There were propeller locks on my boat when I bought it. I am not sure what brand they are. They have teflon lock nuts, but I put a little blue Lock Tite on the threads anyhow. It helps a little, but does not lock the nuts on so tight where you have to be a gorilla to loosen them.

 

Man, no cotter keys? That worries me and I'be been stuck in the pond because of them, or rather not having one. What's wrong with just the basics and storing the prop when you put the boat up?

I dunno, if I hit some trash I want the sheer pin to break and then I can spin up the prop nut OK and put in a NEW cotter ... you ain't doing no torque wrench work out there in the big waves I guarantee that. Scary stuff.

Maybe I don't know the new outboards tho'...
-sammie

 

Man, no cotter keys? That worries me and I'be been stuck in the pond because of them, or rather not having one. What's wrong with just the basics and storing the prop when you put the boat up?

I dunno, if I hit some trash I want the sheer pin to break and then I can spin up the prop nut OK and put in a NEW cotter ... you ain't doing no torque wrench work out there in the big waves I guarantee that. Scary stuff.

Maybe I don't know the new outboards tho'...

-sammie

No Sam, they are so no one steals your props. My boat has 15 1/2" wheels and I don't want to hassle with taking the props off all the time when I get back in and having to put them on to go out. They have worked fine......so far........knock on wood.

 

Been using one on my Johnson 150 for four years now without a problem. I do put locktite on the nut now whenever I take the prop. off though.

 

Found info on another site that indicates that there is a lockwasher that keeps the nut in place. A couple of people said that I have nothing to worry about. One also mentioned that he has a lower unit lock also....???

 

I have them on my motors where they mount to the transom as well, but not the lower units.

 

Okay okay you guys win you never need to worry about it ... that said, some old sailors think that if you are a true blue water man (or lady), you'll have an extra prop and know how to "do the drill" because you can't afford to learn out there. So going to Boomvang or crossing from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas, you might think about that ... not trying to be a wise guy here. /sam

 

Sam,

I appreciate your input....and I am still concerned about not being able to put a kotter pin through the propellor shaft to keep the nut from loosening up and falling off. I may even get some pliable stainless steel wire to put through there as insurance.

Thanks guys.....

 

That would probably work, but the Lock Tite works very well.

 

Richard,
How far are you from linning up?

 

Richard, there is a reason that you are concerned, it doesn't seem right to any country boy not to have a cotter pin. However, my guess is that the locknut thing will work. To gain confidence take the boat from your place down to Snoopy's by going in reverse. If you haven't lost a prop by then you are not going to loose one at the floaters.

 

Jerry,

I don't understand your question.....

 

Bill,

The thing that concerns me is that you have counter rotating props on a twin setup.
I won't have to go in reverse....I'll lose the starboard side prop just going forward...(if my setup is the way that it is supposed to be).

 

prop lock

I installed a McGard prop lock on my 115 E-Tec a few months ago and have been very happy with it. The idea of no cotter pin bothered me at first so I contacted the companies technical support group. They advised that as long as the bellville washer is installed at the right direction when the nut is torqued it is locked in place. The washer is not flat as you know and it has the direction stamped on it. I hope that helps. Good luck.

P.S. I has seen this type of washer used at my plant for years in high heat, vibration and acid service to prevent nuts from loosening and they work great.

 

Hey Valkyrie, now I'm no engineer and more like an ole fart but I thought the purpose was if you hit a rock or really tough obstruction in the water the cotter pin would break, the prop would spin out, and hopefully damage to the shafting would be minimal. A prop can be be replaced but a bent shaft, major ouch. So maybe it's supposed to have a breaking strength?

Good idea to shower down in reverse to test things, but a very tricky maneuver that novices shouldn't try the first time out ... LOL!

 

Hey Valkyrie, now I'm no engineer and more like an ole fart but I thought the purpose was if you hit a rock or really tough obstruction in the water the cotter pin would break, the prop would spin out, and hopefully damage to the shafting would be minimal. A prop can be be replaced but a bent shaft, major ouch. So maybe it's supposed to have a breaking strength?

Perhaps the locks have a place and are not for all applications. Offshore boats do not have to worry about hitting rocks or bottom. At least they should not unless you are the guy driving the Dodge with the Bayliner in tow LOL. Anyhow, I was a little concerned at first when I bought my boat since it had them on it. I have ran it for several hundred miles now without any problems.

 

Swells,

I think that you are confusing a kotter pin with a shear pin. The shear pin is used on aluminum props and breaks if you hit something with the prop so that it isn't totally destroyed. A shear pin is a solid cylindrical looking rod.

A kotter pin kinda looks like a bobby pin that you put through a hole and bend one of the ends out so that it stays put. It keeps the nut from rolling out.

 

CR props don't matter, both priops provide forward thrust in forward gear and will stay on the shaft with no bolts at all. However, reverse is a different matter and the nut better be there or the props will thrust off the shaft.

 

I ran the mcguard prop lock on my 22 foot baja for about 5 years. never had a problem.I put them on after some turkey stole my prop outta my driveway.The sucker had to of been leaning on my garage door to do the work. That prop ran me right at 550 bucks since it was a high performance stainless ( quicksiver ) propbut as for the prop locks i loved it fixin to get some for my new boat cause its a pain in the booty to pull the props after every trip...........hope this helps...

 

OK, if you can do the reverse test you're good. Like V said, the prop's going to roll off in reverse and not in forward if you have a problem ... with lock washers, 40# torque, and even Locktite, little reason to worry. I wouldn't suggest throwing it in full reverse when going 40, but who am I? Just old fashioned and terminally confused, like STX says. -sam who?

 

Play it again, Sam.....<grin>

 

sam i am..i think im sam..answer this sam.. do you sam eat green eggs and ham??

 

Thanks Bill, Sam....

I feel better with the prop locks and the lock washers....great info.

Richard

 

looks like you got some good advice tonight, but if you use locktite use red its holds alot better than the blue. second i would take the lock off atleast once a year cause i have had problem getting the off.

 

looks like you got some good advice tonight, but if you use locktite use red its holds alot better than the blue. second i would take the lock off atleast once a year cause i have had problem getting the off.

Red Lock Tite is made for high heat applications and would make it too hard to remove the nuts. Blue works just fine. No need for overkill.