gear problem?

[glennj3]

I have the 170 MC, drove out last Saturday for several minutes when she stopped moving, I thought I lost the prop. The engine RPM shot up, immediately pulled back to neutral. She would not go into forward or reverse. No unusual noise, smell, what so ever.
After pulling her out, I put in forward, then reverse (with engine off) the prop locked as is supposed to but I could turn it (so it was not locked solid).
Also the engine started to stop when I tried to put it into forward gear while still in the water (the shifter kill switch must have slipped some too)
Does it sound like a stripped shaft in the outdrive:huh:, a slipped cable someplace or a clutch problem. Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Glenn

 

[berth control]

Sounds like you spun the hub in your prop. Put the drive in gear and see if you can spin the prop by hand, you shouldn't be able to. The hub is the rubber or plastic piece that goes between the splines of the prop shaft and the splines of the prop. It is designed to break free when you hit something hard (ground or submerged object) instead of breaking the gears in the outdrive.

Fixing that is the easy part. The hard part, you still have that POS merc. 170 for an engine!

 

[glennj3]

Thanks for the advice and to follow up, in forward or reverse gear (engine off) prop will lock but not solid, I can turn it with a little muscle, smooth no noise etc.
Do you still think it is the stripped prop hub?
I have to live with the engine, it is difficult to find another that will fit into the compartment.

Glenn

 

[berth control]

Yea, it sounds like it is defanitely a stripped prop hub. Take the big center bolt off and slide the prop off the shaft and take it to your local boating or prop shop and they can press a new one in or give you a replacement. It's pretty cheap.

About the engine...others will fit, since SeaRay offered a 4.3v6 in the boats that had the 170. On these older boats, it's best to just stick with what you have until you can get a new boat with what you want next. Swapping the engine on an 80's boat costs as much as or more than the value of the boat.

 

[glennj3]

Thanks again Eric,
When I turn the locked prop I hear a quiet almost squeeky noise in the boot area. My mechanic thinks it spun a shaft. I will get back with you when I get the prop off, hopefully this weekend.

Glenn