new prop?

[tool]

out

[Don G]

Ok, I busted another prop. This time it was on the boat ramp trailering. I didn't trim up enough running it up the trailer. I need a 12 and 3/4 by 21 pitch. Anyone know where you can get a good deal on an aluminum prop? New or used?

Tool, Have you tried Ebay? What kind and hp motor. Year would help too.

[Don G]

specs say it takes a 12 3/4 inch hub with 21 inch pitch. I checked ebay and didn't find any listings that looked good.

You must be running it on a light boat. I think it would be the same spline as a 90 Merc. I'll check around the marinas here but 12 3/4 dia. X 21 pitch might be hard to find. I'll look tomorrow......

[labill]

Ok, I busted another prop. This time it was on the boat ramp trailering. I didn't trim up enough running it up the trailer. I need a 12 and 3/4 by 21 pitch. Anyone know where you can get a good deal on an aluminum prop? New or used?

Tool....try this site www.iboats.com I've been using them for a couple years for parts and troubleshooting.

[Don G]

Iboats.com had the lowest price i could find of all the websites i searched. The blades are chipped and bent on the ends so I might see if I can still get ok performance and get one later. If the performance is bad the next time I am out I will have to replace it.

I am running it on a pretty light boat. It is a tracker 185 aluminum which is pretty light. It is a fairly odd size so it tends to be more expensive than other props I have looked at.

Hey tool, you have the option of having that one repaired. Any marina will send it off for you and I think it is around $50. Just something else you can think about. I will still lokk around here for one.

[Barnacle Bill]

Iboats.com had the lowest price i could find of all the websites i searched. The blades are chipped and bent on the ends so I might see if I can still get ok performance and get one later. If the performance is bad the next time I am out I will have to replace it.

I am running it on a pretty light boat. It is a tracker 185 aluminum which is pretty light. It is a fairly odd size so it tends to be more expensive than other props I have looked at.

Hey Tool, have you considered having it rebuilt? A good prop shop can make it "new" again.

[Jerry Blake]

If it's not messed up too bad you can smooth it up with a flat file. Just do all your filing from the back of the blades so you don't round the front and keep them unifom. I've nicked the stainless steel prop on my 200 Mariner several times over the last few years and have been able to keep it running good by filing it myself. You can even straighten up bent blades with a hammer - just use a heavier hammer or something to hold on the opposite side of the blade and work back from the bend to the edge.

Any burs or nicks in the leading edge of the prob will probably cause cavitation. Wear some heavy gloves or you can cut your hands up pretty good when you start getting the edge sharp again - been there, done that!

[papasage]

what size motor do you have . ellis propeller in jacksonville can rebuild it . i have a ss on a blown 1974 85 h.p. mercuray. i dont know the pitch of it .

[CrappiePappy]

when I drive a boat on the trailer ... I usually trim the motor up a little past where it is normally at for best WOT rpm's. This helps lift the nose of the boat up, but doesn't shoot the boat forward as fast as "no trim" or "nominal trim". Once the boat is on the trailer, securely - then I turn the motor off and trim it up even more ...THEN the trailer gets hauled out of the water. I've seen too many props and skags dragged to death on the ramps - and I have a $200 (rebuilt) SS prop on my boat, so I "Really" don't want to do any damage to IT ...LOL!!
I've had several aluminum props get damaged by floating/submerged debris ... and had them rebuilt. I got tired of being without a boat, during the prop repair period, so I put a SS prop on - keeping the aluminum one for a backup. I've hit just as much trash with the SS prop, as I did with the aluminum ones ... but, so far, I haven't had to have any repairs done. It also runs faster with the SS prop.
I was also told that an aluminum prop could only be "rebuilt" once (per blade) ... as a second rebuild would leave the blade weak and prone to failure or greater damage from smaller objects. I don't know this to be a fact ... it's just something I was told at a boat repair shop, many years ago.

Just make trimming the motor "way up" a part of your normal trailering proceedure, and you shouldn't have to worry about the ramps, anymore ... besides - you're going to have to trim the motor up some more to get the "motor toter" under it ... so you might as well kill two birds with one stone !! .....luck2ya ...cp

[Don G]

Normally I trim the motor up just to where the prop is about 4-6 inches under the water when running it up on the trailer. This time I was overwhelmed by what I like to call a brainfart and forgot to trim up as much. Plus, I didn't put the trailer as far in the water as I normally do because I was by myself and didn't want try to hop from the boat to the bed of the truck and then down the side of the truck and etc..etc... At any rate, I learned yet another lesson about boating. Trim up, put the trailer deeper in the water, and keep brain farts to a minimum.

Tool, just for my info. Where is Stallings? Anywhere close to High Rock?