Impossible Stuck Prop

[amartin]

1 hour ago, oldjeep said:

Use a map torch, you shouldn't have to heat it for more than 30 seconds or so.  If you are heating it long enough to be worried about the shaft then you are doing it too much.  

I personally don't leave the nut or cotter on, never had an issue just catching the prop and puller - but if I was doing it over the water I'd have a rope attached to the puller and prop so that neither one ends up on the bottom.

 

 

 

I am a tangled mess with all the rope that I have when doing this...  Prop, puller, wrench.  Only thing not tied is the hammer!

[TommyTuna]

I got my 32 oz Ball Peen Hammer today. Much much more beefy than the claw hammer I was using.  Will take another run at it this Friday 

[TommyTuna]

Well the big hammer worked like a charm!  No torch needed - just 6-7 whacks and the old prop popped off.

[PNWoke]

On 5/24/2019 at 8:12 AM, onewake09 said:

Do this. Loosen nut about 2 turns. Install prop puller and snug it up. Place a cold wet rag between the puller and the strut to keep it cool. Start heating the hub evenly around it. As you heat start tightening the puller alittle at a time. After a few minutes it will pop. Most likely it has a sheared key and thats whats keeping it on there. Happened to me before. 

This is what I have to do every time I swap my prop on 2 different 23lsv’s.  Slowly work your way around the prop hub, outside in.  You want the prop brass to heat up and expand, and you want the shaft to stay cooler and not expand.  After a minute or two it will pop without any hammer strikes in my experience.  You don’t need to put very much pressure on the prop puller either.  Just good and snug.  I have thought about maybe adding antiseize to the shaft but it’s honestly so easy to do with a torch that I would rather have it more secure on the shaft. I definitely recommend leaving the nut on.  Especially if you have the puller tighter than snug.  The first time I did this (applied map gas torch) it let go so hard and shot off the shaft, hit the rudder and both the prop and the puller fell to the ground.  Since then I just leave the nylock nut on about halfway.  Working outside in, I haven’t ever noticed the shaft threads, or strut bushings get too hot but after reading this thread I will probably go ahead and do a wet rag on the strut side.

Edited July 31, 2023 by PNWoke