Prop Clearance between Hull and Strut

Tom,
Yes shoot for around 1". I've seen more but you want to be close to the cutlass bearing for radial loading from the prop but still have plenty of room for water flow through it.

Bruce,
I'm a honest type and do admit openly to making a non original mistake!! It's funny but my "keeping it original" beliefs have gotten stonger through the years. In 82 it crossed my mind but now I wouldn't even consider doing something like that!! The ACBS and it's judging rules have sunk in quite deep!! Also I need to be real careful being judge qualified. BTW, the "drive saver" insert on the X wouldn't be a deduction.

Pete, I can't believe you admitted to doing that.

I love being creative with the Rube Goldberg type fix, but I have my limits.

Wow at $350 I can buy a new shaft.

I don't think that coupler cushion will have much effect on the flywheel mass of a brass prop turning 2500RPM's.

Whipping out my car parts arsenal... This is a pic of the 1" 4wd drive shaft spacer we run (anodized aluminium) ~ $24.95

I've gotta imagine a custom machined 1/2" part can't be much more then $40.

Partly, but mostly because it's Hokey!

I just changed a friends prop on a set up like that. You have to seperate the couplings to put the puller on the prop. PIA!

Pete, I can't believe you did that to your Dunphy.

Whitfield wrote: My prop to strut clearance is the same... Where do we get drive line spacer hardware?

Give Eric a call.
I have never seen a spacer but it sure wouldn't be a hard part to machine. I know Eric hates what I did and has already come down on me for it but I did have a problem after putting a new bottom on my X55. I made a new shaft for it myself and mustn't have read the tape measure very well. It turned out a inch short. Being lazy, and not wanting to machine up a new one, I installed what's called a "prop saver". It's a urethane disk that bolts between the coupling halves from both couplings. The idea is that if you take a prop hit, it will shear hopefully saving you from trans as well as some prop damage. It's also a "buffer" for vibration. It is NOT a fix for shaft alignment issues!!
I'll come back with a link but feel any of the on line marine suppliers have them.

The hull to prop clearance is fine at 1". Yes it's under the rule of thumb but you'll be ok.

Go with Eric's idea with the spacer.