Best place to buy a new prop?

[Moor]

Looks like its time for a new prop. I just moved to a different lake, and in the process of pulling the sunsport out of the water i managed to ding the prop on the trailer as i was loading it. Wheres a good place to buy a new prop? I've been lucky enough to not have damaged a prop in my 7 years of boating... but i knew this day would come sooner or later. Also any reccomendation for a good surf prop for a 1988 sunsport 454?

[KG's Supra24]

Nettles. They can assess your boat and goals and get you into the right prop as well as probably repair your old one so you have a spare.

http://www.nettleprops.com/

[gogger]

I have bought 3 props from Nettles. Easy to work with and very helpful. They are repairing one right now and then I get to send back my brand new Acme 1325 that hit the trailer in TN after my wife fractured her spine.

[Moor]

Just got off the phone with nettles. I ended up ordering the Acme 541 prop. Now does anyone know a trick to removing the prop without the "special" tool?

[chris young]

I've never done it myself, but I've heard that if loosen the the nuts and give them a good whack with a hammer it'll pop loose. I suppose you could just loosen the nuts off a bit, tie the boat to a tree and then put it in reverse:p

In my case, I just drove the boat around until if fell off of it's own accord. Now I have a brand new 541 as well.

[Moor]

I've never done it myself, but I've heard that if loosen the the nuts and give them a good whack with a hammer it'll pop loose. I suppose you could just loosen the nuts off a bit, tie the boat to a tree and then put it in reverse:p

In my case, I just drove the boat around until if fell off of it's own accord. Now I have a brand new 541 as well.

LOL! i think i'll try to loosen the nuts and give her a whack with a dead blow hammer. How do you like the 541?

[Moor]

I have bought 3 props from Nettles. Easy to work with and very helpful. They are repairing one right now and then I get to send back my brand new Acme 1325 that hit the trailer in TN after my wife fractured her spine.

Thanks for the advice gogger. Sorry to hear about your wife, i hope shes ok.

[gogger]

Thanks she is doing better. I put a 451 on the pirata. Totally changed the power for the better. Way better hole shot.

[carlossa]

For prop removal without a puller, I usually boil the jug, back the nut off 2 turns, pour boiling water over the center area of the prop and give it a hit with lump hammer and a brass drift. If it does not release after 3 blows, repeat the process of boiling water etc. If it wont budge after 2 goes, a puller is recommended. Been using this system for years. Good luck

[cadunkle]

I used a regular 3 jaw puller on mine.

[Moor]

For prop removal without a puller, I usually boil the jug, back the nut off 2 turns, pour boiling water over the center area of the prop and give it a hit with lump hammer and a brass drift. If it does not release after 3 blows, repeat the process of boiling water etc. If it wont budge after 2 goes, a puller is recommended. Been using this system for years. Good luck

Ahhh, good idea, a little bit of heat never hurt anything lol. What about carefully using a propane torch to heat? as long as it doesn't get too hot. or is this a bad idea?

[Moor]

I used a regular 3 jaw puller on mine.

I have a few different sized 3 jaw pullers. I will def look into this...


Thank you both for the ideas

[carlossa]

Ahhh, good idea, a little bit of heat never hurt anything lol. What about carefully using a propane torch to heat? as long as it doesn't get too hot. or is this a bad idea?
If you are comfortable using propane, then go for it. Just dont melt anything ;)

[chris young]

I like the 541 fine, I'd have to find the original prop (somewhere between 15 and 50 feet of water in a search area the size of a couple of basketball courts) and put it on the boat to really get a feel for the difference so I can't really say how much I like it. After I lost the original, I overhauled and leveled the carb, set the timing, replaced the cutlass bearings and lap fitted the new prop. So the boat runs much better than it did with the old prop, but I can't say where the prop fits in to the nicer setup.

I second the heat idea, just make sure if you're whacking the prop to knock it off (not whacking the nuts like I was saying) that you keep a nut on the shaft so the prop doesn't come off and injure or damage something.

[Moor]

I got the prop off with a 3 jaw puller, a little heat from my map gas torch and a few whacks with a hammer and a 2x4. :-) If everything goes according to plan ill be back in the water by this weekend. Once i run the new prop through its paces ill post my findings in the Prop thread. Thanks again for the advice guys, much appriciated. Once more question: red or blue lock tite on the prop shaft jam nuts? looks like there was blue in there when i removed the prop....

[chris young]

Did you lap fit the new prop? Highly recommended. If you lap fit and heat the prop in the oven before you install it, the nuts are only there to snug it on installation. I didn't, nor would I put lock tight on there, just make sure there's a cotter pin (stainless).

[Moor]

Did you lap fit the new prop? Highly recommended. If you lap fit and heat the prop in the oven before you install it, the nuts are only there to snug it on installation. I didn't, nor would I put lock tight on there, just make sure there's a cotter pin (stainless).

