1979 Merc 40 prop question???

[Maddoxsdaddy]

It had a 15P stainless prop that had been on it for apparently many year as i had to burn the rubber out of the hub to get it off. I'm replacing the prop with a 12P so the motor will get into the correct RPM range. The 12P prop i have came off of a 1988 60hp 3cyl. Merc. The splines are the same between the 2 motors but the hub #'s are different. I put the 12P on and it would not go up onto the shaft as far as the old 15P. It looks like there is a spacer of some sort on the prop shaft about 1/4" thick... the amount that the 12P won't go on. Will it hurt anything to take the spacer off the shaft or should i change the hub in the 12P to match what was on the 15P???
Thanks....

 

[steelespike]

Re: 1979 Merc 40 prop question???

I don't know much about the Mercs.
I looked up a Vortex prop for each motor.It appears the prop pt.number and hub pt.number are the same.Is the 88 from a big foot?

 

[Maddoxsdaddy]

Re: 1979 Merc 40 prop question???

The 60 was not a bigfoot. Thanks for checking. I found the same thing when i looked online... props and hubs are the same. I think what i'm seeing might just be a piece of the rear part of the hub that broke off that's frozen to the shaft, not a spacer. That prop had been on there for YEARS so it wouldn't suprise me. I'll find out this afternoon....

Tim