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Removing propeller prop please help

S

switlikbob

Contributing Member
"Hi everyone...I am trying to

"Hi everyone...I am trying to pull my prop off my VP 280 outdrive and am not having any luck. Just getting the cone off took 2 days of heating and spraying. I can only assume that it was never removed since 1988 and has that many years of corrosion holding it on the spline. Can someone please give me advice on what to do to get this prop off? I have heated it, sprayed it, used a puller. The thing wont budge. TIA!"
 
"The bad news is that you will

"The bad news is that you will have to destroy your propeller to remove it. The good news is that aluminum props are not expensive, especially if you buy them second hand.

First, you will need to split the propeller outer hub in such a way that you can separate it from the rubber hub. You can use a 90 degree angle drill and drill a series of holes in line very close to each other across the length of the outer hub (stop drilling when you reach the rubber hub), then cut through the holes with a chisel or an electric drill until you make a clean groove. You may need to repeat the procedure once or twice until the outer part of the propeller comes apart in two or three pieces. You then will have to figure out a way to remove the rubber hub (cutting it with a blade, drilling, etc) ubtil you only have left the splined inner hub. Again, you will have to either drill a series of holes or use a Dremel electric disc cutter to split the inner hub, and you will have to be very careful not to drill or bend the propeller shaft.

Once the inner hub is out, clean very carefully the propeller shaft spline (you may need to use a stainless brush) and grease it well before installing another propeller."
 
"The prop is already bent from

"The prop is already bent from removing the cone (that was an adventure too). Plus, the prop is the wrong size / pitch. Maybe you can help me with choosing the correct prop for my application. The current prop that I need to remove is 15x15. My boat is 24' weighs 4500lbs has a VP 280 outdrive with the 1.61 ratio (I think). I have a 5.7 litlre GM car engine in the boat that I think is only rated at 200HP. It currently takes about 2 minutes to get the boat on plane and I can't ge tthe RPMs past 3100, so the prop is not correct for the boat.

Thanks for your advice with the prop removal. I think that I may have already bent the prop spline removing the cone though. I might need to just get another outdrive at this point."
 
"You cannot run a car engine i

"You cannot run a car engine in a boat unless you marinize it properly, and the first thing you need is a marine camshaft and the right marine carb. The engine is your problem, not the prop. Try to install a Melling Performance marine camshaft, part No. 22124; and also a 4-barrell Holley or Rochester Quadrajet marine carb. You will see what difference that makes."
 
"According to the guy I bought

"According to the guy I bought the boat from, the engine has a marine cam, and it also has a performance 4 barrel."
 
"Something is wrong here. A 35

"Something is wrong here. A 350 with a marine cam and a performance carb should give you well over 250 HP and sometimes over 300 HP (my 350 configuration is rated for 307 HP). My 22' boat weighs over 7000 lbs fully loaded and does 30 knots at 4000 RPM with a 15 x 19 prop and planes in less than 10 seconds. With a 15 x 15, your engine should rev-up and place with no problem.

I think you should try to find out what do you actually have installed, as well as its condition."
 
"Well, it's a 1980 chevy 3

"Well, it's a 1980 chevy 350 that was rebuilt. A compression test shows between 130 and 150 psi on all cylinders. I personally had the heads rebuilt. I don't know exactly what cam is in the motor, but I was told that it was a "midrange" cam. The carb on the motor is a 750 cfm. Maybe the secondary flaps aren't opening? Like I said, I can only get 3100 rpm at WOT."
 
"For me, with a torch, that st

"For me, with a torch, that stuck prop is a 15 minute job. Granted the prop is junk afterward but like EL says, they're cheap as opposed to the labor involed to gently take it off and still have a screwed up prop. Are you sure the tach is right?? That size boat should be up and flying in no time. I think the carb is WAY to big, I prefer the Edelbrock Marine carb, put them on all the time. Check the tach and get back to us."
 
"When you get a chance, put a

"When you get a chance, put a timing light on the motor and rev it up to about 3000 rpms. The mark should move about an inch and a half. You might find that the distributor (assuming it ahs a mechanical advance) is rusted and is not advancing. Common problem.

