correct hub for Ron Hills props

[jbobin]

I get the boat back today and I will look closer at the assembly after reading the posts here. Should there be any for-aft play at all? Mine has none and tightens down on the forward thrust washer like a mutha. I guess I need to look closer at the assembly from an engineering standpoint to make sure it all will work.....mine is on a 1985 V4 140 so the install is a touch different I think...

jk

[blkmtrfan]

jbobin let us know how it goes, BTW mine would tighten fore and aft but is loose rotationally (is that a word?) anyway When I use the hub with a merc prop everything becomes tight

[300x Stoker]

Fat shaft solid hub in Hill

[300x Stoker]

Lyle does it again

[300x Stoker]

This 5 blade needed almost 1/4" milled out of the front and thicker strips made. If you don't do it this way, I can't figure out how the prop will run without being off center. Hill seems to have used the old long solid hub for the small shaft for his pattern. And as we all now know the shorter solid hub for the fat shaft won't fit in far enough to center things up. Too bad Hill can't cast up some hub inserts for the fat shaft that will work in his props. Or I guess he thinks things are fine now.

[blkmtrfan]

Machining for free, I wish, I just hope I get the "good guy price" as I take all of my "work" machine work to him.

Stoker do you have a pic with the hub kit out? I can't tell if you took all the material off of the prop or some off of the hub "thrust washer" area. How well did the prop work after all of this work?

BTW you are correct, Hill does think things are fine

[300x Stoker]

The Flo Torq insert is stock except for taking a little off behind the forward ring. I guess there was a radius shoulder area that had to be cut square so it could drop in all the way.

The Delrin strips from the factory (CHINA) are about .145" thick. After you get the front of the prop machined out so the insert drops in far enough to center everyting up nice, there will still be some rotational slop. If you make some new strips about .170" that will tighten everyting up to where you have to hammer the thing in the last little bit. Or you could put some shim stock under the factory strips instead. Or, since the force is in one direction the rotational slop really shouldn't cause any problem if you turn the prop in the direction to take the slop out before you tighten the prop nut???

Actually the prop isn't even true inside between the flat areas. If you measure with inside mic's from one side to the other where the delrin strips are supposed to touch, that's out of whack too. You can see the way our prop was cut in the front it is self centering and the inside square taper being off is no longer such an issue. Just like in the rear of the prop. If the insert goes in far enough it won't slop around.

We just got the prop and hope to try it out next weekend weather permitting. I got this thing through Aquaholic and had him spend some time tweaking on it, so it may work better than one directly from Ron Hill. Anyone thinking about getting a Hill prop might consider doing it that way. Randy is a GREAT guy to deal with.

Good Luck.


What's the old saying? The sweetness of a low price is offset by the bitter taste of poor quality?

"Don't think about the bad, think about the good"

[blkmtrfan]

Thanks for all the info 300x Stoker, I am hoping to get mine back for the machine shop next week.

Although they are inexpensive, they still have Hills name on them and he does know how to make boats run, we will see....

[fijjity]

I am finding the same problem unless I need a longer hub assy for the small shaft. If I machine a spacer to take up the space that the plastic center needs, the brass insert (which the nut tightens against)bottoms out on the front of the prop flange and will not push the plastic insert to expand it. What did ya do?

[blkmtrfan]

Honestly, no not yet, got put on the back burner and was thinking about selling the prop to someone with the small shaft that could use it

[jmc]

I just cut around 1/8 off the bottom of the hub. It seemed to work fine. I have done three this way and have had no problems.

[fijjity]

"some assembly required"......LOL
I am gonna take the bushing to work and turn a little off the shoulder to give it some length. I am gonna make a spacer to fit inside the hub to take up the difference. That way If I sell the prop to someone, they can get the right bushing for their combo.

[fijjity]

I have done some machining to the current plastic hub to let it fit in the prop tighter. I also machined a spacer that goes between the thrust and the plastic inner hub. I also machined a new thrust washer that has the proper spacing to contact the plastic inner hub. I was worried about the spacer spinning against the thrust, so the complete thrust would probably be best. I thought about slotting spacer, but that would weaken it I think. Anyhow, the thicker thrust washer isn't that big of a deal to machine. If anyone is interested, I can make extras. Or.....you could probably get the correct hub kit from merc for $150. I have yours done, Steven. Any interest in one, email me [email protected] I will give the measurements of my hub and get an idea to see if this is the problem you guys are running into. There is about a .380 gap between the thrust and the plastic insert. Or, I spose you guys could order the solid hub. I took .020 off the front of the plastic insert to true it up and let it slide further into the prop. I took .010 off the splined insert where it contacts the prop hub to face it flat and move it into the plastic insert. There was .027" between the plastic and the insert when seated by hand and the prop flnage thickness is .030". Taking .020" off the plastic brought the bronze insert out about .010" and then I machined the spacer to push the insert further forward onto the splined bronze insert. I then have about .070" gap in the thrust at the back of the prop to push and expand the plastic hub. I also took the sharp edge off the inside of the rear of the prop because the thrust rocked in the hole. That sharp edge would have caused a break in the thrust. (I have seen it happen a LOT by racers using the incorrect valve spring retainer-fit too tight). any questions? Criticizm? Thanx, Kary

[fijjity]

My blades come right to the rear edge of the hub. I didn't want to change the prop profile any.

[blkmtrfan]

fijjity you are talking about a plastic hub, do you have the small shaft lower? My hub is soild metal like 300x Stoker's.