Help! prop shaft hard to turn.

In what order and steps do you take to locate why the prop shaft is hard to turn?
What is the easiest and least expensive thing to check first? Second? Third? Fourth?
Or maybe its, what is the most likely cause?
I would like to get out on the water!
So let's just stick to this one thread for now.

Didn't I ask you about the alignment and provide you a link to the alignment video? Check your previous posts and my responses.

Saying I told you so is considered boorish and bad manners.

Something is bent or crooked or rotten or out of alignment or any or all or a combination of all the above.
The fastest and easiest way is to get somebody who knows what they are looking at to have a gander then fix it. If speed is the major concern, then money must by default be secondary.


Follow his link for the alignment 101 production for a start anyway. I guess, better than nothing. Hard to align a bent strut or shaft though.

As they say in Main: hard tellin' not knowin'

SNobsessed wrote: Joe - From what you have said, I bet you have a bent strut. Look at the back of the boat from about 10 feet back - is the prop centered with the rudder & fins? You can also measure from each chine in to the strut. Certainly pull the couplings loose & see where the shaft wants to be when it loosens up. Gary - He can't hardly turn it when the boat is in the water. It is bound up!

where is the coupling and how do you take it apart?

Joe - the coupling is at the rear of the transmission, where the shaft ends. You need to remove the 4 screws. The halves may be stuck together - if so use a putty knife or similar & tap with hammer to separate them. You can also put some penetrating oil on the joint.

8122pbrainard wrote: jo-e90 wrote: Have you ever done an alignment? Chris sure has. In fact, he is one of our members who has straightened his own strut. Many have taken on the alignment the first time. Maybe a few questions but typically not a problem once they understand the concept. Since it's hard to turn your prop and shaft even with 2 hands, you MUST address the problem (bent strut? strut out of alignment to the log? bent prop shaft? or engine out?) before you run it that way. As mentioned, you do not want to damage the trans. With a prop shaft that's out of alignment to the engine, the condition puts stress on the trans. Internal damage is common. DO NOT wait until October!!!

Alignment 101 video

SNobsessed wrote: Joe - From what you have said, I bet you have a bent strut. Look at the back of the boat from about 10 feet back - is the prop centered with the rudder & fins? You can also measure from each chine in to the strut. Certainly pull the couplings loose & see where the shaft wants to be when it loosens up. Gary - He can't hardly turn it when the boat is in the water. It is bound up!

finally got the coupling loose with an air chisel. Transmission side spins smooth. Shaft side of coupling turns just as hard as before, so I assume the motor does not need adjustment.
Should I remove the packing nut now?

The coupling face must be flat. Be sure the air tool didn't alter that.

You have isolated the problem; it's between the coupler and shaft as you noted. Now you have to go through the components therein and further isolate the problem. Did you sight the running gear like Chris said? I say that because of the coupler position in the pic.

Also, do I see an old shaft-coupler position on the shaft? It may be a poster child for fretting?

Have you made friends with the search feature yet?

8122pbrainard wrote: The way that shaft pulled sideways, I'd bet money on a bent strut.

Thus the sighting comment.

Considering the fretting at the coupling to prop shaft, the heat shrink fit is shot. Since you may not have been doing searches to find previous stated info, I'd like to remind you the this heat shrink fit is .000" to a -.0005". If the shaft is still good, you will at least need a new coupling half for it. Have it bored to match the shaft. Then, it's pressed onto the shaft, the shaft is chucked up in the lathe and a light cut is taken on the coupling face. This ensures the face runs true with the shaft.

The alternate is to purchase the ARE shaft system. It makes the R&R LOTS easier!! If you go this route, give Billy or Karen a call for the ARE.

I didn't see it mentioned, I would first roll the shaft to see if the coupler moved arounf if the struts bent the shaft probably is too.

Munday

boat dr / boat nurse, also your best friends. HAHA

mynautiqueparts.com

Billy aka the boat doctor is a regular here and Karen his wife the boat nurse own this.

Jllogan wrote: boat dr / boat nurse, also your best friends. HAHA mynautiqueparts.com

Come on Justin!!!
Even though Gary posted the link, here it is again

Jllogan wrote: I wasnt trying to post a link more of an informative statement, figured he could type that into google or something

Well, as mentioned, he does have some issues with reading and following directions! It's cool. I understood what you were doing but I'm not sure if he picked up on it??? With 2 links to Billy and Karen, I hope we made it easy?