Severely trashed my stainless prop. I’ve heard I should have a shop check for possible lower unit damage? But do shops just treat this llimr like any other repair and make you wait 1-2 months to get it in? How do I submit an insurance claim with out knowing possible damage?
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Submit the claim with what you know now….just like an auto claim the shop will verify the damage and should work with your insurance company on an estimate.
That’s pretty heavy damage on a stainless steel prop so you can likely assume some lower unit damage.
Not sure where you are located but I used Dans Southside Marine for a lower unit claim. They worked with State Fatm and it was a pretty seamless process.
I would think at the minimum you would have tweaked the prop shaft. I find it interesting that other than being dragged through the sand your skeg looks pretty good. You must have clipped the edge of a rock or some concrete.
File the claim and get it looked at.
^ agreed
I’d be shocked if you don’t have damage beyond the prop.
Take the prop off, trim motor down to get the prop shaft parallel with the ground. Put a screw protruding about 1 inch through a piece of wood at the exact center of the prop shaft with the wood resting flat on the ground behind the prop shaft. Put on muffs and run motor at idle (do not rev motor with no prop on it) while holding the screw/board near the shaft. The screw acts as a pointer and will help you to see any runout in the shaft as it spins.
Or you could check runout with the right tool.
https://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-travel-machinists-dial-indicator-63521.html
Obviously the magnetic base will need to be clamped because the lower unit housing is non-magnetic.
You boogered up your prop a bit, but that is not really that bad. That prop can probably be repaired. As far as the lower unit, have you checked to see if there is any water mixed with the lower unit fluid in the gear case? If there is none to be found, I would put another prop on it and continue to fish. I would also check the gear case for water the first couple times you take it out in the water. The above advise pertaining to your prop shaft is good too. You can run with slightly bent prop shaft, meaning a few thousands out. A friend of mine told me a story about Forrest Wood helping a guy out in the ramp parking lot at a multi day tournament. Forest had a V-block I believe they made out of wood and was straightening the prop shaft while still attached to the motor with a ball peen hammer. lol. These motors are tougher than we believe. That motor was a Merc.
Agree with robby here. In my experience, lower units are tuffer than most people give them credit for.
Change the prop. Check for water in the lower unit the next few trips. Drive it like you stole it!
-J.
I had prop shaft damaged last year. Before calling insurance I took it over to Formula Propeller, they took the prop off and measured runout with their tool, took 10 minutes? It was enough out of spec to warrant replacing and file a insurance claim. Put the claim in, told them who I will be working with and Formula helped communicate the rest with insurance.
I kept my boat until the parts where in. Definitely took it out a handful of times while waiting, but ran it easy, mostly was on the trolling motor.
Thanks all, rig is in the shop. Bent prop, they’re going to disassemble the lower unit on Wednesday.
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