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Help my nut is stuck


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I hit a gravel bar wakeboarding 100 yards from shore and the warning bouy's. (Don't get me started on the Rangers who have more time to give tickets because someone's letters are crooked than to actually move bouys to where the danger is...honestly they were marking some willows when 75 yards out it goes to 1.7 feet. No wonder it was smooth water and no one was back there) :Doh:

Any way, it knocked my wedge up (we'll see if that now has problems later) and ruined my new OJ 475. (D-GOOSE, so much for the screaming $365 deal I got on that prop) It flexed up enough to nick my gel coat, but not cut through the fiberglass. The shaft turns freely by hand. The nut moved with difficulty enough to loosen the prop. But I cannot get the nut to come past the last thread. I can go back towards the prop, but just can't seem to get it back the other way. It jams up at the last thread. The threads do not look damaged that I can see nor do I see how they could be since the prop is ruined but not the worst I have seen. One blade is nicked but not even folded over. The other three are folded. I have the original Stainless steel nut and was recommended to heat the nut and cool the shaft to see if that helps. I even considered torching the nut till the plastic nyloc melts out. Dontknow.gif

Have any of the other accident prone BU owners had this problem? Does any one else have a better suggestion. When I say stuck, I am using a 1/2" driver and socket with a cheater bar that is the guide pole off my trailer. Would it be easier to remove the shaft and take it off on the work bench in a vice? I have never removed the shaft and don't want to create new problems. Your suggestions are welcome as well as any thing else I should check before I go try a new prop and see what other damage I have. It idled back to the dock OK and seems to only be prop damage and gel coat. Mad.gif

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No suggestion on the nut, but I'd say your shaft is probably toast too. You can hope the strut isn't damaged. Trust me, it sux big time if you've toasted those.

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I would call my insurance agent and get the boat inspected by the claims adjuster before you take everything apart. You may have more damage than you can physically see.

As for the nut if you really want to try getting it off use an air impact gun.

-Dave

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You can always cut the nut off(ouch!). We used a Sawsall to saw one off after it got stuck(had burr in it). It was Stainless Steeeeeeel too.

Start on one side down toward the threads and if possible have another person watch real close for you when you get close to hitting prop shaft threads or stop occasionally and check. You'll need a bird's eye view to see. You do nto want to get into the prop shaft threads. Then, turn the shaft and do side of nut 180 degrees from other. Once almost through there, you can then use a chisel or similar to pry the nut open and then easily twist it off.

Even if you get into the threads a little you can always get a die and re-thread the shaft. We had to.

ssnut.jpg

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If you bent up the prop as bad as you describe.....chances are real good your drive shaft is bent too. Pull the shaft off and get it checked for tolerance. You can do some further damage if the shaft is bent and you run the boat. Also, agree to call your insurance company. This might be more expensive than you think.

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I guess if the shaft is bent it would not necessarily be noticable right? Cause everything else visually looks OK. But I will take the shaft out and have it looked at. I have a $1,000 deductable so don't want to admit a claim to the insurance if I can help it. I will look at some postings on how to remove the shaft unless someone has an easy explaination. Thanks for the info. I think the nut will be easier to work on if the prop is off. Besides I want to get the prop off before I take it in. I don't need all the grease monkeys gathering around my stupidity and making comments. I already feel like an idiot.

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For you guys with SS nuts, is that a change you made or factory? I'm pretty sure mine is brass, not 100% though. I personally wouldn't use an SS nut on the SS shaft. It can seize up never to be moved again if you don't keep antiseize on it. I don't think this is your problem since you say you can move it clockwise. Also curious how you are using such a large cheater bar and not having the prop spin on you as you try to turn the nut.

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For you guys with SS nuts, is that a change you made or factory? I'm pretty sure mine is brass, not 100% though. I personally wouldn't use an SS nut on the SS shaft. It can seize up never to be moved again if you don't keep antiseize on it. I don't think this is your problem since you say you can move it clockwise. Also curious how you are using such a large cheater bar and not having the prop spin on you as you try to turn the nut.

I just wedged a board by the prop guard on my trailer, but I think when I make the final attempt, I am going to place the board against the bottom of the boat because the prop guard can flex and allow slipping. I was told the same thing by the techies at SkimDim.com as I called about how to get the nut off. They thought I was crazy to have a stainless steel instead of a brass nut on a stainless steel shaft. What are the thoughts on why Malibu does it this way?

I think I am going to try the heat on the nut and see if that does it and then if that doesn't work, out comes the metal saw or a sawzall. Then I am going to see how the vibration is (carefully) on the shaft with a new prop. I have seen several posts that everyone thought their shaft was toast and then it wasn't. So wish me luck. My rudder might be bent back a bit but still tuns freely. Any suggestions on whether I should take that out and have it straightened? Who does such things?

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Tried heating the nut till all the plastic lock nut material boiled out. Iced the shaft and heated the nut and still won't budge. Now for the cutting wheel or sawzall.

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Final verdict...the nut thread had shifted when the prop got smacked and it was stripping the threads on the shaft all the way out till it built up too much metal and would turn no more. Had to resort to cutting it off with a 4" diamond blade that had to also slice into the prop to make it all the way down to point of separation. Once I recut the threads, I should be back in business. I cut it just the way AREAMIKE did in his photo. Worked great. the diamond wheel with a little water worked great and I could have a little more control than a sawzall.

Next will be to test the shaft to see if all the fuss was even worth it or if I should have just removed the shaft and start fresh.

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