prop is stuck to shaft

[newsailor72]

trying to pull the prop so I can grease the shaft but it's really stuck. I removed the nut but the prop won't budge, what to do? I'm thinking lay down the outboard with the prop facing up and squirt in some pb blaster or wd40 but will the pb blaster ruin the rubber seal inside? (the engine old oil has been drained out already)

the outboard is sort of new to me, looks like the prop hasn't been pulled in a long time.

It's a 2003 6hp totahsu. thx

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Without a pic of the prop, it's all guess work but let's take a few tries here:

- try heating the prop hub quickly to see if that will free it up.

- if that fails, any chance of getting a gear puller in place to put some shear force between the shaft and the prop ? If you can get a puller in there, use the heating method at the same time. You'll need all the help you can get.

- failing the above, time to bring in the PB Blaster and whatever other etceteras you can find and worry about replacing rubber seals later if necessary.

Good luck with this one and just work slowly and try each method several times if it doesn't work at first try. Aluminum and SS have a nasty, nasty habit of becoming one.

 

[justsomeguy]

Yep, a penetrating oil, a judicious rapping with a light hammer to vibrate the joint, time, and maybe some heat applied to the prop's hub. Good luck

 

[Fred Villiard]

If I remember right the prop has a rubber shock bushing, so do not try heat it will destroy the bushing. I'd check mine but it is in my storage shed and the lock is frozen and I can't get the door open.

Also be careful with the pb & wd40 around rubber parts and seals, it can damage things to.

The best bet is to get a gear puller, harbor freight less than 10 bucks, use tha and mild rapping with a dead blow hammer.

 

[Dan Hill]

Nm

 

[newsailor72]

attached prop pic

attached pic

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Exploded View .....................

....................... taken from page 24 of the manual.

Still not clear on any rubber inserts which may be destroyed by excessive heating so use caution.

 

[woodster]

from looking at this pic of the prop it has a rubber bushing between the splines and the prop body/hub....

regards

woody

 

[justsomeguy]

Just looked at mine, and the prop is certainly not press-fitted to the shaft. Squirt, tap, squirt, tap.

 

[s sauer]

PB Blaster

Be careful using PB Blaster around painted or rubber elements ....it contains Acetone. I'd use a gear puller.

 

[All U Get]

Somewhere I learned to leave the nut on while using a gear puller, just back it off a few threads. My prop had been on for a while and came off with a rapid pop. If I didn't have the nuit on I would have had another dent in my skull.

All U Get

 

[newsailor72]

as far as tapping on the prop, is it okay to tap it on the front side (looking at the shaft) or I should only do it on the opposite side (from the stern side)?

I'll pad it with a small piece of 2x4 wrapped in a rag, of course.

thanks for all the info, btw.

 

[justsomeguy]

Darn, I was hoping to find you exclaiming "Success"!

It's only got to move a tiny bit to break the corrosion bond, and getting an effective whack behind the prop seems nigh on impossible. I'd rotate the tapping around the hub, too.

On my prop, there are also three welds running horizontally that line up with the interior spokes. If your's is similar, that'd be another spot to tap away at, gently, I think.

It'd be nice to find a soft brass or aluminum drift pin, or bar stock.
Something that'll tranfer as much shock to the joint as possible, but still not deform the prop hub.
Again, good luck. With what a new prop goes for these days, not to mention a new splined shaft...

 

[newsailor72]

did some googling, will give the following a try tonight after work.

reapply some pb blaster, give it some time to work
then put a stack of washers on the shaft, leave a few threads for the nut
thread the nut back on using a long socket wrench until the prop breaks free.

hope that will work.

 

[Merlin Clark]

I'd give the lube a little time to work and then, using 2 wide flat tip screw drivers, GENTLY pry on the forward side of the hub using #10 on Woodys illustration as the fulcrum (insert tips and move handles forward). I don't think there's room for a gear puller, at least on my 6hp tohatsu.
I've done the prying thing and it works for me.
I checked my spare (OE) prop and the inner, splined sleeve is bronze not aluminum and it'll break free.
I'd be careful with heat, not only because of the hub bushing but also the prop shaft seal is rubber and you don't want to melt it to the shaft.

 

[newsailor72]

I declare "victory"

finally got it off! used a lot of tapping, squirting, waiting, then repeat. I think patience is the key, give the lub a couple days to do its work and then give it a few smacks , then voila!

does the inside look ok to you guys? pls see attached pics of hub and shaft.

 

[justsomeguy]

Huzzah!
It'd be nice to have new parts with which to compare against the old.
How's it "feel" when reinserted onto the shaft? Just a little play?

I realize this is quite subjective.

 

[woodster]

finally got it off! used a lot of tapping, squirting, waiting, then repeat. I think patience is the key, give the lub a couple days to do its work and then give it a few smacks , then voila!

does the inside look ok to you guys? pls see attached pics of hub and shaft.

if you are concerned about the splines in the hub ....just carry it to a prop repair shop and have a new hub pressed in .....i would do that any way because of using the Pb blaster to remove it ..in time the rubber will break down from that process and you could lose the prop.....also weigh the cost of a new hub install against the replacement prop...if they are close just get a new one and keep the old one as an emergency back up....

regards

woody

 

[newsailor72]

I'm thinking I should change the black o-ring(pls see red arrow in attached pic) this time or soon. Can you guys confirm what it's. thx

 

[Merlin Clark]

The black rubber part is the part that binds or connects (vulcanized) the inner splined sleeve and the prop hub. It still has years of life in it.
I'd clean the mating surfaces up a bit and apply some heavy grease which might last a while and put it back together. Normal anti sieze will wash out pretty quickly.