Variprop servicing

[Twrharris]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone new a place in the uk that will service a Variprop? It has been on the boat since I have had it and I’m pretty sure it has never been serviced. ( I have greased) I spoke to Bruntons at the Southampton boat show and they said it will have to go to Germany which seems a bit of a pain to do that and was hoping someone in the uk could undertake it? Thanks

 

[geem]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone new a place in the uk that will service a Variprop? It has been on the boat since I have had it and I’m pretty sure it has never been serviced. ( I have greased) I spoke to Bruntons at the Southampton boat show and they said it will have to go to Germany which seems a bit of a pain to do that and was hoping someone in the uk could undertake it? Thanks

What do you think needs doing? I service mine myself. There isn't much to them. They have bumper stops and an anode. Both need changing periodically.

 

[Twrharris]

What do you think needs doing? I service mine myself. There isn't much to them. They have bumper stops and an anode. Both need changing periodically.

That was the main thing the bumber stops, are they easy to purchase and replace?

 

[geem]

That was the main thing the bumber stops, are they easy to purchase and replace?

Yes. Brunton sell them. You need to know which version you have as they changed the design , I think in about 2012. Mine predates this, just.
To get the bump stop out of mine, I just drill a hole in them. They are just hard plastic.
Stick a screwdriver in the hole and lever them out. Push fit the new ones

 

[Twrharris]

Yes. Brunton sell them. You need to know which version you have as they changed the design , I think in about 2012. Mine predates this, just.
To get the bump stop out of mine, I just drill a hole in the . They are just hard plastic. T
Stick a screwdriver in the hole and lever them out. Push fit the new ones

Thank you.

 

[LittleSister]

I'm pretty sure it's a Variprop I have. Annual servicing is just pumping full of grease and replacing the anode if required (plus usual cleaning off fouling, polishing, and if you anti-fouling (suitable type only), as with any prop). I have never needed to make any adjustments and know nothing about bump stops.

Like you I got the brush-off from Bruntons, who had not that long before sold the rather expensive prop to the previous owner of my boat.

The grease is a particular type. I am sure one could find a cheaper alternative to that sold by the German manufacturer, but in the circumstances of the time and to be on the safe side I bought some of that, which will probably last me years. You need a nipple to screw into the prop when you've removed the screw (I think this nipple comes as part of a service kit - I will try to look out where I got it from, and the instructions, tomorrow), and a grease gun. Basically just pump until grease starts coming out of another hole from which you've removed the screw.

The anodes for the prop are expensive, but needs must.

 

[geem]

I'm pretty sure it's a Variprop I have. Annual servicing is just pumping full of grease and replacing the anode if required (plus usual cleaning off fouling, polishing, and if you anti-fouling (suitable type only), as with any prop). I have never needed to make any adjustments and know nothing about bump stops.

Like you I got the brush-off from Bruntons, who had not that long before sold the rather expensive prop to the previous owner of my boat.

The grease is a particular type. I am sure one could find a cheaper alternative to that sold by the German manufacturer, but in the circumstances of the time and to be on the safe side I bought some of that, which will probably last me years. You need a nipple to screw into the prop when you've removed the screw (I think this nipple comes as part of a service kit - I will try to look out where I got it from, and the instructions, tomorrow), and a grease gun. Basically just pump until grease starts coming out of another hole from which you've removed the screw.

The anodes for the prop are expensive, but needs must.

Yours must be the more modern variant of mine. Mine needs no grease and no grease nipple. Water lubricated.

 

[Twrharris]

I'm pretty sure it's a Variprop I have. Annual servicing is just pumping full of grease and replacing the anode if required (plus usual cleaning off fouling, polishing, and if you anti-fouling (suitable type only), as with any prop). I have never needed to make any adjustments and know nothing about bump stops.

Like you I got the brush-off from Bruntons, who had not that long before sold the rather expensive prop to the previous owner of my boat.