I won't have the new prop until thursday. please forgive my ignorance, but what does "lap fitting the new prop" consist of? I've never heard of it. I understand putting the prop in the oven to ease installation, what else is involved in lap fitting? There was NO cotter pin in my prop shaft when i removed the prop, maybe thats why there was blue locktite there? Also should i replace the 2 jam nuts?

nevermind, i just did a little google searching and found some info on lapping the new prop. I will definately do this before i install it. thanks chris.

[Moor]

well i lapped the prop and got the boat back in the water Sunday afternoon... all i can say is: WOW! All across the board this prop kicks A$$! The hole shot is MUCH improved. the boat wants to jump out of the water with even the slightest increase in throttle. it gets up on plane MUCH quicker. I haven't had a chance to do a top speed run as the lake was a little crowded Sunday, but at 30 mph im running almost 800 rpms lower that i was with the old prop (O.J 13x13). so im guessing ill pick up 5-8 mph on the top end. BIG THUMBS UP!

[CornRickey]

I was wondering what you guys hit on your trailer with your prop? All I can think of is that the trailers don't have guide ons.

[Moor]

I was wondering what you guys hit on your trailer with your prop? All I can think of is that the trailers don't have guide ons.


I was in a hurry and being a dumb*ss. The water level was pretty low on the lake at the time, and my friend didnt want to submerge his truck too far in the water when i was pulling the boat out, so the trailer wasn't quit deep enough in the water. i guided the boat up onto the trailer bunks, but fell a few feet short. This is where i turn into a dumb*ss. instead of making my friend back his truck farther into the lake, i decided to muscle the boat a few feet forward by bliping the throttle quickly. I have done this many times in the past without incident on other boats of mine. Well this time the boat went sideways and the prop hit the prop gaurd on the trailer. I do have guide ons on my trailer. The only thing i can say in my defense is that this is only the second time i parked this boat on its trailer. She stays in the water all season, and only get put on the trailer when its time to wrap up and winterize, this is my second season with this boat. maybe i should go back to boating 101 lol

[chris young]

I'm sure that must have been a sickening sound. I guess that's one of the reasons why in the (Canadian) boater safety course they say you should never power load a boat. All the boats at my ski club get power loaded all the time, but these guys have been driving inboards for eons. Our ski dock is right beside the boat launch so it's a constant source of entertainment and cringing. What you did wasn't dumbass at all, I think nearly all of us would do that especially when we're in a hurry. At another ramp I once saw a guy load a jet ski and without tying it to the trailer, gunned the truck and pulled the trailer right out from under the jet ski leaving it high and dry on the ramp. Now that's dumbass:p

[CornRickey]

Interesting. I have power loaded both my NS and Supra for 14 total years and have never hit the trailer. This isn't due to ability but with guide ons and bunks there is no physical way I could hit anything especially the prop guard. With my stock setup on boat boats the shallower the trailer was the less potential (if there was one) because the boat bottoms out on the bunks. I'm not digging on anyone, I'm just trying to understand.

[gogger]

Well when mine hit the trailer, I was out of town on a weird ramp. The trailer was listing a little to one side and my helper (who was driving) is a perfectionist. We had it loaded but he felt it needed centered better so we pulled it back off and then came back in. It got a little sideways and the prop hit the side of the prop guard on the trailer also. It barely nicked it. I sent the old prop to nettles and will send the new one back once they get the old one repaired. Never heard the prop hitting the guard and from the nicks in the paint it was only half a revolution or so that it hit, so it was quick. I tried to not power on at first with the pirata, but it seems that it would be impossible with the 24ssv.

[Moor]

my bunks and guides are adjusted properly (as far as i know). Like gogger, my trailer was listing ever so slightly, the front of the boat was resting on the bunks, but the rear of the boat was only barely making contact with the bunks due to the trailer not being backing in the water far enough. The grade on the spot where i launch is horrible, and the ground is very rough. It must have been the perfect combination for catastrophie. Also like goger, mine barely nicked the gaurd. only it 2 out of the 3 blades, and i had trouble even finding the mark on the trailer. The sound was sickening at best. No worries cornrickey, dig in if you want.

[matt k]

Just went over to Nettle's for a new prop. Turns out JT lives in my neighborhood. Weird, huh?

[gogger]

Well I have an even worst ramp story from yesterday. Went to a local reservoir yesterday morning to get in a few sets with some buddies. The ramp is real steep at this place so it makes it tough to load. You have to barely back the trailer in get the bow high enough to clear the boat buddy. Then back in some more and hit the throttle. I always get out and make sure my buddy has the boat straight before he throttles on. Well I backed in a little and he nailed it before I had a chance to put the truck in park. Startled me and I jumped out of the truck to see what happened and forgot to put the truck in park. I noticed the truck rolling quickly back into the water. I was able to get back in and stop it before it went too far. But the trailer got crooked and I didn't notice. When I pulled forward the guide was under the dock and bent pretty good. And the boat was up on the fender or something and chipped the gelcoat right on the edge where the side becomes the bottom. Wasn't horrible but I was sick about the damage to the boat. My fault for not taking my time and making sure everything was straight and the truck in park. No damage to the prop.