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We are here Monday through Saturday and sometimes even on Sunday or use our 24-hour drop box. Be prepared with vital information on your boat when purchasing a new boat prop such as.
The Propeller Handbook by Dave Gerr is a top resource with 176 pages dedicated to explaining in relatively understandable terms how to choose install and understand your boats prop.
How to fix a boat propeller. General Propeller will show you how to repair a boat propeller in 60 seconds or less. At General Propeller we have a passionate and dedicated repair team wit. Even minor prop damage can reduce boat performance but a few tools and little know-how can eliminate issues.
Make sure that shop is reputable preferably a member of the National Marine Propeller Association the only organization in the world that provides training and certification for the propeller-repair industry. Gone are the days when props could be repaired with an anvil a welding machine and a coat of paint. Todays props require trained technicians to make them run right.
While prop makers today deliver accurately sized props. Three DIY propeller repair tasks to keep your wheels turning. Unless you are an expert welder who also happens to have access to a hydraulic press the chances of your completing a major propeller repair or reconditioning job successfully are slim and none.
Boat Propeller Maintenance. Common Problems With Boat Propellers and How to Fix Them. When to Repair or Replace Your Propeller.
After Hitting a Rock Sandbar or Other Hard Object. If Your Boat Seems Too Slow. Fixing a spun propeller will require the assistance of a boat propeller repair shop to press the old hub out of the propeller and the new hub into the propeller.
Inspect the propeller first to determine if the hub has spun inside the propeller. Mark the front of the propeller and the propeller hub directly across from each other with a. We can take your props back to their original pitch and rake or we can modify the pitch.
We can add or modify the existing cup to get you the best traction possible in the water. We have state of the art equipment to bring your high gloss props. To test the prop run the boat at WOT and observe the maximum engine RPM on a tachometer.
If the RPM is below the recommended operating range switch to a propeller with lower pitched blades. If the RPM is higher switch to a propeller with higher pitched blades. Increasing the pitch by an inch or two decreases the RPM accordingly and puts you back in the RPM range sweet spot.
If the motors RPM is below the manufacturers range the boat is over-propped and decreasing the propeller pitch will increase the RPM to where it should be. If you have the wrong pitch propeller on your boat performance will suffer. Except for a few very specific cases such as variable-pitch props like the ProPulse the pitch on most common boat props is fixed.
You cant adjust it not even a little bit. That means that when youve discovered your props pitch is off youll need to. Since 1938 Rundquist Propeller has worked closely with propeller manufacturers and propeller repair shops in designing and supplying the tooling necessary to repair damaged marine propellers.
The explosive growth of the boating industry particularly in privately owned pleasure craft has been matched by an equally lively program of product. If you have an aluminum prop you should inspect for excessive metal loss more than 10 of the blade area extended cracks blades that are too thin or cavitation burns. If your prop has any of these issues bite the bullet.
An additional consideration is whether your prop may need the inner hub that protects your drive train replaced. Prop slip is considerably less on very light boats. My boat is considered very light.
Therefore I am inputting a prop slip of 5. I can not input a prop slip of 0. The prop calculator indicates that my theoretical top speed at 5870 rpm with an 11 prop to be 303MPH or 4876KPH.
Repair or replace the prop when damaged or bent. If needed replace the rubber or plastic hub that sits between the propeller and the propshaft. Always carry a spare propeller onboardjust like a spare tire.
Below it the engine isnt making full power. Above it output declines often dramatically. If a gasoline engine is mispropped its obvious.
Just look at the tachometer. If the engine is rated at 4800 rpm and the tach reads 5200 rpm youre losing speed and efficiency and you probably need more prop. So for instance if you were to lower from a 23-pitch to a 21-pitch propeller youll increase engine RPM by about 400 revolutions.
The trick is to choose a boat prop that delivers acceptable acceleration and a top speed. Be prepared with vital information on your boat when purchasing a new boat prop such as. Quick Fix for a Bent Boat Prop.
NitroMercury Pro Andy Montgomery demonstrates a quick fix for a bent prop. Boat Propeller Repair - Part 2. If your prop requires dynamic balancing take it to a professional prop shop.
The shop will use a multi-place dynamic balancing analyzer to analyze the amount of torque in the planes of motion at top speeds. It is a very precise machine that takes a lot of skill and training to understand. The damage that has been done to the propeller is our next deciding factor.
There are many different types of damage that can be done to a prop but not all are repairable. You can bend a prop blade knick the blade tear off a blade and they. Cavitation if the formation of air bubbles on the propeller.
Cavitaion usually occurs as a result of damage and youll feel it in the form of vibrations. Cavitation is bad for three reasons. First it can physically damage the propeller.
Secondly it causes those vibrations which makes your ride less comfortable. If you decide to change the propeller on your boat yourself read our guide here. The Propeller Handbook by Dave Gerr is a top resource with 176 pages dedicated to explaining in relatively understandable terms how to choose install and understand your boats prop.
At around 15 its a very worthwhile reference. We are the only boat prop repair in Indianapolis. If you have a problem with your prop come by the shop.
We are here Monday through Saturday and sometimes even on Sunday or use our 24-hour drop box. Well evaluate your prop and either repair it in our specialty machine shop or recommend a replacement.