Putting a line cutter on my 270

My 270D outdrive (standard prop shaft) has never had a line cutter so I decided to buy one this winter since I have had a few problems with weeds getting wrapped around the prop area. Today I put it on but when I put the prop on over it, I noticed right away that the prop shaft did not protrude enough from the prop hub to be able to place the tabbed lock washer. I removed the prop and line cutter and took a closer look. Turns out that there was a ~3/4 inch metal spacer on the prop shaft right against the anode. I removed the spacer and put the line cutter and prop back on and then the prop shaft protruded from the prop the same distance as if the spacer was there. So, it seems the line cutter serves the same purpose (and more I hope) as the spacer I removed.

My real question is this...is it correct that the large round portion of the line cutter is right up against the anode? I imagined it would be different for some reason...that there would be a larger gap between the disc portion of the line cutter and the anode.

The spacer that you see there once had a line cutter attached to it.

Long spacer/cutter............. Short spacer/cutter.
280, 285, 290, SP .............. 250, 270, 275 respectively.


It's easy to get confused on this.

The spacer/line cutter length is specific to the drive... not the prop.
Your 270 requires the short spacer/line cutter (right image above)..... regardless of which prop hub, spinner (cone nut), etc.


The Long/Short hub props are accommodated by the proper type of spinner..... i.e., single pc spinner, two pc spinner or the the AFT-most section of the two pc spinner alone.

The cutter itself should not be touching the ring anode.

Hope that makes sense!

Installed the correct spacer. Cutter close to, but not touching, anode so I guess I'm good to go and will know for sure tomorrow. I think all is well. Thx.

P.S. I hope a bunch of you are going boating this Memorial Day weekend -- as I am...after all, isn't that what this forum is all about?!?

Thanks to the men and women who died serving our country!

atleast your collar that got left behind came off, mine got stuck on it and i cant get it off even with heat.

am_dew said:

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1. P.S. I hope a bunch of you are going boating this Memorial Day weekend -- as I am...after all, isn't that what this forum is all about?!?

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1. Easy for you to say, Mr. California buddy.... (all nice and warm down there)!
We're still having December/January up here!

But do have fun.... and be careful!


And yes, thanks to all who have served in our military.

.

jcampbell said:

atleast your collar that got left behind came off, mine got stuck on it and i cant get it off even with heat.

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While I don't know for sure, I don't think this outdrive ever did have a line cutter. The parts diagrams in the V/P service manual my dad bought when the boat was new do not show one and the spacer I took off looks somewhat different than the spacer that is part of the line cutter I installed and the old spacer shows no signs that it was ever part of a line cutter...ie. no rough edges indicating something was broken off from it, etc.

RicardoMarine said:

1. Easy for you to say, Mr. California buddy.... (all nice and warm down there)!
We're still having December/January up here!

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Heh...it finally warmed up here Friday after a very cool and rainy week. We've not had much of a spring down here in sunny CA this year at all, but it looks like it might finally be here.

In a '72 Delta runabout, the original drive may have been a 250. It would look very much like a 270.
If you have this insert (SEQ #14) in your main suspension fork, you may have a 250 drive... or first generation 270.


I can't say with any certainty, but it's possible that the 250 spacer did not include the cutter back then.


As for removing a spacer when stuck on the prop shaft!
Heat may do the trick, but if heated enough, metal can have a tendancy to shrink some upon cooling.
I've found that "gawling" is what's keeping it stuck on there. IOW's, it spun on the shaft at one time or another.... and gawling was the end result!

If you can get some oil mixed w/ lapping compound in between the spacer/shaft, you may be able to spin one or the other and "cut" the tiny litte pieces of gawled metal that are holding things up.

These can be a bugger to get off.

RicardoMarine said:

In a '72 Delta runabout, the original drive may have been a 250. It would look very much like a 270.
If you have this insert (SEQ #14) in your main suspension fork, you may have a 250 drive... or first generation 270.

I can't say with any certainty, but it's possible that the 250 spacer did not include the cutter back then.

Click to expand...

According to the tag, it's a 270.

Just got back from a perfect day on the California Delta...boat ran like a top.