sail drive. I do note in your pictures the drive shaft is drilled for a cotter pin. missing from our shafts and unnecessary if there are the big and small nut and a tab washer.

The fact there is a hole drilled might suggest that one or both of the big and small bolts were lost and the then owner locked the prop with a cotter pin (and red Loctite) - but surely not. The hub would then be cemented in situ - but not be removable as red Loctite liberally applied is almost permenant, cold. ( know as I used red locate on a long interscrew and I almost destroyed the interscrew but then resorted to heat.

Jonathan

 

[vyv_cox]

Hi Vyv.

Is there a brand of water resistant grease with molybdenum disulphide?

Most manufacturers produce calcium greases with MoS2. Molykote silicone based ones with MoS2 have good water repellent properties. Lots of choice