tee-boy's prop shaft

[tee-boy]

I believe my prop shaft on 2003 60hp Merc 4stroke is bent. When I rotate the prop, the prop base seems to move in and out towards and away from the housing on the lower unit. Is this normal? If not, what is the cheapest, w/o sacrificing quality, way to remedy the situation? Can I have the shaft straightened at machine shop or must I have it replaced? What should I expect to spend to fix? Would warranty cover this?

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: tee-boy's prop shaft

Did you hit something or do you just see that it's bent? It would make a big difference with regard to the warranty. If you did not hit anything, take it back and have them check it out.

 

[Greg New Zealand]

Re: tee-boy's prop shaft

The base of the prop may not be perfectly machined and thereby creating an optical illusion that the shaft is bent. It is easy for an engineer or machine shop to check the shaft for you. If you do that first you will know whether there is a problem before you go back to your dealer.

 

[dilligafda]

Re: tee-boy's prop shaft

1) "is this normal?" NO!<br /><br />2) "what is the cheapest, w/o sacrificing quality, way to remedy the situation?" Replace the propshaft with new.<br /><br />3) "Can I have the shaft straightened at machine shop?" You can, but the metal will be stressed and I personally would not trust it.<br /><br />4)"What should I expect to spend to fix?" The propshaft is around $430 and whatever labor it would take.<br /><br />5) "Would warranty cover this?" If the propshaft is bent, probably not.<br /><br />Or the possibility exists, as Greg stated, that the prop is slightly off center. Has this been the case since you took delivery? To check it out remove the prop and turn the shaft. If you can see runout on the end of the shaft it is bent. If not, ask a dealer in your area to loan you a prop to stick on and check for runout. if there is none, the prop is bad and it should be covered under the warranty.<br /><br />Good luck and keep us posted!