Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

Spare props


Questions about Spare Props  

315 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you own a spare prop?

    • Yes, I own a spare prop?
      190
    • No, I do not own a spare prop?
      89
  2. 2. Where do you keep your spare prop when on the water?

    • I still don't own one see above question.
      86
    • I leave it in the tow vehicle, at all times.
      31
    • I carry my spare prop in the boat, at all times
      72
    • I carry my spare prop in the tow vehicle only if going for more than one day.
      31
    • I carry my spare prop in the boat only if going for more than one day.
      8
    • I leave my prop at home until needed.
      52
  3. 3. Have you ever had to replace or repair your prop because of damage?

    • No, I have never had prop damage.
      81
    • Yes, I have had to repair/replace my prop due to damage.
      180
    • I have had prop damage, but not bad enough to warrant repair.
      19


Recommended Posts

Okay, Faceplant409 says he was to lazy Lazy.gif to set up a poll about spare prop usage. I thought it was an excellent topic...so I have attempted to cover most of the bases in the above questions. I have just purchased my first DD and was an outboard owner previously with a SS props. I never had any problems in over 20+ years of operating, but was very careful in where I took my boats. Thus I never had to replace or repair a prop. I would like to here some of your experiences and thoughts as to whether or not this should be a necessity of mine? Any horror stories? How much does one cost and what else do I need to carry to replace. I read Faceplant409s other thread about people carrying "kits". What does a kit consist of?

Okay, at Wakegirls suggestion, I have added a third choice on question number 3.

Question was:

"Have you ever had to replace or repair your prop because of damage?

Added follwoing choice to the answers:

"I have had prop damage, but not bad enough to warrant repair."

Not sure if you can go back in and "re-vote", but if so, please do if needed!

Link to comment
  • Replies 52
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • johnsvt

    4

  • Bill_AirJunky

    3

  • Ndawg12

    3

  • NorCaliBu

    2

The OJ and ACME kits have just about the same thing. What you get in a Just-In-Case This kit contains all you need to replace worn out parts, including a 3/4" brass Nylock prop nut, a stainless steel key, and a cotter pin. This precision tool is essential to remove any inboard propeller with ease. Cast in 17-4 Stainless steel and powder coated to last the lifetime of your boat, it's a smart, one-piece investment.
Link to comment

You absolutely never know when you're going to hit your prop on something. You can't trim an inboard, so you're at the mercy of the water level and any impediments on the bottom. Just last weekend I hit bottom in an area I usually don't because I had more people in my boat than usual. It's mistakes like this that put dings in props.

Before I had my lift on the public pier, I had to trailer my boat in and out every day. Our ramp is very shallow and I hit the prop a couple of times before I figured it out. Those are expensive mistakes, but without the spare, the weekend is done.

BTW, I have to give more props (pun intended) to OJ for the 475. When I hit bottom last weekend, there was no damage to the prop. I heard rocks too. The ACME 537 would have eared over, but the OJ is a beefier prop and it did just fine.

Link to comment

For the Malibu I do not own a spare, although I know I should. You never know what can happen. On my Winner, I still have the same undamaged prop on the motor from 1970, even though it is not the original motor. There I carry a spare because this boat goes on the bay and in the ocean which has a lot of debris. But so far I have been very fortunate out there.

Link to comment

I usually damaged my outboard prop about once a year. Cry.gif Have yet to damage inboard prop. Yahoo.gif Must be more careful since I know I can't trim it and more expensive to repair.

Link to comment

we board on the lake where teh boat is kept, so the prop is in the boat house on the water. Worst case we get towed back and put it on the lift for a quick change. Our spare is the original 537 we upgraded from to the 1235 acme

Link to comment

I have to give a second to OJ on the 475, we rattled through some invisible rocks the other day and had just a few sharp scratches, the same spot last year put a mean dent in my Acme. No offense to Acme, the OJ is just super thick and heavy duty.

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...
That last question of the poll, I answered no.

Could that be famous last words in the making? Dontknow.gif

I thought the same thing when I answered no.

Link to comment
I have to give a second to OJ on the 475, we rattled through some invisible rocks the other day and had just a few sharp scratches, the same spot last year put a mean dent in my Acme. No offense to Acme, the OJ is just super thick and heavy duty.

Isn't there a concern that a heavier prop could pass the impact on to the shaft / engine? I've always heard don't use a stainless prop with an inboard for that reason.

Edited by Texbu
Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Please add another answer:

I refuse to vote in this poll for fear of jinxing myself (and my original prop), but want to see the results.

