Do-It-Myself SS prop repair

**Rob'Z** · 09-16-2006, 02:31 AM

Not sure if this is the proper place to post this so mods feel free to relocate it if necessary.

So today I repaired my damaged prop. Back in August I caught it on a large rock near the popular hangout spot on our lake. I TiG welded the damaged areas using SS filler rod, ground then sanded the beads, followed with a polishing disk and finished with some Mother's polish and a rag. Not perfect but it'll do.

**SportJ-US-1** · 09-16-2006, 02:56 AM

If you didn't check the blade for correct shape and the whole prop for balance you could ruin your gearcase.

**patiomae** · 10-22-2007, 10:18 AM

Impressive fix. Above poster is right. If your prop isn't balanced it can shake and shimmy. If you have problems or questions, you can get answers at http://www.midwestpropeller.com

**Rob'Z** · 10-22-2007, 05:24 PM

Thanks guys, no vibration problems at all this season. If you think about it..........how many people run around with damaged props without ever having a problem? I figure it's pretty darn close (within a few grams) and is sure better than it was before I repaired it.

Rob

**propguy** · 10-22-2007, 05:49 PM

The prop needs to be balanced. Yep, you can run it for awhile and think all is cool, and then BAM, ouch lower unit repair time$$$. Trust me, do the right thing and save a bunch later!

**79Jcraft** · 10-22-2007, 05:59 PM

I think you did a great job...

**fishnchips** · 05-16-2008, 02:37 PM

but do yourself a favor find a good shop to balance it for you, bearing or more expensive than props

**Rob'Z** · 05-16-2008, 02:42 PM

Haha, this thread is so old and still getting replies. Guess what, I'm still running the prop, hit 70.3 GPS just last weekend.

**gotboostedvr6** · 05-16-2008, 02:45 PM

its not that it is still working, more like when will it break?

**RNM018** · 05-18-2008, 06:42 PM

I'm sort of in the propeller busness myself and fully understand picth ,track and balance . There is something you guys forget about though . When you surface a prop ,all this goes out the window . There is nothing harder on a gearcase then slapping the water one blade at a time . Take this how you like ,but once that thing breaks the surface , it realy doesn't matter if the blades have minor differances . Rich Martin 018

**1BadAction** · 05-18-2008, 07:13 PM

people act like prop work is a black art or something. it isnt... I dropped a thinned small ear chopper on the floor and bent a blade. pounded it out with my trusty snap-on dead blow, matched the other 2 blades, and ran the piss out of it.

that said, getting another .2 of a second in the quarter out of a certain wheel IS a black art, but thats not what this thread is about.

**MattGreen** · 05-19-2008, 08:12 AM

I got a kick out of that, it reminds me of an even cruder repair had had to do in a pinch. My cousin and I were borrowing his step-dad's boat (17 Crownline / 4 banger Mercruiser). While dropping off some people at the beach, I got blown back into some rocks. The prop (regular aluminum) had been new that week. It was scarred up as you might expect. I did a surprisingly good job of hammering it back to shape using a variety of curved beach stones as "pitch blocks" ! Filed it smooth making sure to match blade shapes, and told my uncle the lack of paint was due to cavitation burn. He ran that prop for years, and never any complaints of speed loss (like you'd notice between 39 and 38 mph anyways

).

Matt

**RNM018** · 05-20-2008, 05:30 PM

Use to watch Mike Hollowell hammmer props on his trailer ball . He lent me one of his own once , to run on one of the boats he built ,that I was driving at that time . He watched me make a couple of passes ,pulled the prop ,beat on it and went back out . After doing this about 5 or 6 times . He had a KickAss wheel at the end of the day . Boy would I like to have that prop back . We named it Whiplash . That prop left HARD !!! Rich Martin 018