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New owner with questions


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I just purchased my neighbors 03 response lxi. It is a super clean boat. My question is how much vibration is normal vibration. There is noticable vibration idoling forward, and some running down the lake. I have looked for dings on the prop, rotated prop to check for any binding. Do I need to check alignment or what steps should I take?

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Check to make sure the drive shaft is straight. He may have run aground and damaged the prop and shaft and then changed only the prop.

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Could also be weeds or random rope hung up on the fins, prop, drive shaft or rudder. Just going for the cheap solutions.

I wish it was that simple. I have the boat on a lift and I was under it last night swimming around and checking for anything obvious.

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Are you also getting alot of water in the boat through the shaft seal?

To check your shaft alignment use a lazer pen and shoot it on the dimple that is on the end of the shaft. Then rotate the prop/shaft by hand and see if the dimple moves outside the lazer light. This will tell you if you have an obvious shaft bend or not.

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Are you also getting alot of water in the boat through the shaft seal?

To check your shaft alignment use a lazer pen and shoot it on the dimple that is on the end of the shaft. Then rotate the prop/shaft by hand and see if the dimple moves outside the lazer light. This will tell you if you have an obvious shaft bend or not.

I am noticing quite a bit of water in the bilge after only being out for a little while. I like the laser pen idea I will try that tonight. How hard is it to change the shaft at home and how much does it cost to buy one?

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I've got the same boat....no vibration here. Shaft seal should drip every 10 seconds or so. Might need boat to be in the water a while, to settle into a drip rate. You'll soon notice that most bilge water travels up to the front ski locker (low point).

Good Luck.

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Are you also getting alot of water in the boat through the shaft seal?

To check your shaft alignment use a lazer pen and shoot it on the dimple that is on the end of the shaft. Then rotate the prop/shaft by hand and see if the dimple moves outside the lazer light. This will tell you if you have an obvious shaft bend or not.

I am noticing quite a bit of water in the bilge after only being out for a little while. I like the laser pen idea I will try that tonight. How hard is it to change the shaft at home and how much does it cost to buy one?

Depends how handy you are, I don't think it's mentally very challenging. You will probably need to change your strut bearings as well.

When you're done with all that, be sure to inspect your muffler bearings as well......that's a joke we like to play on the newbies, it never gets old, welcome to the crew, tons of good people and information here. Clap.gif

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I am noticing quite a bit of water in the bilge after only being out for a little while.

too much water in the bilge may be an indication that the packing needs to be adjusted.

that is a normal maintenance operation not a problem of any scope.

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I am noticing quite a bit of water in the bilge after only being out for a little while.

too much water in the bilge may be an indication that the packing needs to be adjusted.

that is a normal maintenance operation not a problem of any scope.

And I would think that a bent shaft and/or vibration from the shaft could cause it to excessively leak. I'm just saying excessive water in the bilge may be an indicator.

You do have to let the shaft packing get hydrated for a several hours before it is maximally effective, before that you will have a little more water coming than usual.

Edited by nemire12
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Thanks for all of the input. I guess I just don't know where to start. I bought the clymer manual for indmar inboards and have general mechanical skills. I work on all of my own vehicles unless it requires a special tool that cost too much. I just don't want to over think this. I think I will check the shaft with a laser and the key in the prop and then I am not sure where to go. I will see where that gets me. I just don't want to take it to the dealership and get hammered on hourly labor to find a simple solution. Thanks again.

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Adjust packing by loosening lock nut, tighten end nut one flat (1/8 turn) check drip rate. Repeat until 10 drips per minute. More is ok, just little more water in boat. Tighten lock nut when proper drip rate achicved. If you can get hold of a dial indicator with magnetic base (that can be placed on prop guard while boat is on trailer) that be the most accurate way to check shaft w/o removal. Whatever method is used if checking on boat, have someone turn shaft by hand @ coupler as doing so from under the boat will cause a few thousands wiggle due to strut bearing-to-shaft clearance. To check proper fit of prop on shaft, use method from "marinehardware.com" Running Gear Catalog, page 11.

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Another thought, what prop are you running? If it is not a new CNC type prop it could be a bad prop as in poorly machined. I've seen that before, right out of the box.

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Another thought, what prop are you running? If it is not a new CNC type prop it could be a bad prop as in poorly machined. I've seen that before, right out of the box.

Good thought. I think the stock prop for the OP's boat should be the Acme 515.

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You guys are all hung up on his packing nut.. that isn't causing the vibration.. it only gets his bilge wet. I'm betting on the tweaked prop (or bent shaft).. but most likely the prop

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I hit a stick the other afternoon and immediately picked up a vibration. Switched out the prop and smooth silk again. An inspection of the dinged prop shows a slight, and I mean slight bend in the forward part of the cup. You would never be able to see this while the prop was still on the boat, and you can barely see it on a flat surface. It doesn't take much...

Oh well, another 115 bucks to send it back for fixing!

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check your prop by clamping a ruler to the rudder so that it just touches the tip of one blade, then rotate to the other blades to see if they are at the right spot. if one blade is off just a little use a crescent wrench to put it back where it goes. i just did this on my prop and the vibration is gone. one blade was off 1/16 of a inch. it takes very little to make the vibrations.

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You guys are all hung up on his packing nut.. that isn't causing the vibration.. it only gets his bilge wet. I'm betting on the tweaked prop (or bent shaft).. but most likely the prop

Agreed!

ps: the laser method is only going to show a badly bent shaft. Not much better than doing by eye.

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martinarcher
I have a spare prop in the boat I will try to change it this weekend.

I bet it is the prop. Mine had a teenie tiny little nick in it last season and I got it fixed over the winter and boy is it smooth now. Thumbup.gif

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