EDIT : Nevermind...I just saw the 'show results' button :)

Edited by rts
Link to comment

We lived on the lake that we skied on 90% of the time, and kept the boats ckin slips. And having grown up in the area, we knew the lake pretty well & thought that we'd never have a problem getting back to the slip to take care of a damaged prop. But one day my brother ran over a floating log & took his prop out. It was so badly damaged that he would have caused more damage running the boat for any length of time. So he sat out on the lake till he got could get towed back several miles. Now we keep spare prop kits in the boats at all times. I've only used the kit once & that was to test a SS 4 blade one day at a friend's place. But not having the kit with us will make damn sure that we will lose some riding time that day.

Link to comment

I have a spare now, since I hurt one on our first trip to the river with the new boat. It was faster to buy a new one so we could get back to the local lake the same week than wait for the prop shop to fix it....one to two months out.

The question that I have is if you hurt a prop on the lake. Can you hold your breath long enough to do the prop change? Without dropping the tool? Or the prop? Or the nut? I hate doing them on the trailor. Can't even fathom trying to do one in the water. :unsure:

WES

Link to comment

Changing prop in the water is tough, especially if you have to use the puller to get it off.

The only time I've done it was on a lift. I used a piece of string tied to the wrench & the puller so I wouldn't lose them. I managed to keep track of the nut but then lost the key. Good thing I had a spare.

Link to comment

Not to thread jack

I have a Great question since we are talking about props

If one of the fins are bent, just a little, very slight, like a pen hit it , dose it need to be fixed, or will it through off the balance of the rest of the drive shaft?

Edited by zilla
Link to comment
...If one of the fins are bent, just a little, very slight, like a pen hit it , dose it need to be fixed, or will it through off the balance of the rest of the drive shaft?
If the damage is slight enough you may be able to tap it flat and file it smooth yourself. If you feel any vibration get it fixed. An out of balance prop will destroy your strut bearing.
Link to comment

When traveling out of town a spare prop is a must (along with adult beverages). It will spoil a trip. You would not want to saying to yourself on Monday "oh we should of......".

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
When traveling out of town a spare prop is a must (along with adult beverages). It will spoil a trip. You would not want to saying to yourself on Monday "oh we should of......".

Your on the money there! I am never a few miles from home even when on the lake so the spare stays at home! In the past I have made some boating journeys and the spare prop and nut wrench were the first items in the boat away kit.

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Over the years I have hit my share of immovable objects (read - bottom) and miscellaneous flotsam in I/Os and outboards. The most humorous while towing my brother on a tube in the Columbia River near Kettle Falls. Easily 300 feet from shore and we hit bottom. Being an all-knowing lad of 16 or 17 at that time, I am in disbelief that we could have hit bottom that far out. My brother on the tube hit the bottom with his foot and for a split second thought he hit a giant fish :lol: and freaked out. Of course to top off that trip, we had a supernut -a nylon prop nut guaranteed to work without cotter pins or counter threaded bolts, and it spun off out in the middle of the river, so we had to pull the boat to shore-one person swimming with fins and the others paddling to change the prop (with the old prop nut assembly) well, really we weren't changing, but putting one back on! One weekend and the kids (us) bend a prop and lose another, I think we might have lost the prop first and bent the leftover one, and on the first weekend of a week-long family vacation. The Supernut company actually reimbursed my dad for a new prop.

The moral to this story of course is two fold, very few people will take as good of care as your boat as you (hopefully you can get your kids there) and always carry a spare prop and prop nut!

BTW - Who has the best deals on OJ and ACME props? THX

Link to comment
Over the years I have hit my share of immovable objects (read - bottom) and miscellaneous flotsam in I/Os and outboards. The most humorous while towing my brother on a tube in the Columbia River near Kettle Falls. Easily 300 feet from shore and we hit bottom. Being an all-knowing lad of 16 or 17 at that time, I am in disbelief that we could have hit bottom that far out. My brother on the tube hit the bottom with his foot and for a split second thought he hit a giant fish :lol: and freaked out. Of course to top off that trip, we had a supernut -a nylon prop nut guaranteed to work without cotter pins or counter threaded bolts, and it spun off out in the middle of the river, so we had to pull the boat to shore-one person swimming with fins and the others paddling to change the prop (with the old prop nut assembly) well, really we weren't changing, but putting one back on! One weekend and the kids (us) bend a prop and lose another, I think we might have lost the prop first and bent the leftover one, and on the first weekend of a week-long family vacation. The Supernut company actually reimbursed my dad for a new prop.

The moral to this story of course is two fold, very few people will take as good of care as your boat as you (hopefully you can get your kids there) and always carry a spare prop and prop nut!

BTW - Who has the best deals on OJ and ACME props? THX

SKIDIM with the crew discount on online orders.

/Steve

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...