prop nut size?

[boatman37]

hey guys. 1986 sea ray 250 sundancer. 5.7 merc alpha one gen 1. what size is the prop nut? the boat is in the water at the marina and i can't see the nut. i need to change the prop as soon as the water is clear enough but want to have the tools at the boat ready. i read the manual that came with the boat (yes, the PO bought the boat new and gave me all documentation) but it doesn't say the nut size.

anything else i should watch for? a dock neighbor said he would help but don't want to rely on a stranger to do all the work

 

[poconojoe]

Mine is a gen 2 and it's 1-1/16". Not sure if yours is the same. I bought a large plastic prop wrench that has the 1-1/16" and a square for the garboard plug. Very handy tool. Was $13.00

 

[boatman37]

i saw that wrench online. looks like a good addition to the toolbox

 

[poconojoe]

I use it all the time for the garboard drain plug. I think it even floats. I have to check that. Definitely won't rust!

 

[poconojoe]

Oh, just a little advice for changing your prop while the boat is in the water...
Some people suggest hanging something underneath such as a plastic bag in case you drop something.
What I did was gently beached the boat, shut it down, trimmed the drive completely up (trailer position), got in the water and turned the boat around with stern toward shore. I was in like knee high water. My prop was mostly out of the water. I used my swim platform as a nice shelf for the tools and parts. It was a very easy job. I did bring extra hardware just in case! But it all went well. I'm sure if I did drop something, I would have been able to retrieve it in the clear shallow water. Try not to do this at the dock. If you drop something, chances are it's gone to the fishes.

 

[boatman37]

yeah. i thought about that. i think i will be sure to have all the spare little parts i might need. and yes, the wrench floats according to the add i read

 

[bolo78910]

changing a prop at the dock is a piece off cake, just lay on your belly with the correct tool. trim the drive up.