Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

JVCar22

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Aug 10, 2010
Messages
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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Ok. Thanks for the help everyone. I'll repost later tonight or tomorrow morning with an update to what I see.. I'm going to have my fingers crossed for the rest of the day.
 

JVCar22

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Aug 10, 2010
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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Alright so this is where I'm at...

I took off the top of the outdrive and all the gears look great. They look beautiful as a matter of fact. I popped off the prop and didn't see any problems with the hub, it looked good as well.

I drained the oil from the outdrive and the oil was all milky and disgusting. It smelled real bad that you can tell it got burnt. It looked like mud. We took both bolts out that hold the oil in which also act as magnets and the bottom bolt had all metal shavings on it and the top bolt was very clean. So we know that the metal didn't pass through into the upper unit. So the problem must lie in the lower unit. After we took the lower unit completely off of the outdrive we checked out the impella which looks good too. When we would spin the drive shaft it was making a clicking noise while spinning.

So our end result is that the pin at the bottom of the drive shaft broke a piece off which is why the drive shaft cant catch onto it and spin the prop.

Does this make sense? Is that a good conclusion from the evidence??

The engine looked great. Didn't see any problems in the engine.

So I guess now I pretty much have to buy a whole new lowe unit. I'll probably look for rebuilt.
 

JVCar22

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Aug 10, 2010
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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Does everyone agree with the assumption of just needing a new lower unit?

Thanks
 

JVCar22

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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

attachment.php
Here's a picture of how the oil looked when I drained it out of the outdrive.
 

Todd157k

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Jul 12, 2010
Messages
114
Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Been following this thread waiting for the outcome. Sorry for your unfortunate situation however I would think it is far cheaper to have yours rebuilt than to buy another one. You already have it off which saves even more $$.
 

Brewman61

Ensign
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Jun 10, 2010
Messages
996
Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Cost depends on lots of things. Paying a shop to rebuild at $120/hour labor plus parts could equal or exceed the cost of buying a replacement outdrive from SEI, for example.
If you do it yourself, maybe save some bucks, but depending on the extent of the damage, specialized tools may be necessary, plus the ability to do the job right.
I think you could get an SEI new replacement for under $1500, counting in freight.
Cost to rebuild/overhaul- ?????
Buying a used outdrive is another option.
Owners pocket, owners call.
 

JVCar22

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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Yeah it's a hard decision to make. But I'm at least glad it's just the lower unit. Everything in the upper looked fine, gears looked beautiful, no metal in them.

I'm trying to find locally a lower unit hopefully under $600. I'm also going to stop at some marinas and see what they'd charge to rebuild for me.

What a mess.. All from hitting a damn rock.
 

nola mike

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Apr 22, 2009
Messages
5,023
Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Yeah it's a hard decision to make. But I'm at least glad it's just the lower unit. Everything in the upper looked fine, gears looked beautiful, no metal in them.

I'm trying to find locally a lower unit hopefully under $600. I'm also going to stop at some marinas and see what they'd charge to rebuild for me.

What a mess.. All from hitting a damn rock.

i don't think your pic posted. anyway, i wouldn't mess with a rebuild. it'll cost as much/more as a new SEI drive. rebuilding it yourself costs about as much in parts/special tools as well. in my neck of the woods, used alphas are all over the place, but you need to be careful. i bought one that had a shaft input leak that i didn't realize. the second used one was the wrong gear ratio, and i needed a new prop to compensate. however, new impeller(s) and new seals, and a new prop, and i'm still only in $300 for 2 drives, so definitely worth going used for me.
 

JVCar22

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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Alright, just found a used one for $500 with a 30 day warranty.

I'm going to pick it up after work and put it on tonight. I have to go out and buy some oil but I should be able to have it running tonight.
 

JVCar22

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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

lets see if this pic works, i attached it to this post
 

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BrettBBonner

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Jan 1, 2003
Messages
5
Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Well - to me, it sounds like you lost the engine coupler. If the engine coupler is gone, then you will not turn the outdrive's input shaft, the water pickup pump will not turn, and it will overheat in reverse.
 

JVCar22

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Aug 10, 2010
Messages
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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

When we took the lower unit off and tried turning the shaft it was cranking. Doesn't seem like it's making a connection to the piece down below and it won't spin the prop.
 

dingdongs

Chief Petty Officer
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May 29, 2009
Messages
649
Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

post pics of your lower unit also the verticle shaft at the top to see if splines are still attached.
 

JVCar22

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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Ok I'll take pics tonight when I get home. Right after work I'm going to buy the new lower unit. Either way it has to get replace, it doesn't work.

I also popped the top of the outdrive off and all the gears looked great.
 

nola mike

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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Ok I'll take pics tonight when I get home. Right after work I'm going to buy the new lower unit. Either way it has to get replace, it doesn't work.

I also popped the top of the outdrive off and all the gears looked great.

couldn't understand your description--did you say that when you turn the input shaft (near u-joints) while in gear, that the prop doesn't turn? if that's the case, it's a failure to the outdrive, not the coupler. i'd think a coupler failure from hitting a rock would be extremely rare anyway.
 

JVCar22

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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

couldn't understand your description--did you say that when you turn the input shaft (near u-joints) while in gear, that the prop doesn't turn? if that's the case, it's a failure to the outdrive, not the coupler. i'd think a coupler failure from hitting a rock would be extremely rare anyway.

Well my friend came by and looked at it and said it was definitely the outdrive.

When the lower unit was still attached we put it into gear and turned it the way it should be going, when we would turn the prop it would make a rubbing/crankling noise. And when we would try to turn it in the opposite direction (the opposite gear) it would turn freely. It should be locked. Now that the lower unit is off, we turn the shaft and impeller, and it makes that same rubbing/cranking noise. It sounds like it's not catching on the pin below to turn the prop.
 

nola mike

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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

fyi, new SEI lower with 3 yr warranty is $700...
 

JVCar22

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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Hm... For an extra $200 I'll have a better warranty. I'm gonna see what kind of warranty this guy offers me today.
 

JVCar22

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Joined
Aug 10, 2010
Messages
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Re: Prop won't spin, hit a rock. HELP

Success! As of last night the boat is running like a champ! I went out after work and bought a used lower. The place I bought it from wanted me to take the whole outdrive, so I got the upper and lower. I'll probably turn around and sell the upper.

We took the lower off and started putting the parts from the old lower onto the new one. The drive shaft looked different though. On the new one, the drive shaft at the top had notches in it for the up to grab onto and spin. On the old one the shaft didn't have these notches. When we tried putting the new one on it wouldn't slide in.. It felt like something was stuck inside of the upper. So we started taking apart the upper and all of a sudden, out popped out the top pieces of the drive shaft with the notches. A clean break!! It was crazy, never heard of anything like this.

So we put the new one and bolted it in and poured some oil in. I had my SS prop sent out to be grinded down and re-finished and came back looking brand new. So we put that back as well. Hooked up the ear muffs, ran some water, it started and sounded beautiful. The prop spinned both ways. Seems like everything is fixed!!

Thank you everyone for all of your help and input.

Here is a pic of the piece that broke off....
 
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