New prop is not fitting...

[Nalod]

Hey everyone,

 

I am really hoping I am doing something wrong.  I purchased a new (to me) stainless steel prop this winter and am just getting around to installing it.  I am putting it on a Mercury 115 Optimax.  After taking off the old prop, cleaning everything up and doing a test fit, I noticed that the end of the prop that is milled down to slide into the motor does not fit!  It is actually the same diameter as the outside of the motor opening.  A picture is attached.

 

Do they actually sell different diameter ends for props and I purchased too large of one for my motor?  To make maters worse, this issue is also causing the prop blades to come in contact with the trim tab.

 

Any help (good or bad) is greatly appreciated!  Thanks.

 

--Joe

[L&M]

You have a prop for a 4 3/4" gear housing & your Opti has the smaller 4 1/4" housing. Unfortunately that prop will not work for your application. Over all prop diameter is larger as well.

[Xxx]

I'm glad I'm not the only guy scratching my head. I purchased a 4 blade prop, mine fits in the hub, as yours doesn't, but I had to go with the new style insert for the hub and splines, my local dealer said this is the ticket, these guys know their shyt!! The new brass spacer with taper on one side makes my prop stand away like yours plus the blades hit the steer tab also, what's up with this deal, I put my 17" pitch prop on because I didn't have time to mess around I was heading up for the opener of eye season and haven't had it off the trailer yet  I also bought the prop last year, the guy told me I needed to go down in size from the 17" 3 blade to a smaller one I don't remember what he said now. I'm going to take it back, I just don't want to look like an azz.

[Xxx]

11 minutes ago, L&M said:

You have a prop for a 4 3/4" gear housing & your Opti has the smaller 4 1/4" housing. Unfortunately that prop will not work for your application. Over all prop diameter is larger as well.

 

Hank what's up with mine then??

[L&M]

Quote

Hank what's up with mine then??

 

The center plastic insert is probably not seated all the way into the prop. 

[chinook35]

There are different size anode trim tabs. If you look in any boating accessory catalog you will see them listed. Sometimes you need to use just a flat anode without the trim tab


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Nalod]

Thanks very much, guys.  I had no clue that there would have been different gear housing sizes...something I will definitely look for when I purchase my next prop. 

 

Well, it looks like this prop will be going up for sale in the Classifieds section so someone else can get the great deal that I originally got on it!

 

Thanks again!

 

--Joe

[Xxx]

Thanks  Hank!! I put it on with a impact gun and followed the directions, that center buisnes.""ł 

4 hours ago, chinook35 said:

There are different size anode trim tabs. If you look in any boating accessory catalog you will see them listed. Sometimes you need to use just a flat anode without the trim tab


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

 

Thanks for your input, now that I think of it this, this is a differant lower unit and I put the newer anode on which I just "assumed" the anodes for the I/O's were, the the same? But then again I should of known better with this marine shyt LOL, seems they try their Damnedest to give one the bone, this won't fit your boat, your will cost MOOORE!!! The part that puzzles me is I tapped the black longer peice flush with the prop. Then I put the brass spacer on the shaft with the taper towards the taper on the output shaft. Then installed the prop but the prop didn't go on as far in as the one I took off, which you could see the splines weren't pressed to the bottom of the prop (old style) if it would go in to where it's supposed to, everything would be alright, plus my old spacer is thinner than the new brass one. I have a 18ft with a 3.0 with a alpha unit and I put a new prop on that boat because someone had a 21" pitch prop on it I knew those I/O's take a 19 pitch prop, plus I use it to tow the kids on the tube around on our local lake. That fit together just fine?? I'm going to look into maybe the prop hubs are differant!! Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks PAP

Edited May 26, 2017 by pap

[L&M]

25 minutes ago, pap said:

 

Thanks  Hank!! I put it on with a impact gun and followed the directions, 

 

 

Did they tell you to use a 3/8's or a 1/2" impact gun to tighten down a plastic hand tightened prop hub?? 

[Xxx]

I only ran the nut to where I had to line up the nut with that silver piece with the nut then I used a 1/2" drive ratchet to finish it up. Only used 1/2" cause I didn't have a 3/8 drive in the size socket, that's why the 1/2" term was used, I could have used a 1" drive because the size tooling didn't change the outcome 

Edited May 26, 2017 by pap

[Xxx]

Well I think I figured it out, the prop is correct, being I failed to read all the instructions, in a hurry it was raining and not in the best of mood!! being I used a gun to run the nut to the keeper then used a 1/2" ratchet that's shorter than the "prop nut wrench" I failed to torque the nut to 50'lbs I know I didn't pull that hard on the ratchet, even torqued at the proper amount wouldn't have got me out of a bind, because the prop would the anode, so you can either A notch the anode or they sell off set ones to compensate this delemia. If you have power steering do some research on your own to see other possibilities.