Factory 4 blade prop vs. new Acme prop

Otto Throttle wrote: This sounds difficult....unfortunately the pics did not come out. Could you please try re sending them? I want to do this correctly and your help is appreciated! How snugg do you tighten the castle nut? Is there a torque spec? THANK YOU!

It may take me a couple days to get the pictures back up. I no longer have them since they went onto Photobucket off a long gone computer. It sounds like you don't understand what Photobucket did to us and tons of others who used the site for image hosting. They cut off 3rd party hosting and now charge I believe $400 a year for it!! So, I have to go into my Photobucket account, load each picture into my current computer and then load them into CCfan.

It is not a difficult process to lap a prop and the 45 minutes is close to what it should take. David is correct that the prop nut does not hold the prop on. It's there to seat the prop on the taper and then if the taper is good, it can actually be removed! Do however keep it on since it does act as a safety.

I thought there was a spec for tightening the prop shaft nut. 30 ft lbs or so?
I know the nut is just there for safety and lapping is what lets the prop seat on the shaft properly.
As others already pointed out if a puller was not needed on removal your prop was not correctly installed.

Acme prints 35 foot pounds torque on the prop nut.
35 is about what you would get tightening with a 12" wrench till tight.
That would be after lapping and then installing with no key, marking location and final install with the key in place verifying your prop seats to your no key Mark.

I ran tournament boats for 25 years before this forum taught me how to install a prop the right way. Follow their advice and you will have no trouble with the new prop install.

I still want a new Acme 422 for your price of $360!

Nope....central time...cold....,I am glad this could be a good deal...I will tell you wed. I bought the boat in September...I will call the story two weeks in september! It really is kinda amazing! I really love this boat...I just want to do everything "correctly".... pun intended!

I too didn't know anything about prop lapping until i read Pete's post. I came across a guy on youtube that I feel does a pretty good job explaining if you prefer watching the process. However, he has his shaft spinning on a machine, which we can't generally do.

Part 1
Part 2

Thank You!!!

I am suffering with the flu again this week and it is a killer! I look forward to doing this now! Should the prop nut be tight against the propeller when I install it? Also is there one good prop puller to buy? I saw there was some controversy in tool to use on 4 blade vs 3 blade props.

I am amazed in talking with others who have these boats and they have NEVER heard of this procedure!!!!

Otto Throttle wrote: Thank You!!! Also is there one good prop puller to buy? I saw there was some controversy in tool to use on 4 blade vs 3 blade props.

I'd read the linked thread and then get in touch with Duane and see if he has some or can make you one.

It's beefy and works on 3 or 4 bladed props.

Make sure you have room for it between the strut and the prop. About 3/4 of an inch is good. And make sure it works with an Acme to take care of people's concerns with that.

Duane makes them from a design Pete came up with.

If you can't get a prop off with one of those, you have some issues

Just a recommendation, I don't work for nor am I related to Duane ....................or Pete

link

KENO wrote: Otto Throttle wrote: Thank You!!! Also is there one good prop puller to buy? I saw there was some controversy in tool to use on 4 blade vs 3 blade props. Make sure you have room for it between the strut and the prop. About 3/4 of an inch is good. And make sure it works with an Acme to take care of people's concerns with that. link

That's probably why I mentioned that he should check to make sure it works with an Acme   .

Duane should be able to tell him

I had your name in mind when I mentioned the strut clearance and the Acme concern

Let me guess, you have a 91 ranger pickup and it works for your U joints too like the ad says

Jonny Quest wrote: Otto Throttle wrote: Also is there one good prop puller to buy? I saw there was some controversy in tool to use on 4 blade vs 3 blade props. I like the "Iron Man" prop puller by A.R.E. Iron Man Prop Puller Link JQ

I'm pretty sure that's the one I use as well. I've changed 4 blade OJ, 4 blade 422, and 3 blade 1442 with it, works very well.

Ok...here is the scoop on this boat/prop. I have been threatening for the past several years to buy a nautique. My cousin Jim had ordered his 1998 Masters Edition new from Correct Craft. I had seen the boat only once and that was in 2004.

