83 Ski Nautique 2001 Problems

Ouch!! I probably would have driven it too. I assume that the bolts probably weren't as tight as they needed to be if it "rattled" them loose. All you can do is put it back together properly and run the trans and see what ya got!

Perfect time to upgrade to that 540 ;).

So is there anyway to check the shaft inside the coupler without removing the coupler? going to guess thats a stupid question...

Good deal, figured it wouldn't hurt to ask after reading how much of a PITA is appears to be to remove the drive shaft and coupler.

Got the boat interior all dried out after a couple days in the sun so now its back in the garage ready for some fall repairs

I am just now seeing your post but I am here in Lewisville and have a 89' and usually out 4-5 times a week. Hopefully we get some rain to get some water back into the lake! I do know a few secret spots that are still full of water though I haven't got around to any winter projects yet but don't really have anything major planned for once! Maybe one day we can get them out on the water together when you get her going again!

Care to fill us in as to why you removed the strut?

Post a pic of the holes... I would be really hard pressed to repair a wallowed out strut bolt hole as Dreaming suggests. Some slop in those holes is normal, they dont need to be tight for any reason that I can think of. To repair with glass would require grinding off the gel in the bilge, then glassing over, then re-gelling, then redrilling the hole... thats a lot of work, and probably no need for it. Unless there is a structural problem, it can most likely be left alone. Clean up the area, test fit it for proper alignment, and bed it properly with a good sealant (5200 or 4200) when reinstalling.

I agree with Tim. The holes for the strut can be pretty sloppy. You need some slop for alignment. The 4200 or 5200 will hold the strut in the proper position. Don't worry about filling the holes at this time. Dry fit and check the strut alignment to the log first.

ARE is the way to go. If your current shaft is bent behind the strut, it's good for a pry bar & not much else.

Ok time to bust out the Diablo saw blades and go to town on this prop shaft then. Looking at the coupling, it is quite rusted to the shaft and key so I'm not even going to bother. What is the proper length ARE drive shaft I need for this or do I actually need to measure the old one after I cut it out?

A standard length shaft will work, but I would highly recommend measuring the distance from your trans output coupler to the aft end of the strut, add 1/2" and tell them that's where you want the forward end of the prop hub to end up. Every boat is built a little different and most "stock" shaft lengths end up being too long to accommodate this. Clearances of 1-1.5" (or more) are common, and there is just no reason for that. Keep clearance at 1/2" and not only will performance improve, but so will longevity/reliability of the shaft and bushing due to the smaller overhung load.

TRBenj wrote: A standard length shaft will work, but I would highly recommend measuring the distance from your trans output coupler to the aft end of the strut, add 1/2" and tell them that's where you want the forward end of the prop hub to end up. Every boat is built a little different and most "stock" shaft lengths end up being too long to accommodate this. Clearances of 1-1.5" (or more) are common, and there is just no reason for that. Keep clearance at 1/2" and not only will performance improve, but so will longevity/reliability of the shaft and bushing due to the smaller overhung load.

Tim, that's just answered my question on a separate thread, looks like I need to install my strut and measure up before ordering a new shaft.

Presumably the shaft length should include the full length of the coupling, and not that of the thread.
Length of the taper should be exactly that of the prop?

Thanks

8122pbrainard wrote: Mike26 wrote: I took the strut over to the Nautique dealer and they looked at the strut and said it had a very slight bend and that once they are bent they are not repairable... I then took the strut to the prop repair shop and the owner is quite confident he can repair the strut and replace the bearings inside of it. Of course they are going to tell you it's not repairable. Guess what, I have a feeling they wanted to sell you a new strut!! This is only one reason that going to a dealer should be your ABSOLUTE LAST option!!

Indeed mine was bent like a banana before I sent it over to the US for john to fix

Mike26 wrote:    well the real cool part was when they told me when you push the bearing out of the strut, it removes a layer of metal and then new bearings just rotate inside the strut... they said they recommend replacing the strut anytime it requires new bearings inside it...

WOW, what are they smoking at that dealer? I have NEVER EVER heard such BS!! They must like selling struts!! Did they bother or even know what the fit tolerance is?

Just an update. Picked up the repaired strut last week, James Propeller in Dallas did a great job on it. Got it nice and strait and installed new bearing inside it. Cleaned up very well with some slight pitting (figure that is normal for 30 years).

So I now have the new ARE shaft, new 542 prop and redone strut with bearings. I am ordering new shaft packing for the shaft seal and a new hose for the shaft seal.

Now before I put this all back together, I need to address the damage done to the underside of the boat when the strut was vibrating around under it. In the pictures you can see the enlarged bolt hole for the strut hole. There is also damage just behind where the strut mounts. I am trying to see what the best method for fixing this is. Do I need to grind it down and apply new gelcoat to it? I am not very concerned with how it looks cosmetically as it will be under the boat, so color match is not a concern. I just want to make sure it is fixed and not going to lead to more problems.

The shaft log hose that SkiDIM sells is fine. There was nothing special about the original hose- it was pretty thin, not wire reinforced, etc. You do want the 1.5" and not the typical 1.75", as they mention on their website.

I cant tell exactly how damaged the keel is on the aft end of the strut base, but it doesnt look serious. The hull is very thick, that damage isnt a structural concern. I would rough up the area in question with some sand paper, clean it with acetone and then try to reshape the strut recess using some thickened resin. Follow with gelcoat if youre concerned with cosmetics.

So got the new cooler installed on the transmission and took the boat out on the water yesterday for a test. No more milky transmission but still lost all the fluid.... lots of transmission fluid in the bilge of the boat. Luckily we took plenty of spare fluid out with us so we just floated the boat in a cove and floated for a few hours before bringing the boat back in.

After doing some reading last night, it appears it is not that uncommon for the transmission seal to leak the ATF fluid out and it appeared that the fix involved pulling the transmission. A friend and I successfully got the transmission out of the boat in about 2 hour this afternoon with proper rehydration brakes here and there. It appears that the transmission was leaking into the bell housing.

So who can recommend someone to send this thing to? DFW area? I saw mention of Eric Lavine on the forums specializing in rebuilding these. Hoping to not be out of the lake game for too long. Thanks for any help!!