Stuck propeller

[martinriches]

I am trying to get my prop of the shaft.I have tried a gear puller and hammer but it wont shift. Next step is to heat it up with either hot air gun or brazing torch.Does that sound right?

Any other ideas

Martin

 

[Firefly625]

I am trying to get my prop of the shaft.I have tried a gear puller and hammer but it wont shift. Next step is to heat it up with either hot air gun or brazing torch.Does that sound right?

Any other ideas

Martin

indeed that does sound right. Just be aware that you do NOT want to end up with a gearbox leak because you have damaged the shaft seal if you are hammering away at the prop! Much better to use heat, and a prop puller... gentle does it!

 

[foillan]

You could use boiling water on it when the puller is under load.

 

[kashurst]

they can be difficult to get off. fit the puller to the prop/shaft and do it up really tight - but keep the nut on, just undo it say 2 full turns, because when the prop comes free it will want to jump off at great speed. Then heat the prop hub with a blow lamp (propane/butane plumbers thing) for a good ten minutes and get it really really hot. With a bit of luck during this time it will come free off its own accord with a bit of a bang. If after at least ten minutes of heating all around the hub, hit the hub on the side really hard with a 16oz hammer. Rotate the prop say 1/2 a turn and hit it again. A couple of good belts should release it. If after 3 or 4 good belts it hasn't come off, pour cold water all over it to shock it, then repeat the heat, belt cycle.

 

[fisherman]

Never done anything except ringing: hold a dead weight against one side of the prop, belt it opposite with a lump hammer. My prop is 28in, I use a 20kg deadweight, 4lb hammer.

 

[Ripster]

Had to do this a few times when I had bronze props on stainless shafts. I found that heat was the key. You can bash away forever on a cold assembly and it won't budge, but if you heat the prop boss up with a torch nice and hot (so you can't touch it) then give it a number of single belts via a decent lump hammer and hardwood dolly to protect it, they come off. Leave the nut on the shaft so the prop doesn't fall off the end onto the floor! There are probably other ways, but this is my experience.

 

[martinriches]

Thanks great advice as usual

Martin

 

[longjohnsilver]

Had to do this a few times when I had bronze props on stainless shafts. I found that heat was the key. You can bash away forever on a cold assembly and it won't budge, but if you heat the prop boss up with a torch nice and hot (so you can't touch it) then give it a number of single belts via a decent lump hammer and hardwood dolly to protect it, they come off. Leave the nut on the shaft so the prop doesn't fall off the end onto the floor! There are probably other ways, but this is my experience.

Exactly what I've done in the past. Also works for me.

If using a puller do leave the nut partially done up, I have seen props fly off the shaft and land yards away, would be very nasty if it hit someone!

 

[Bandit]

If you can depending on blade overlap load up a puller.

Leave the prop nut in place a few threads down.

Apply heat with a propane torch and watch it let go.

Do not wallop it metal to metal with a lump or sledge hammer, you could buggerrr up gearbox or coupling and it will be obvious to a surveyor in the future.

 

[superheat6k]

If you use a three legged puller load the puller really hard, with the nut still in place as mentioned, then apply the heat, but try to get the heat into the prop hub as quickly as possible without direct heat onto the shaft, the idea is to get the hub to expand but not the shaft with it. A turbo torch is ideal as it is hotter than propane, and available from B&Q (MAPP Gas). Once it is nice and hot shock the main stud of the puller with a sharp tap from a heavy copper mallet, off she comes.

 

[fisherman]

shock the main stud of the puller with a sharp tap from a heavy copper mallet.

Remembering that the shock from that goes straight to the gearbox thrust bearing, don't get carried away.

 

[macnorton]

I had a bad one a few years ago, ex navy boat with bronze shaft.
Ended up using a hydraulic puller with heat but couldn't leave the nut in place, used heat, hammer and puller together and was about to cut the prop off when it let go! The prop and puller including the hydraulic pump ended up in the field behind after going through the fence,the bang as it went was heard some distance away!
Don't stand behind!

 

[sharpness]

From the above posts, a prop puller sounds like the tool to have to make the job easier. Those that use them, is it a tool you bought or did you borrow / loan one from the local marine engineers where you were lifted out? Reason I ask is this a tool the forum recommends every DIY boater should own, or just borrow / rent when needed, as I'll need to remove my props when my boat's lifted in March.

 

[fisherman]

Yeah go and buy one, they don't eat no meat! I've never used one, but would if ringing didn't work, but it always has, don't think the puller brings anything to the party.
The bronze on bronze example above might be different: I tried to get a 4 inch deck plate, bronze in bronze, out, ended up in a vice with a gas axe, long levers, never did shift it

 

[macnorton]

You can make a puller with two pieces of heavy plate, both plates have three bolt holes. One has a slot that fits over the shaft and the other a hole. Used with four nuts/bolts. Hope that makes sense?

The 3 leg Halfords type are not up to the job, the hydraulic one I used was a borrowed 5T one!

 

[david_bagshaw]

One of the best tips I was shown was to put ordinary soap, as in lifebouy etc on the prop hub and heat from the other sides, ie not directly on the soap , but on other bits of the hub. when it goes brown it is hot enough, then the hammer and block as others have said. Deffo keep the nut on though. The soap temp, is correct for annealing aluminium incidentally

 

[fisherman]

The 3 leg Halfords type are not up to the job, the hydraulic one I used was a borrowed 5T one!

That was probably capable of spreading the shaft, which would not help.

 

[martinriches]

I bought mine from local car parts shop about £25. I thought it would be a good investment.A 6'' 3 jaw one.

Martin

 

[ChiPete]

I bought mine from local car parts shop about £25. I thought it would be a good investment.A 6'' 3 jaw one.

Martin

And was it? Looking for the best non-heat solution if at all possible on a Oceanis 323.

 

[superheat6k]

And was it? Looking for the best non-heat solution if at all possible on a Oceanis 323.

If you are worried about open flame near the boat a decent hot air paint stripper may suffice and is very controllable, but getting the heat into the prop boss quickly is essential, otherwise the shaft will expand with the prop boss. Do this with a well loaded puller.