Greetings.
Situation: I recently bought a boat with a early 70's 25 HP Johnson. I got it for a good price ($450 boat, motor, trailer, trolling motor), so didn't use it on the water prior to purchase. In my inaugural voyage to give it a test spin, some idiot (not mentioning any names :redface
forgot to finish latching the hitch onto the ball, and it popped off while I was traveling down the highway. DOH!! Thank goodness for safety chains. Anyhoo, the trailer tipped up a couple times and bent two of the prop blades pretty severely. As a subscriber to the bigger hammer theory, I thought I'd just straighten the blades out enough to clear the lower unit housing. There was still a severe bend in the two blades.
Once it was in the water, the motor seemed to function perfectly, with one glaring exception. When I put the motor in gear and gave her some gas, all I got was lots of churning around the prop, and minimal forward/reverse thrust. With some throttle I could get slight forward progress, enough to creep away from the ramp, and then creep back.
My question: Is it possible for a prop to be so warped that it just totally cavitates and completely ceases to function? Is it possible that the prop strike damaged something else?
Once I got home, I removed the prop and started the motor and shifted in and out of gear. The prop drive shaft rotated normally, and does not appear to be bent.
Is it worth just buying a new prop? Should I scrap the motor and use the 15 hp motor that is in the corner of the garage?
Thanks.
Scott
Situation: I recently bought a boat with a early 70's 25 HP Johnson. I got it for a good price ($450 boat, motor, trailer, trolling motor), so didn't use it on the water prior to purchase. In my inaugural voyage to give it a test spin, some idiot (not mentioning any names :redface
forgot to finish latching the hitch onto the ball, and it popped off while I was traveling down the highway. DOH!! Thank goodness for safety chains. Anyhoo, the trailer tipped up a couple times and bent two of the prop blades pretty severely. As a subscriber to the bigger hammer theory, I thought I'd just straighten the blades out enough to clear the lower unit housing. There was still a severe bend in the two blades. Once it was in the water, the motor seemed to function perfectly, with one glaring exception. When I put the motor in gear and gave her some gas, all I got was lots of churning around the prop, and minimal forward/reverse thrust. With some throttle I could get slight forward progress, enough to creep away from the ramp, and then creep back.
My question: Is it possible for a prop to be so warped that it just totally cavitates and completely ceases to function? Is it possible that the prop strike damaged something else?
Once I got home, I removed the prop and started the motor and shifted in and out of gear. The prop drive shaft rotated normally, and does not appear to be bent.
Is it worth just buying a new prop? Should I scrap the motor and use the 15 hp motor that is in the corner of the garage?
Thanks.
Scott
