Caught the prop on some rocks :/

[nha]

A few weekends back I caught the prop on some rocks (bastards were hiding)! It knocked the engine up a few times as expected - I examined the blades and they had only bent a small bit on some of the edges - nothing drastic. What sort of things should I check to make sure there's no further damage?

Many thanks.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Caught the prop on some rocks :/

Did you run around a bit after you cracked the prop?

If so, did the boat seem ok? Get up on plane, no strange vibrations, things like that? Everything seem to be running OK?

Impossible to say for sure how or if a damaged prop would affect a boat.
Once the damage reaches a certain point, you'll quickly notice the difference. Subtle damage is harder to gauge. Edge nicks probably won't harm anything but if the prop is slightly out of balance who know what if any harm might be done over time.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: Caught the prop on some rocks :/

You ought to also make sure the prop shaft wasn't bent. At a minimum spin the prop by hand and check for the slightest hint of wobble, more precise would be to check the prop shaft with a dial indicator.

 

[nha]

Re: Caught the prop on some rocks :/

Hey Brewman61,

We did use it afterwards doing some skiing and it seemed ok. However when we headed home, the power suddenly drained and it was very hard to start... but I'm putting this down to a weak battery and or sparks.

Wonder how I could test to make sure there's no wobble in the prop as it rotates - to make sure it doesn't cause any unwanted vibrations.

Cheers

 

[robert graham]

Re: Caught the prop on some rocks :/

If it was mine, I'd buy a new prop and use your banged up one for a spare.

 

[sethjon]

Re: Caught the prop on some rocks :/

You'll feel a vibration if you did any real damage.

 

[Dave.Mishchenko]

Re: Caught the prop on some rocks :/

I'd concur with using it as spare. If the prop is significantly out of balance it'll shake the drive significantly and noticeably when you increase your RPMs.

You might also want to check with a dial indicator that the propeller shaft is not bent.

 

[nha]

Re: Caught the prop on some rocks :/

Thanks everyone - really appreciate the support. Now to look into this dial indicator thing.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Caught the prop on some rocks :/

If it was mine, I'd buy a new prop and use your banged up one for a spare.

Or buy a new one and pay $40 to get the other one fixed as a spare.

 

[Sixmark]

Re: Caught the prop on some rocks :/

Last years damaged prop becomes next years new one, that is, if it's repaired by a reputable repair facility.