suggestion for removing a stuck prop

[dunkelly]

Anyone got suggestions as to how to remove a stuck fast prop on a macwester . i have tried heat and tapping all round , so far with no luck

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Have you got a puller on it? If yes, wind it up tight and then hit the boss with two opposing hammers simultaneously.

 

[Spyro]

Have you got a puller on it? If yes, wind it up tight and then hit the boss with two opposing hammers simultaneously.

And heat it

 

[NormanS]

I've always wondered why ALL propellers don't have two or even three tapped holes on the aft face of the boss. If they have, it becomes so easy to use them, with an appropriately drilled plate to pull the prop off.

 

[dunkelly]

sadly dont have a prop puller , i have pullers that ive used on other boats i have but there isnt enough room to get even the smallest one between rudder and prop .

 

[Poignard]

I have a home-made puller for my 3-blade prop. It comprises two 10mm thick mild steel discs with three 11mm holes around the periphery of each and a radial 26mm slot in one of them, three lengths of 10mm studding with nuts and washers.

The disc with the radial slot is placed ahead of the prop around the shaft and connected to the other disc, abaft the prop, with the three studs. Tightening the nuts evenly usually frees the prop, if not, a whack in the centre of the aft disc does the trick. That disc has a pointed brass boss in its centre that fits in the centre-drilled propshaft so avoiding damaging the propshaft threads.

 

[steveallan]

Two lump hammers
If that doesn't work cut it off with a disc cutter

 

[NormanB]

sadly dont have a prop puller , i have pullers that ive used on other boats i have but there isnt enough room to get even the smallest one between rudder and prop .

Take the rudder off?

 

[Iain C]

It's been said above, however it's important to understand the order in which things happen

(Some plusgas the night before ain't a bad idea)
-Puller on, wind it up hard (you might need a piece of scrap steel to protect the end of the shaft)
-Heat it
-It's the action of hitting it with the hammer(s) that hopefully leads to the BANG and off it comes.

Don't expect it to start sliding slowly off just with the puller. It's the shock load from the hammer once everything is wound up super hard that will ping it off in one. All you need to do is hit the boss perpendicular, don't worry about hitting it in the direction you want it to move, and don't hit the blades!

 

[dunkelly]

thanks all , i will give it ago and see how i get on ,

 

[Mistroma]

And heat it

I always tie mine securely to the P-bracket, wind up the puller and then dribble small quantities of near boiling water over the prop. I've been lucky so far as it usually just flies off without so much as a tap.

I only did it once without tying it to the P-bracket and it went quite a few feet with a big bang. I now tie the prop and puller with a short piece of rope. Zero chance of removing mine without a puller. I did try heat and hammer technique years ago with little effect. A plate with a slot cut in it can be a good way to get some grip for a puller.

eBay can be a good source of really old, solid kit. Usually a result of a clear out when someone's grandfather moves to smaller accomodation (sometime very small). My puller is massive and much stronger than new ones. Ditto with 3' long crimp tool and 3' long stilson (I tend to err on the side of overkill).

 

[Iain C]

I always tie mine securely to the P-bracket, wind up the puller and then dribble small quantities of near boiling water over the prop. I've been lucky so far as it usually just flies off without so much as a tap.

I only did it once without tying it to the P-bracket and it went quite a few feet with a big bang. I now tie the prop and puller with a short piece of rope. Zero chance of removing mine without a puller. I did try heat and hammer technique years ago with little effect. A plate with a slot cut in it can be a good way to get some grip for a puller.

eBay can be a good source of really old, solid kit. Usually a result of a clear out when someone's grandfather moves to smaller accomodation (sometime very small). My puller is massive and much stronger than new ones. Ditto with 3' long crimp tool and 3' long stilson (I tend to err on the side of overkill).

