Propeller removal - any ideas?

[boggybrn]

I need to replace the cutlass bearing on my Newbridge Pioneer, but after several attempts haven't been able to get the propeller off.

I have tried a variety of 3 leg pullers, the last of which was a fairly substantial looking one from Halfords. With this tightened up I have tried bashing the puller screw with a lump hammer, and have heated the prop with a blow lamp. In the end I cracked one of the feet on the puller.

So... are there any other options?

The difficulties I have are:

a) There is only 5" from the end of the prop shaft to a skeg. (I had to shorten the screw for the puller to fit this gap)

b) The forward face of the propeller hub is quite rounded (presumably from previous removal, but slightly worse now.) So it is dificult to get the claws from a 3 leg puller to grip well.

I saw a sketch in a Don Casey book for a puller made from plate steel, with three bolts. This looks hopeful, but I need a source for suitably thick steel (maybe 8mm thick, 2 bits about 6" square). Failing this I'm close to trying to get someone else to do the job.

Any recommendations for either of the above in the Fareham / Portsmouth area?

 

[dsw]

if you can get a nice long bit of hard wood behind the prop and a good size club hammer then give it some good hard bashes while turning the prop each time but dont forget to put the nut on a little bit so it wont fly off and i have done it this way a few times.

 

[noswellplease]

Prop removal

Haven't done the job myself but I saw it being done in my local yard with a stubborn prop that didn't want to shift, they heated it for a couple of minutes with a blow torch and hey presto off she popped.

 

[Neil_Y]

Never good to hammer although many will say this is the only way.

Jacking off offers more pull and more control.

How much hub have you got? as there could be enough room to tap two holes in the rear of the hub, thread studs into these holes (at least 4x the stud dia) then place a bar across these that rests on the shaft nut loosened but still on its whole length. Wind up nuts on the two studs evenly with washers and they will jack off the prop. Use heat but don't hammer.

 

[BAtoo]

Tried several times; never managed it so always got the yard to do it; usually costs £15-20 or so & its their responsibility if anything goes wrong.

 

[vyv_cox]

if you can get a nice long bit of hard wood behind the prop and a good size club hammer then give it some good hard bashes while turning the prop each time but dont forget to put the nut on a little bit so it wont fly off and i have done it this way a few times.

Then take the gearbox out to replace the output shaft bearing!

 

[JohnTH]

If you have already broken a proprietary puller, it sounds to me like you will have to make your own puller to fit your job. Heavy plate cut and drilled to size. Hope you have or can find the engineering skills.

On the up side of the equation, next time you need the prop off, it will be a piece of cake.

73s de
Johnth

 

[fisherman]

If you've beaten the end of the shaft, via the puller, then you have probably spread it. Try the nut to see.

Only way I've ever done it is by 'ringing'. Dead weight, ie sledgehammer head, or bigger (I use a 20kg railway chair) held against the prop boss, hit the other side with a lump hammer. I mean the sides, not front and back. Definitely don't hit the prop or shaft endways.

 

[TQA]

HEAT

A blow lamp is not enough, you need a serious propane or oxy acetylene torch.

Get a puller onto it. The plate type is the way to go. Get some strain on the prop with it.

Find a biggish hammer 4 lbs

Heat up the prop hub, work around it, do not melt it but it would be OK to get it dull red if required. You may need a shelter from the wind. Get some one used to swinging a hammer to belt it one.

That should do it.

 

[NormanS]

Never good to hammer although many will say this is the only way.

Jacking off offers more pull and more control.

How much hub have you got? as there could be enough room to tap two holes in the rear of the hub, thread studs into these holes (at least 4x the stud dia) then place a bar across these that rests on the shaft nut loosened but still on its whole length. Wind up nuts on the two studs evenly with washers and they will jack off the prop. Use heat but don't hammer.

That's how I would do it. Even better with three studs.

 

[CET1]

Changed ours last year. Thought it was going to be difficult as the boat next to us had taken three weekends to remove his. Our solution was some gentle heat from a propane torch followed by tapping with two 7lbs hammers on either side of the propeller. Prop flew of and ladded on the ground. Good luck.

 

[dsw]

Then take the gearbox out to replace the output shaft bearing!

Never had a problem in the past and forgot to say that i did tighten
the stuffing box/gland untill the shaft did not move.

 

[Heckler]

Then take the gearbox out to replace the output shaft bearing!

Yep!!
I mean if hes broken a puller on it then its big heat time I think
Stu

 

[boggybrn]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far...

It sounds like heating it up needs a more powerful torch than I was using - with the surface area of the propeller blades there is no way I could get it anywhere near dull red.

I think that the hub is too small to drill and tap, so favour making a puller from heavy plate. Any ideas where I could either get some plate?

 

[DaiB]

Shifting your prop

You need to make a puller that fits close over the shaft, U shaped. Use 12mm plate both sides. A couple of old pipe flanges are ideal
Use min M12 stud bar.
Leave the prop nut on but backed off a turn or so.
Tighten up evenly so you can't get the nuts any tighter, don't need an extension but they need to be really tight.
Then get a good heat source to warm up the prop boss. It has to heat up quickly so the prop boss expands but the heat hasn;t time to get to the shaft. Slow heat is no good.
If you have to pay someone to make up the puller forget it and give the job to the yard, it will work out cheaper.

 

[Poignard]

I saw a sketch in a Don Casey book for a puller made from plate steel, with three bolts. This looks hopeful, but I need a source for suitably thick steel (maybe 8mm thick, 2 bits about 6" square). Failing this I'm close to trying to get someone else to do the job.

I have one of these that I made from two 8mm steel discs but it will only suit a 1" shaft (or less). You are very welcome to borrow it but I'm not sure when I will next be visiting my boat in Gosport. Sometime in the next ten days I expect. Weather and flu permitting!

 

[Deleted member 36384]

..... Our solution was some gentle heat from a propane torch followed by tapping with two 7lbs hammers.......

I would agree with that. Frequent, lightish taps even with a standard claw hammer will loosen it up. Don't use any wood protection which may dull the blow, don't strike the prop heavy enough to mash the propellor material.

Frequent striking all round the propellor will eventually break the bond and with heat it should be even better.

Have you checked that there are no back up grub screws to lock the propellor on? Its not that uncommon to have taper fit also locked with a grub screw after a shaft nut has been made up. Look around the shaft of the propellor carefully and remove any paint or crud.

 

[dunmor]

thick metal plate

Thanks for all the suggestions so far...

It sounds like heating it up needs a more powerful torch than I was using - with the surface area of the propeller blades there is no way I could get it anywhere near dull red.

I think that the hub is too small to drill and tap, so favour making a puller from heavy plate. Any ideas where I could either get some plate?

you can get thick plate from any where they sell tow bars eg TOW SURE.
ask for A drop plate to lower the tow ball They Do 2 sizes get the large one
approx 6"x4" inches Their Only about £5 each, hope this helps. if you get nuts & Bolts Get As Coarse A thread As You Can Their Stronger Than A Fine Thread,

 

[NormanS]

[QUOTEGet As Coarse A thread As You Can Their Stronger Than A Fine Thread,[/QUOTE]

RUBBISH.

 

[PCUK]

Patience!!!
Get the puller under resonable tension, then get a blowlamp head with a hose that attaches to a propane bottle. Arrange the head so that the flame is playing on the hub and leave it there for about twenty minutes. Come back and reposition it on the other side, leave it for another twenty minutes. If the prop' hasn't freed itself under tension from the puller, give the end of the puller a few gently taps while further tightening it. The prop' will then come off.