I was looking on eBay and Craigslist around 11:30 pm Labor Day as my wife was sound asleep...I decided to punch in Ski Nautique. Up comes a 1999, and it had less than 500 hours on it. I sent it off to Jim, and he responded the next day, "that is my exact boat!" Ok now that is kind of freaky that they were exact matches...So I decided to go "fishen" and I asked about it...push comes to shove and I made an offer. He said that would be fine if the other people who were coming to look at it did not pay more than I offered. I was not going to lose a boat for a few hundred dollars, so we agreed upon a price and the next thing I know Jim and I are on our way to Indiana..

Once there everything seemed to fall into place, the test drive went well, but it had an Eagle trailer. I wanted to keep it in my garage so I needed to find a Ramlin Trailer like Jim. Next thing I know we exchange the cash and off we are going back home! At this point I was still in utter shock that I had a Nautique, let alone a carbon copy of my cousins.

As we were driving home it really started setting in that I have this boat...the list of things i wanted to do to it to get it up to snuff started clogging my mind...I had not eaten all day nor was I hungry. After about an hour Jim said to me "I can't believe you squeezed the trigger on this...at the rate you were going I did not think you would ever get another boat!"

The nervous laughter and my questions and his answers were turned into horror out side of Sandusky on the Ohio Turnpike...up over the crest and right in the middle of the road is a coyote...."Bam" right in the middler of Jims Navigator....both of us were in shock and we kept on driving. It seems like 10 minutes but probably only 15 seconds went buy and we said a couple of words about it and moved on. I don't think we wanted to talk about it, but it was all I could think about...I still see its face to this day. I was sure he was under the vehicle or the trailer and suffering (he was not) and I thought to myself "if you didn't buy the boat you would NOT have killed the coyote. I just wanted to be home and go to bed. When we got to my house we looked...the whole front clip of the vehicle was trashed, with lots of blood underneath the car and my trailer, and blood splattered on the sides of my new boat. I still feel bad about this today.

Over the course of the next two weeks i used the boat 3 times thanks to a great fall on lake Erie. Jim found a ratlin up in Wisconsin, but i would have to keep the boat in the water and make the long drive. I was not that excited but I felt the pressure of getting the Ramlin. Winter was coming, and I hate my boats sitting outside.

Again mid September night looking on craigslist...type in Ramlin....up pops a Barefoot Nautique on a Ramlin only 40 minutes away. I decide to ask him if he wants to trade...OMG the next day I see a response and it says "SURE!" Holy Crap....here we go again! two days later we are down at Portage Lakes swapping trailers! Now I have the trailer i needed and it fits in my garage.

I was going over the boat and was scrutinizing the prop...hmm a little leading edge damage but no vibration at any speed..."maybe i will get it trued up..." I don't know how in the heck I went from rebuilding the prop to buying a new one. I had to outfit the boat anyhow so I really didn't have much to spend. Through some advice on the forum, the Acme 422 seemed to be hands down the best prop for my hull and my needs.

$500 was more than I wanted to spend, I the Overtons 20% off black friday special ended...so I made some calls and $400 was about the best I could find...awe lets try 1 more search....up pops a craigslist ad for a Acme Dealer..."End of Season Closeout Sale" I believe it said...I dd not see the 422 on the list so I decided to call anyhow..."yes, we have one more of those in stock...$340.00 pls shipping." How do you say no to that???????? So I went for it....I bought the prop from Prop MD in Plymouth MN 952-937-9173 . I worked with Brenton and he made everything easy. Maybe he can get you one if you call him...It is supposed too be delivered tomorrow so I am stoked and a bit nervous! At least I will have a back up prop now!

I hoped my OJ prop right off and was ready to bolt on the new when she came...then I was educated on the proper way to do lap the prop...again...another detour more technical stuff....I just want to have fun!   I have wanted one of these since 1981!!!! So the delayed gratification of mounting the prop PROPerly will come into play...

This is my story, and what a heck of a ride it has been so far!!!   Thanks to everyone for answering all my questions and giving advice....I appreciate it!!!!

Your off to a good start!

Update 2018....Love my prop! Smooth hole shot with lots of acceleration, Buy one!

I have a new 422 just mounted also. I like everything about it, smooth and quiet with great power.   My only complaint is I lost 2-3 MPH compared to the 224 Acme I removed but it had damage and I needed a new prop.