The grease is a particular type. I am sure one could find a cheaper alternative to that sold by the German manufacturer, but in the circumstances of the time and to be on the safe side I bought some of that, which will probably last me years. You need a nipple to screw into the prop when you've removed the screw (I think this nipple comes as part of a service kit - I will try to look out where I got it from, and the instructions, tomorrow), and a grease gun. Basically just pump until grease starts coming out of another hole from which you've removed the screw.

The anodes for the prop are expensive, but needs must.

Thanks, you have put my mind at rest. I also bought the expensive grease and lubricate each season and replace the anode. If it helps when I’m at the boat next I will find the details, I buy mine from America, they work out cheaper even with import duty. The documentation I have suggests it serviced after a period of time and as you said when I spoke to Bruntons they weren’t that helpful. I will just carry on what I’m doing.

 

[pandos]

I'm pretty sure it's a Variprop I have. Annual servicing is just pumping full of grease and replacing the anode if required (plus usual cleaning off fouling, polishing, and if you anti-fouling (suitable type only), as with any prop). I have never needed to make any adjustments and know nothing about bump stops.

Like you I got the brush-off from Bruntons, who had not that long before sold the rather expensive prop to the previous owner of my boat.

The grease is a particular type. I am sure one could find a cheaper alternative to that sold by the German manufacturer, but in the circumstances of the time and to be on the safe side I bought some of that, which will probably last me years. You need a nipple to screw into the prop when you've removed the screw (I think this nipple comes as part of a service kit - I will try to look out where I got it from, and the instructions, tomorrow), and a grease gun. Basically just pump until grease starts coming out of another hole from which you've removed the screw.

The anodes for the prop are expensive, but needs must.

I bought a fist of nipples on Amazon..having searched for them in many local sources. It's an m5 grease nipple..

As for the grease I identified the type from the images on the auto-prop site and found the equivalent in a local digger parts shop... Afaik it was a fairly basic extreme pressure waterproof grease.

The anode came from Anodes Direct. And was a perfect fit..

 

[Ian_Edwards]

I'm pretty sure it's a Variprop I have. Annual servicing is just pumping full of grease and replacing the anode if required (plus usual cleaning off fouling, polishing, and if you anti-fouling (suitable type only), as with any prop). I have never needed to make any adjustments and know nothing about bump stops.

It sounds like you have a Max Prop, not a Variprop.
The service instructions you quote are exactly the same I use to service my Max Prop.


Vari Prop



Max Prop

 

[LittleSister]

It sounds like you have a Max Prop, not a Variprop.
The service instructions you quote are exactly the same I use to service my Max Prop

Thanks, but I'm pretty sure from both memory and your pictures it's the Variprop.

(I have the original brochure and receipt somewhere (plus it's marked on the prop itself), and only indicated my uncertainty because I couldn't check at the time and didn't want to give the OP false information if I had misremembered.)

 

[LittleSister]

The anode came from Anodes Direct. And was a perfect fit..

And so it should be at those prices (those apparently come via Bruntons).

Prices £71 to £111 each (including shipping at £10 a shot, and that's just to 'mainland' Britain). Mine's the smallest/cheapest I think, so perhaps I should be grateful for small mercies. I had thought anodes were zinc, but maybe these are platinum!

My advice is always keep a spare (despite the price!). When I first had my current boat I bought just the one replacement and fitted it. I had a quick lift, scrub, launch just before a short summer trip to France, and to my horror the prop anode was almost completely gone (raising questions about the wider anodes set up - the boat had been in the water about a year IIRC). I had the choice of either cancelling the imminent France trip and leaving the boat ashore while I obtained a new prop anode, or continuing with the trip and having the boat lifted as soon as I returned, which is what I did. (I have since added a hull anode near the prop, and hopefully that will make the prop anode last as it should, but due to the vagaries of life haven't had the boat in the water long enough since to be sure.)