Jeff"
 
"Well, my neighbor is getting

"Well, my neighbor is getting his O2 tank filled today and we'll have the prop off tonight...one way or another. I am also have trouble removing the pins that hold the outdrive on to the steering arm...hopefully the torch will fix them too...I am starting to wonder if the tach is right also, but it would make sense that the boat is only going 25 at 3100 rpm...some of the calculators say that it should be at 35 at 4000 rmp...but it's all speculation...the distributor is new and has no rust...but I will try what you suggested...how do I tell if my tach is correct?"
 
One way to verify your tach&#3

One way to verify your tach's accuracy is with an automotive multimeter capable of reading RPM.
 
"Update:
The prop is off...I

"Update:
The prop is off...I had to cut it off with a grinder and a reciprocating saw. I used Lime-Away to get all of the crud out of the spline...during testing the motor, it pretty much starting smoking again...we pulled it out of the boat, and I am going to get a real marine engine this time...unlike the POS the guy sold to me...my next question is, should I go with a vortec or not?"
 
"A Vortec will give you better

"A Vortec will give you better fuel economy than the older 350 versions. Just a note of warning: if your current engine is a 1986 or older, it probably has a 12-3/4" flywheel. Newer 5.7 engines come with a 14" flywheel, which means you will have to get a new bellhousing and a new starter compatible with the new flywheel. Also, the larger bellhousing output shaft comes with the fine spline (26 groove) yoke for the universal in the outdrive and you probably have now the coarse (10-groove) spline yoke. You can change the front yoke on the current universal, but 26 spline yokes are somewhat harder to get and they are usually not cheap. Been there, done that.

If you are considering repowering, it may be more economical on the long run to either keep the current configuration and buy an identical size "marine engine", or buy and install a complete updated package (engine, bellhousing, transom shield and outdrive) . Since you have had major problems with your current engine and outdrive, you may want to consider the second option."
 
"I guess I'll have to make

"I guess I'll have to make sure that I get the older motor, if that is indeed what I have. I am going to be looking for casting numbers today after work, since the guy I bought the boat from was a liar about everything. Concerning the new outdrive, I think I am going to repair the one I have. It looks like the seals were the only things that went bad. I only had it out once like that. All of the gears look to be fine. I am looking at ebasicpower.com for motors. Is there anywhere else you suggest? Also, where is the cheapest place to get all of the seals for the outdrive?"
 
"Rather than casting numbers,

"Rather than casting numbers, this will help you to determine what engine you have now:

http://www.ebasicpower.com/faq/gmsmallblock.htm

Also, I understand that you will have to call ebasicpower, as they don't sell engines online. I am sure that they can help you to determine what replacment engine/long block is right for you, but my guess is this one:

http://www.propowermarine.com/350lhpre.htm

Regarding seals, I think the price is pretty standard (especially after shipping costs). Here is the kit you need if you want to reseal the whole outdrive:

http://www.marineengine.com/parts/part_details.php?pnum=SIE18-2625&returntopage= 80240800.htm"
 
"Yes, it looks like this is th

"Yes, it looks like this is the engine that I have. Do you know what horsepower the replacement is rated at? I am really hoping to get some more power from the new motor...or at least more top end speed. Thanks for the info, I will use it wisely!"
 
"Not sure how many HP ebasic p

"Not sure how many HP ebasic power rates that block for. However, with that same block and an adequate camshaft and a 4-barrel carb, VP managed to squeeze between 270 and 290 HP out of it. Is that enough power for you?
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http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/5C5E8C00-9CB6-4C6B-9AE1-B310107FC1AB/0/AQ271A_ 290_DP290_1986_en.pdf

http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/86716382-8824-427B-A0A2-C6898B024911/0/AQ290A_ 280B_1978_en.pdf"
 
"I have a 4-barrel and aluminu

"I have a 4-barrel and aluminum intake (not a high rise). Honestly, I would like to get at least 300HP without buying a freaking supercharger...LOL"
 
"Well, you'll get pretty c

"Well, you'll get pretty close to the magic 300. Besides, how could you possibly distinguish between 290 and 300 HP after having run a 200 HP engine at 65% at the best?
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"You're right...I'll j

"You're right...I'll just be happy with a running motor that doesn't smoke, overheat, and almost get me run over by a 300 foot ship..."
 
