Re: Newbie-Volvo Penta 270 Outdrive Ring
Welcome to iboats and sorry about the rocks. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone hitting the bottom with their prop! Well, maybe once or twice :redface:
You've got a few things to look at. You're right about the zinc missing. They're not too expensive and should be replaced soon. The large washer you see is the line cutter. It's on a collar and if it's rattling, then the welds have snapped and it's loose on the shaft. It's another $30 part that you need to replace. It won't hurt anything to not have one short term but it really needs to be replaced.
Take a good look at the prop. large nicks and dings need to be repaired. The imbalance can cause bearing damage. Another thing to check is to see if the prop has slipped on the hub. There's a rubber insert in the prop that is
supposed to let go instead of causing damage to the shaft in the event of a major hit. To check it, make a mark across the hub with a magic nmarker. If the lines don't match up after running the boat in the water, then the prop needs to be rebuilt.
Here's a link to a list of manuals that should help you out:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=2360521#post2360521
There's also a separate section for props where you'll find more detailed discussions of your specific problem - this just might have happened before!