Driveshaft failure and lost prop... need to replac

Delta Propeller is a site sponsor and has some of the best prices for Nautique propellers. They should also be able to recommend a good replacement prop. USE they code DP5CCF08 for 5% off.

Plannet Nautique or SkiDim will have shafts. Use PND code for 10℅ off at Plannet Nautique.
Most will recommend the A.R.E. double taper shaft.

Tim,
Did the shaft break just aft of the strut like this?



If so, a break there is from a prop strike bending the shaft and then the constant vibration from the bend flexing the shaft.

A break from misalignment is always just aft of the trans coupling since that's where the stress is. Same principle with the constant flexing of the shaft.

Yes on the ARE shaft.

Pete- the shaft actually snapped just inside the strut housing, about an inch further up the shaft from where it snapped in your picture. I guess a prop strike is the culprit here. I can still easily turn the shaft by hand so I hope this means that the alignment is ok (not that it matters since I'll be replacing the driveshaft soon).

Jake- I will do some research and PM once I learn about more about the options.

Thanks all for the info and the recommendations!

You want to go to:

www.nautiqueparts.com

or

www.skidim.com

JQ

gsmith795 wrote: Pete- the shaft actually snapped just inside the strut housing, about an inch further up the shaft from where it snapped in your picture. I guess a prop strike is the culprit here.!

Yup, at one time the prop was hit bending the shaft. Even though you say the shaft turns easily, do check the strut to see if it's bent.

8122pbrainard wrote: Tim, I forgot to mention, this is a good time to replace the cutlass bearing!

Should I buy a new cutlass bearing from wherever I buy the new driveshaft?

Also, Is there a way to figure out what size driveshaft I need without getting into the boat and measuring the current one? I'm at home now and I won't be back up at the lake til next weekend. I'd love to install the new components when I'm back up there.

Tim,
As far as I'm concerned, all the pros go to the ARE and all the cons go to the old single taper. The single taper is a PITA R&R due to the coupling on the trans is a heat shrink interference fit. That means the coupling must be pressed off the shaft. Then, for the install the coupling needs to be heated to expand the bore to get it on the shaft before it cools. The ARE shaft has a taper at the coupling end with a matching coupling and goes on similar to a prop.   

This forum convinced me to install the ARE shaft two years ago when I needed a shaft.
It was very good time saving advice, it did cost a little more but the install was so easy and that is worth a lot of money. Time is important when the season is on.
The old prop shaft can be replaced and people did it that way for years but you might find out your trans coupler is already worn out which puts the price even between the upgrade and the old style. Hope you get it fixed again soon.

Had partial success with the install this weekend. The driveshaft and new cutlass bearing arrived from Skidim on Thursday but the prop never showed up (despite the fact that I paid for three day shipping on Monday morning).

We did the driveshaft install, running into a few snags along the way. First issue was that we couldn't get the driveshaft out of the old coupler. We took a blowtorch to the coupler but that didn't work, so we ended up cutting through the old driveshaft with a dremmel. Second issue was the driveshaft was directly in line with the rudder, so we had to remove the rudder to get the old driveshaft out (of course the rudder was then hitting the trailer so we had to jack up the boat a couple feet to get the rudder out. Third and most painful issue was getting the old cutlass bearing out of the strut, which involved cutting through it with a hack saw and then slowly prying it out with a hammer and a chisel. The new bearing slid right in after 30 minutes in the freezer and the new driveshaft and couple bolted right up.

My buddy had a spare prop for his mastercraft that he said I could use until my Acme 540 showed up, but after installing and dropping the boat in the water we quickly realized that it was left hand drive and I needed a right hand drive. It's quite a strange sensation putting the boat in reverse and having it slowly start to lurch forward.... i'll be swapping in the new prop once it shows up.

Very disappointed with Delta Propeller!

8122pbrainard wrote: Tim, Sorry no one including myself mentioned cutting the old shaft off. When a replacement is being installed, it sure is easier that fighting the old coupling with it's heat shrink interference fit   Heating the coupling when it's on the shaft doesn't work since both it and the shaft expand at the same time.. It has been mentioned in other treads on an ARE install. Also, with getting the old cutlass out, you did it the correct way. Did you do anything to see if the strut was bent? How did your alignment go?

I guess I should have done a bit more reading on the topic before tackling the install. After we pulled the new shaft out of the box and realized it came with a new coupler we were kicking ourselves for not just cutting the old shaft right away. We thought maybe we'd need to keep the old coupler.

We didn't do anything to check if the strut was bent, but the new shaft slid right in, the coupler bolted right up to the transmission with no issues, and it turns without much effort. What would be the process for checking strut alignment?

You ordered a popular prop it's possible they were out of stock. For some reason when they have to order one from Acme they have it sent to them rather than having it shipped directly to you. I ordered a odd ball size prop last winter and as you was disappointed in the amount of time it took too,but they were cheaper and no guarantee that others at full price have them in stock either.

It might be worth your time just to give them a call and talk to someone to check.

Gary S wrote: It might be worth your time just to give them a call and talk to someone to check.

Best advice ever for most problems, if you can't do it in person

KENO wrote: Gary S wrote: It might be worth your time just to give them a call and talk to someone to check. Best advice ever for most problems, if you can't do it in person

Must be a age thing I don't trust those newfangled computers,they'll never amount to anything once the novelty wears off   
I don't have any notes on the transaction anymore but if I remember right I had a similar problem last February with them and because it was out of stock took about 3 weeks