Question on prop damage

[bosco]

Hit a sand/mud bar today with my skeg/prop which stopped the boat in its tracks. Luckily I was going pretty slow and after looking at the engine there are only some minor scratches on the prop and skeg. Is there any type of internal damage I need to be looking for? And if you havnt guessed yet this is my first boat and Im not sure what to look for besides a bent prop.

 

[EricM]

I don't know what you have, but I have a 1985 Johnson 140 that I have torn the stainless prop up on more times that I care to admit and have never damaged anything internal (but you should see the outside!). They are pretty well designed to take the punishment. It does scare the #@*%# out of you though!

 

[Jmax]

I am not sure either what you have but here is a couple things you need to do. Some props have a heavy plastic fitting inside the prop itself. It is designed to break or spin out before the engine get destroyed when you hit something. Take the prop off and look to see if yours has one. If it does take it off and look for cracks to see if it needs replaced. Second you may have chipped a tooth. Inside your motor there are teeth on the gears that when you hit something may chip. It is possiable to chip these and not be able to tell at first. If you ran a ways take the lower srew of your lower unit out and check the oil in the lower unit. Get a few good drops of the oil and smear it out on a flat serface. If it has small medal pieces in it you chipped some teeth. If it is clean and free than you are fine but you might want to check again after you use it just to be sure the next time out. If there is medal in it call your insurance company and tell them and then take it in for repairs. Do not keep using it because the medal chips will cause more damage. Bosco I am sending you a PM also.emoThumbsup Jmax

 

[EricM]

Excellent thoughts, Jmax. Always better to be safe now rather than sorry later!

 

[jjoey312]

If the only damage to the prop was "there are only some minor scratches on the prop and skeg" then most likely your OK. You might spin the prop in neutral just to make sure the prop shaft looks OK (without wobble). Like one of the earlier replies said not a bad idea to check or change your lower unit fluid.]
One thing you do need to keep an eye is your water pressure/temp, if it was a sand bar you hit sand/silt can damage a water pump fairly easy.

 

[bosco]

Thanks for all the good info guys. I have a mercury 90 4stroke on a basstracker 195. I didnt notice any wobble to the prop but I
was more worried about internal damage as mentioned in Jmaxs post. I will try all your suggestions tomorrow and let you know what I find out. Boat seemed to run okay the rest of the day but it did scare the crap out of me when it happened. Lets hope I didnt damage it further by running it for the rest of the day. Thanks again for all the great info and helping a new guy out.

 

[Liveliner]

I would take the prop to a propeller shop and have it retuned. Even the slightest damage to the leading edge will change your performance.. Some props have a rubber boot inside the hub that is suposed to obsorb the shock of hitting something.

Do not mean to alarm you but this happended to me. I hit bottom hard enough to stop my engine on another boat I once owned. The prop did not show too much damage but I had lost about 5 MPH on top end. I could also feel a slight viberation. After about Five miles of running back to the ramp, my engine blew a piston. An internal inspection showed that hitting bottom had warped my crank and caused my engine to fry. I was in a tourney with fish and had to be towed to the nearest ramp then transported to my vehicle at the TX ramp late. Fortunatly Insurance Co paid me $2,800.00 more than I paid for the engine I had been using for five years and I got to keep the engine. Sold the blown engine in a box for another $1,200.00. That sure made me feel much better after busting my toy.