Need a prop

[chris young]

I was rather surprised but I lost my prop for no good reason other than it came loose and parted ways with the boat. I'm planning on calling Acme to get a recommendation for a new one, but I thought I'd troll here to see if anyone has one available for sale. I think I need a 13X11.5 but I'm not sure. It's an 84 Rider (1:1 351)

[Cusefan78]

Chris that seems right. Did you have the cotter pin in on the end of the shaft. If that was in there no way the lock but can spin off. Make sure you replace that if missing.

[chrisk]

What do you primarily use the boat for? Your use can change the prop desired.

[chris young]

It's a slalom tug, full stop. From all the search I've done, it looks like I'll pop for an ACME 543 or 541. I'm kind of leaning toward the 543 but the 541 I think will likely give me a bit more top end, and the former prop was plenty fine for pulling me out.


Did you have the cotter pin in on the end of the shaft.

I was sure there was one there when I put the boat in the water, but who knows? It's new to me this year and perhaps the last guy to put the cotter pin in reused the old one or put in a steel one and it just rusted or broke off. I think this may explain my high RPM lowish top end as well. It's possible the prop lost the key and was just on by the friction of the taper. I've been chasing a slipping transmission (don't think it was) and a tach reading high (don't think so either) so this could explain it. Hopefully the shaft is ok. I won't know until I pull it out of the water. That'll be sometime in the next couple of weeks.



When does your season at Devil lake typically start? (I may take you up on your offer of bringing parts up on my behalf if it's still open)

[Cusefan78]

I don't close my cottage down till mid November. Have tons of leaves to rake. I usually go up a few times during the winter to snowmobile. I reopen around the second week of April. If you need anything let me know and I can bring it up. I do it all the time for friends on the lake.

[92SupraComp]

the cotter pin does NOT take the load. The load relies on the friction fit. When you get the new prop take plenty of time lapping it to the shaft. Do this and it will hold well and you wont have problems. My prop shaft on my comp cracked nearly all the way round underneath where the prop sits. many people have said the same thing, Supra didnt properly lap the prop to the shaft...

EDIT: silly me. Not the cotter pin oops. I meant the key. The key is not supposed to take the load...

[chris young]

Well it doesn't get much better than this. I just found a 10/10 2 year old ACME 541 within a 20 minute drive to my house. It's the prop that ACME recommended, and I've found nothing but praise for it. He wants a bit much (350 Canadian) but the cheapest I've found one is 358 USD at Nettle, and by the time I pay shipping and taxes it would be around 500.

Cusefan78, thanks yet again for you generous offer, but once again it looks like I'm ok. (got the fuel gauge working without needing a sender). One day I'll have to come by and see your Labrisa.

[Cusefan78]

Chris we will have to get together and do some skiing next year

[chris young]

Sounds good to me! BTW there's a guy on the SW end of Wolfe Lake that has a course, or at least he has for the last zillion years I never got down that way this year. We should knock on the door with a couple of gas cans:D

Further to what 92SupraComp said, I found this excellent explanation of lapping a prop. I had no idea, I as I'm sure most, assumed that the load was being taken by the key. Thanks for setting us straight. I will be lapping my new prop. I may even ask the machine shop to make me a new shaft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ozh4JjoWm4 it's in 2 parts, this is the link for part 1

[chris young]

I just dug this photo out of an old thread. My boat in the hands of the PO
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii149/Jaltavela/IMG00043-20100729-1552.jpg

What do you think the chances are that a cotter pin found it's way into the end of the shaft after that photo was taken? I guess I'm an idiot for not noticing after I took possession. Now at least I know what the previous prop used to look like. I'm anticipating a nice improvement when the new ACME 541 gets installed.