lower end problem

So, my wife and I are headed to Catalina Island on christmas eve when our 2000 2 stroke Nissan 9.8 seemed to shift into neutral. I didn't feel that we hit any thing but forward motion was lost. If we run it very slowly we had forward motion, but not much. Any thoughts?

Clay

I believe you need a new propeller.-----------The rubber drive hub inside the propeller has let go and is no longer driving it at full power.

racerone said:

I believe you need a new propeller.-----------The rubber drive hub inside the propeller has let go and is no longer driving it at full power.

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Thanks, as I research, that seems to be the problem. I will pull it off tomorrow and check it out. That bit of information could have saved us from drifting at sea on Christmas morning!

Yep. As long as you don't hear any gear chatter, the likely culprit is a spun hub in the prop. If changing props on a low-speed, high-load application, such as a sailboat, consider using one of the two (5 pitch, 7 pitch) High Thrust props with the "elephant ear" blades. Shovels more water at slower speeds, and gives better reverse.

I see what I think is a 7.5 stamped on the prop. Am I going to have to buy a new prop or can I get this one fixed?

I don't know of any prop shops what will work on a small prop hub like that. They likely can't get the hub in the first place. Plus, a new prop costs about the same as a repair (again due to the size). If replacing the prop, determine whether you want the same pitch, or would prefer something else. Exactly what kind of boat is it on? MSRP on the 3-blade props is $62.23. The HT 4-blade props are $73.15, and are a good choice for a heavy rig. We use the 5-pitch 4-blade HT prop on our HR-28 sailboat (over 7,000 pounds), and achieve perfect 6,000 rpm WOT (for the NSF9.8A3). You will want to get to between 5 and 6,000 RPM at WOT for an NS9.8B, so if your boat pushes much more easily, the 7-pitch 4-blade HT prop is probably the best choice.