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Spun Prop Hubs!

moresparks

Regular Contributor
Dumb Question Alert!!!
Why do I get spun Props after very little use?
Here is the scenario .. twin AQ171c’s on standard OEM Volvo 14 x 19’s. Boat is a 27 foot - 30 knot sports cruiser. Weighs around 4 tons. All going well no bumps or damage, reasonably calm and flat, travelling around 4000revs - 20knots when…. Prop suddenly gives way. Throttle back to 2000 revs and limps back to port.
This has happened 3 times in as many seasons and due to Covid had very little use. The latest prop was bought new a couple of years ago and has probably less than 20 hours on it.
The first two incidents could have been the age of the props, but the new one? Unless it was sub –standard.
It could be my driving style and being too aggressive on the throttles to get it on the plane quickly or is there anything else I should be looking at.
I can get the prop re-hubbed, but keen to avoid this in the future and regain confidence, after all no point in owning a 20knot plus cruiser and sticking to no wake speed!!
 
Whose props are you using? Presumably it's a 280 drive. I only use Michigan props ( 15x17) on a 23 ft 2 ton Deep V cuddy cabin. . Volvo OEM are OK and I think they are made by Michigan. Picking up a patch of seaweed or debris at speed can cause a spun prop. The better prop rebuild shops can rehub them.
 
Hi, Many thanks for responding. The Drives are 290 SP-A's and the Props are original Volvo OEM - paired left / right hand.
Repairing is not a problem - inconvenient but otherwise o/k.
It is just a puzzle - no weed or damage just gave way on a relatively new prop.
Just wondered if it was just unlucky and one of those things or something else I should be looking at with the drive itself. Alternately, someone put on different props sometime in the past and I have changed like for like? Performance is fine BTW.
 
I'm running 260 HP thru 280 drives which internally are almost identical to the 290s with bigger diameter props and no spun hubs issues. Mfg info usually stamped on props. When you have them rebuilt, ask the rebuilder for mfg/ P/N info. Spun a hub on an old 100 series drive ( AQ120) once when a chunk of wood briefly got trapped between the prop's leading edge and the cav plate... denting the cav plate... The AQ120 cav plates are the old style flat ones, BTW.
 
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