Prop Damage

[LaqueRatt]

Prop on my new boat has a pretty good scuff and slight bend in it. Should I be concerned? Can I fix it myself? Sorry about the lousy pictures. For some reason they didn't come out very good.

 

[alldodge]

Always best to get a damaged prop fixed or replaced. The damage will cause vibration which can cause problems with the drive. A prop shop can fix the one you have easy enough

 

[airshot]

Definetly get it properly repaired before using it again !! If you don't have a spare prop, now would be a good time to get one and put it on while the current one gets repaired !! Can you repair it yourself ??? Mabey...can you weld aluminum...do you have pitch blocks to reset the proper pitch and blade set ?? This is a job for a pro to repair, do it right and save your motor !!

 

[Scott Danforth]

In a pinch if you needed to go out, you could take a utility body hammer and dolly and work the edge back in shape if you have body work experience

However it's best to get it repaired

 

[Chris1956]

That one is too far gone to fix, IMO. That is, I do not think it worth it to pay a shop to weld some aluminum blades on to it. New Aluminum prop housings are pretty cheap (<$100), and you can reuse the hub.

If you heat it with a propane torch and tap it on an anvil, you can straighten it a bit. Now touch it up with a file and toss it in the bilge as a spare prop.

 

[Texasmark]

Side note: I had a 125 Johnson with an aluminum prop and boated in a newly filled lake with many saplings in and above water as they grew naturally. Sunday we would go out for fun and Monday at lunch break the prop would go to the prop shop to get a bent blade fixed. Went to the new OMC SST (stainless steel teflon coated) prop and that was the end of that.

 

[LaqueRatt]

Interesting. I didn't think it was a big deal, but now I know better. Maybe the pics don't do it justice. It is really just a scuff, no metal missing really. Has a little bit of a bend now that doesn't belong. Most used motors I see look a lot worse. I'm pretty good at metal working and have the tools to work that bend out. Would I need to heat it? Is it possible to balance it? Like a lawnmower blade maybe? Assuming the damaged fin is lighter now, I'd need to remove a tiny bit of material from the other two. Feel free to rain on my parade. At this point looks like I'll be getting a new prop. Haven't had it in the water yet, but pretty sure the last guy was running it with this prop without any issues.

 

[airshot]

No issues yet, however an unbalanced prop will quickly wear out the bearing and possible seals in your lower unit. Just being a metal worker is only a start, can you match the blades, can you balance it ?? It might get you by as an emergency spare to get you back slowly, but for a primary prop, I would never do it, but yes I am very picky about my boats and motors. My 1992 outfit could probably be set in a showroom as a new boat and the motor runs like one....but that is me. Never been stranded and don't plan on it...

 

[JimS123]

Sure, heat it, weld it and pound it out yourself. Easy peasy.

Oh, I guess you have the pitch blocks to line it up correctly?

 

[jimmbo]

Looking at it, there is Metal Missing, and that will increase as you file it smoother. Replace it, or repair it.

 

[ejnichol]

In a pinch if you needed to go out, you could take a utility body hammer and dolly and work the edge back in shape if you have body work experience

However it's best to get it repaired

Use a hammer not a pair of pliers to bend it. Hammering is the best and only way I've found to reshape an aluminum prop.

The metal tears easy with pliers/vice grips.

 

[jimmbo]

Use a hammer not a pair of pliers to bend it. Hammering is the best and only way I've found to reshape an aluminum prop.

The metal tears easy with pliers/vice grips.

Two Hammers, or One Hammer and a Block

 

[LaqueRatt]

I've got a full set of body working hammers and dollies, nothing fancy. Also have an anvil and a torch. Looks easy enough to hammer the bend out as long as it doesn't crack on me. Don't plan on replacing any metal although aren't there brazing rods that stick to aluminum?

Not looking to get into a major project, just thought I could improve the situation. So nobody has ever tried to balance a prop themselves? Doesn't seem like rocket science to me. I may ask my buddy who owns a tire shop if he could help me out with the balancing part.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Weight balancing is easy. Just get a balance stand. If you ever dealt with RC planes, you have one. Your buddy's tire balancer won't help.

It's getting the blade shape correct that takes practice

 

[redneck joe]

Cost of boating. Buy new, file this smooth and keep as back up.

 

[JimS123]

I've got a full set of body working hammers and dollies, nothing fancy. Also have an anvil and a torch. Looks easy enough to hammer the bend out as long as it doesn't crack on me. Don't plan on replacing any metal although aren't there brazing rods that stick to aluminum?

Not looking to get into a major project, just thought I could improve the situation. So nobody has ever tried to balance a prop themselves? Doesn't seem like rocket science to me. I may ask my buddy who owns a tire shop if he could help me out with the balancing part.

Your plan will worsen the situation not improve it. Sure, balancing is easy, but if you have metal loss you will have to cut some more off.

Backup prop if you damage the new one beyond repair....maybe. Butusing it as a full time part ain't a smart move.

Boating is expensive. The damage caused by rube goldberg repairs usually adds to the cost.

 

[racerone]

Yes ---there are aluminum brazing rods.

 

[flashback]

File off the damage and then file off the same amount on the other blades and stow it for a spare

 

[LaqueRatt]

I'll admit don't know much about props. Except I seldom see one much better than this. Maybe it's just our lake, but seems no prop stays looking new for long. I almost want to say this prop looks new, except for that one scuff. Attaching some better pictures. Is the verdict still it has to go? Seems running shallow lakes you just got to put up with this sort of stuff. Can't be buying a new prop every 2 weeks!

 

[alldodge]

That isn't much, might just run it