"Bob, one lesson I have learne

"Bob, one lesson I have learned over the years when buying an old boat is that, if I intend to keep it, I must be prepared to overhaul the engine or to exchange it for fresh/new power. Many people think that buying a boat is to do a tune-up, turn the key and off you go. I don't know about other forum members, but with my last three boats I owned I had to overhaul two engines and get a shop to overhaul the third one. The good news is that, after the engines were overhauled, I seldom had to spend anything on the boat other than fuel and normal maintenance.

To me, safety while on the water is of outmost importance; and to have fun boating, I need to trust my boat.

As you see, you are not the only one aroung having to go through this exercise. But in the end, you will be glad you did, even if it now costs you money you did not plan to spend."
 
"Well, I bought this old boat

"Well, I bought this old boat because the seller told me that he put a rebuilt motor in it and he told me that it was "in great mechanical condition" and "very reliable". He was a liar and taking him to court to try and recoup the some of the damages. I paid a good bit of money for the boat, and it would have been worth it if the boat was in good running condition. Obviously, it isn't running at all. The good news is, when I am finished with this motor and outdrive, I should be good to go for a few years (excluding normal maintenance and other upgrades that I would like to perform)."
 
"Just an update...I got a new

"Just an update...I got a new motor and installed it last weekend...the outdrive has a new prop and related hardware installed...the upper unit was a problem though...there were no shims installed and the u-joing bolt was finger tight when we removed the outdrive...I ordered a new upper unit that should be ready to plop on the and bolt inot the intermediate housing...another new alternator is also on the way (the 1st didn't charge)...the new motor was custom built for me with a cam and it sounds like a freaking race car engine...estimated horsepower is 300-320...I have a 15x17 prop, so I should be able to get up and go now...the old engine was shot...we looked in th eoil pan and there was a ton of metal inside..."
 
"Bob, I think we (forum me

"Bob, I think we (forum members) should open a thread for horror stories related to the boats we have purchased over the years, as many of us do have a few to tell. I think it would be quite enlightening.

By the way, I went down in pitch with my propeller (from 15x19 to 15x17) and I even got a better fuel economy which I believe is more related to the blade geometry than to the decrease in pitch. If you carry a GPS, I suggest you should invest in a fuel flow meter (even if a cheap one like this: http://www.marineengine.com/products/accessory.php?in=2671200 ) because that will let you know not only which propeller works best for you but also what is your engine/boat economy RPM range. You just have to divide the fuel consumption per hour (gallons or liters) by the speed in knots, which will give you the fuel consumption per nautical mile. The lower the consumption per mile, the better you are doing. I found it amazing what a difference the propeller blade geometry can make in fuel consumption."
 
"El, I think a horror stories

"El, I think a horror stories thread would be great. This is my 1st boating experience, and it has truly been horrible. I am still in the process of getting the paperwork together to take the seller to court. I sent this guy a certified letter propsoing that we work things out to avoid court. He rejected the letter. What a scum-bag.

I hope that the prop that I chose will work the same way for me as it does for you. Just out of curiosity, what is th etop speed of your boat? What is your cruising speed and RPM?"
 
"Bob, last saturday I took my

"Bob, last saturday I took my boat for a ride and the top speed was about 34 knots at 4600 RPM. The cruising speed is anywhere between 23 knots at 3200 to over 28 knots at 4000 RPM. Between the range of 3200 and 4000 RPM the fuel consumption per nautical mile remained constant, so I can choose a range of RPM for cruising without taking a penalty in fuel consumption.
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The number I have stamped in my prop is C 851124. That's a VP number, which matches (without the C) a Michigan 082011-1."
 
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