Nobody ever told me

[Jignjim]

When I was fishing last Friday, I pulled my trolling motor up and the prop was gone. I was busy trying to rig some kind of prop so I could fish a little longer when a friend pulled up and asked if I had motor troubles. I asked him if he had a trolling motor prop in his pocket. He said, as a matter of fact I do and pulled a brand new one out from under the seat and it fit perfectly. This morning I was telling some fishing buddies about what happened and two of them had the same thing happen the week before. They both asked if I had been moving the boat with the big motor while the trolling motor was down. I sure did want to tell them no but thats exactly what I had just done. I only moved the boat about 20 yards and I guess I was to lazy or to stupid to pull the trolling motor up. Anyhow two different boat mechanics told them that when you do that, it makes the prop spin backwards and unscrew off of the shaft. Any comments are welcome(not about how lazy and stupid I am but about the prop)

[rnvinc]

That's interesting because I've moved my boat several times without raising the TM....

Whether that can actually happen...I don't know...but...

I won't be taking that chance again....

[Ranger Z21]

I took off once with the TM down -- heck of a spray before I shut it down.
Shaft bent - new tm - lesson learned -I check first

Z21

[mepperson]

I took off once with the TM down -- heck of a spray before I shut it down.
Shaft bent - new tm - lesson learned -I check first

Z21

Ditto, a storm blew up and I had to get two kids off the lake while night fishing. I left the TM down and actually didn't notice it till I hit the trailer trying to load it. Bonehead move and costed me another TM but lesson learned. The lightining was real bad and I was only thinking about getting the kids off the water.

[speck tackler]

Well, if it makes any of you feel any better... I actually ran my boat up on the trailer, years ago, with my outboard and... yep... you guessed it... bow mount tm was down. Brand new tm... DESTROYED!!!

If that don't win me the All-Time Idiot Award, I don't know what would!!! :D

[MDCrappie]

Anyhow two different boat mechanics told them that when you do that, it makes the prop spin backwards and unscrew off of the shaft. Any comments are welcome(not about how lazy and stupid I am but about the prop)

Not correct! The prop will still spin the same way. If your prop nut is tight (and the prop is fully seated on the pin) nothing will happen, other then the prop and shaft turning.

Your prop spins counter-clock wise when viewing from the rear. When the motor is spinning the prop there is no force on the prop nut at all. You could actually run the motor without the nut as long as you do not stop.

In the case where the motor is in the water and the boat is being pushed by the big motor, the water is forcing the prop (along with the nut) to spin counter-clock wise. As long as the prop is tight on the pin this will just cause the shaft to spin. If the prop is not tight to the pin then this applies pressure to the prop nut, in a counter-clock direction, causing it to loosen. It then loosens to the point of falling off.

[jeepguyjames]

Well, if it makes any of you feel any better... I actually ran my boat up on the trailer, years ago, with my outboard and... yep... you guessed it... bow mount tm was down. Brand new tm... DESTROYED!!!

If that don't win me the All-Time Idiot Award, I don't know what would!!! :D

yep I am guilty of that one also.....I want my idiot award also :D although my wasnt brand new.....but the one i have now is :rolleyes:

[CatFan]

Been there, done that! Fortunately I had a spare.

[BamaMan]

I don't think running the big motor made the TM prop fall off. I don't see how with the pin. I would think vibration would make it fall off if it was loose to start with. Do you think your buddy that just happen to have a prop that fit your TM in his boat and just happen to come buy when you needed help set you? That is what I would think!

[crappieseeker]

i have moved from spot to spot short distances with the TM down many times and never had the prop come off