You can also slack the nut off, but leave it on the shaft, and put your scrap steel across it. Saves any damage to the threads and stops the prop flying off. A bit like removing a car steering wheel and avoiding the smack to the face with it as it comes off

 

[Neil_Y]

We always advise jacking off with threaded rods screwed into the prop hub as Poignard described.

You can do it with two bars and then a piece of angle or box section across these and another threaded bar in the centre pushing against the shaft. Depending on diameters of hub and nut you can leave nut on a turn to catch prop. But jacking off is far more controlled and has no need for hammering, heat can still be used. P brackets aren't designed to take side loads and don't like being hammered. I know the theory but you can easily damage a prop or P bracket especially on a small boat.

 

[TQA]

A puller with some heat is the way to go.

Wind up the puller working from the side just in case. drape a couple of empty sacks from the stern to act as a catch fence.

Apply heat. A LOT OF HEAT! No wussy little propane torch. At the very least a gas axe with the biggest nozzle. [ 2 are better ]

If it is your first time doing this sort of thing be aware that they can go off with a real bang and fly a considerable distance which is why you stay out of the line of fire and rig the sacks.

My gaffer always removed the nut, I never found out why.

 

[saab96]

It's been said above, however it's important to understand the order in which things happen

(Some plusgas the night before ain't a bad idea)
-Puller on, wind it up hard (you might need a piece of scrap steel to protect the end of the shaft)
-Heat it
-It's the action of hitting it with the hammer(s) that hopefully leads to the BANG and off it comes.

Don't expect it to start sliding slowly off just with the puller. It's the shock load from the hammer once everything is wound up super hard that will ping it off in one. All you need to do is hit the boss perpendicular, don't worry about hitting it in the direction you want it to move, and don't hit the blades!

You must get a puller and use maximum force. Plenty of heat. Flood the prop with WD40 when it is hot and let the oil get sucked in. Then hit the boss much harder with a much bigger hammer than you would wish. When it comes BEWARE: it will fly back with a huge bang. This is a brutal job.
PS Have you done it yet?

 

[ctva]

Took me two days with Loosall, heat, puller, heat, lump hammer, heat, swearing (an important requirement missed in the contributions above), more heat and a BFH.

Good luck.

 

[Mistroma]

You can also slack the nut off, but leave it on the shaft, and put your scrap steel across it. Saves any damage to the threads and stops the prop flying off. A bit like removing a car steering wheel and avoiding the smack to the face with it as it comes off

Yes, that would be the obvious thing to do and I suppose I should have mentioned that as well.

Unfortunately, my boat has a nut with a recess for a prop. anode. The puller wouldn't be pushing on anything solid enough with the nut in place.

Leave anode on: Pushes on a crumbly anode
Remove anode: Pushes on thin soft metal inside the hole for the anode
Refit anode retaining screw back inside the nut isn't much good either as it isn't meaty enough to push against.

Only option left to me is to completely remove the nut and tie up the prop.

I suppose that I should have explained that I have a nut with a prop anode. So used to that now, I completely forget about the basic type.

 

[graham]

Don't use one hammer.you need two and hit the boss simultaneously from both sides

.Your not trying to hit the prop off the angle of the hammer blows should be at 90 degrees to the line of the propellor shaft.

I have seen this work without pullers on a prop declared to be totally stuck. Clearly heat and wd40 etc will help but it's the shock waves that will get it off.

 

[vyv_cox]

Don't use one hammer.you need two and hit the boss simultaneously from both sides

.Your not trying to hit the prop off the angle of the hammer blows should be at 90 degrees to the line of the propellor shaft.

I have seen this work without pullers on a prop declared to be totally stuck. Clearly heat and wd40 etc will help but it's the shock waves that will get it off.

Yes this is the method. Do not try to knock it off with one hammer: the force is being taken by the output bearing of the gearbox. Rolling element bearings really do not like impacts.

 

[dunkelly]

Thanks all , 2 hammers , a lot of heat , wd40 and a cut down puller and its finally off . !!