What Will Happen if You Have a Bent Prop Shaft and Continue to Use Motor

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Running motor with bent prop shaft #7544734 05/18/12 04:08 PM OP TFF Celebrity Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,315 I've already decided to do it, but thought I would ask anyway. I hit a stump the other day and bent my prop shaft. I'm not sure how much in terms of inches...maybe a quarter of an inch...but enough for it to be clearly visible when I spin the prop. I have an important tournament Saturday. I took the boat to the shop Monday. Mechanic told me there was no way they could get to it by Friday. He looked at it and said, "I've seen people run them bent a lot worse than that. My advice is to use it for your tournament, only run it about 1/2 to 3/4 throttle, then bring it in after that." I'm making a fairly long run, probably 7-8 miles, and I plan to run it around 30-35 mph (150 hp motor, top speed about 59 mph tournament loaded). What do y'all think? Will I make it there and back? Re: Running motor with bent prop shaft [Re: Razorback] #7544809 05/18/12 04:22 PM Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 49,967 fouzman Methuselah Methuselah Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 49,967 Maybe. I would NEVER run a boat with a bent prop shaft. Prop shafts are cheap, lowers are not. "Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out" - Zachary Troy Schrah - a young man with vision far beyond his years. Re: Running motor with bent prop shaft [Re: Droyhef] #7545495 05/18/12 06:54 PM Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,315 Razorback OP TFF Celebrity OP TFF Celebrity Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,315 The vibrations is gonna tear seals and such up, you gotta get it done asap. You could be ok for the tourney, maybe not. If shaft bent gears could be hurt too... All this is running through my mind. I just paid to have the entire lower unit resealed in March. I mentioned the prop shaft seal and he said they are going to have to re-do it anyway when they do the shaft job. I can't tell that gears are damaged. I can't hear anything when I spin the prop and there's no play in it. I took it out for a test yesterday and can feel some slight vibration when I get it on plane. Nothing extreme, but definitely noticeable now that I'm focusing on it. I realize I am taking a chance on further damage but I guess I'm relying on my mechanic, who so far has seemed like he knows what he is doing and talking about. The guy I was with when it happened said his prop shaft has been bent about that bad for three years. I don't plan to let it go more than another week to ten days. Re: Running motor with bent prop shaft [Re: opus] #7546851 05/19/12 02:40 AM Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,315 Razorback OP TFF Celebrity OP TFF Celebrity Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,315 So you could be 7 or 8 miles from weigh in with a livewell full and then it shells lowerend GOOD LUCK Definitely. But, we prepaid our entry fee a week ago and if we stay home we weigh zero fish and don't get any points for the season. The whole thing makes me sick and has me worried, but we're going to just hope for the best. I plan to baby it as best I can. Re: Running motor with bent prop shaft [Re: Razorback] #7548229 05/19/12 05:54 PM Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 20,677 fishmagnet TFF Guru TFF Guru Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 20,677 Go for it! The prop shaft on my Yamaha was slightly bent for I don't know how long before I noticed it. I fished two additional tournaments and finally took it in to have the prop shaft straightened. Many told me to check the gear case oil after every outing for signs of water. Another mech advised me that sometimes the impact can stress or ruin the gear teeth within the case. Another mech said straightening a prop shaft was not a good option, replace only. That said, seals and gears were fine, no water in the case, but if I had continued to use it I'm certain that a more expensive outcome would've occured. After getting the shaft straightened and replaced, she's been running great over the past three months, guess I just got lucky. Every bent prop shaft situation can be different, but definitely get it taken care of sooner than later. Re: Running motor with bent prop shaft [Re: Razorback] #7549456 05/20/12 03:01 AM Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,315 Razorback OP TFF Celebrity OP TFF Celebrity Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,315 Well, we made it there and back just fine. We traveled probably close to 20 miles on the water. 28 mph all day. It was a heckuva long ride and we got passed by everyone, but we made it. Re: Running motor with bent prop shaft [Re: Razorback] #7549925 05/20/12 12:48 PM Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 23,423 patriot07 TFF Guru TFF Guru Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 23,423 Dang, I can't believe you'd risk an entire lower unit for one tourny. No way I woulda run it. I would've bet you could've made it there and back, but I can guarantee you that you probably messed up some seals and shortened the life on your gears. Worst thing in the world for rotating mechanical systems is vibration. Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. - Soren Kierkegaard Re: Running motor with bent prop shaft [Re: patriot07] #7557913 05/22/12 04:45 PM Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,315 Razorback OP TFF Celebrity OP TFF Celebrity Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,315 Dang, I can't believe you'd risk an entire lower unit for one tourny. No way I woulda run it. I would've bet you could've made it there and back, but I can guarantee you that you probably messed up some seals and shortened the life on your gears. Worst thing in the world for rotating mechanical systems is vibration. Hypothetically speaking, if a man were to pay a deductible for hitting an underwater hazard, what difference would it make if the damage was merely a prop shaft as opposed to involving gears? And...my mechanic told me they were going to have to replace the seal anyway when they did the prop shaft job. I acknowledge I was fortunate, but I was also following my mechanic's advice. Re: Running motor with bent prop shaft [Re: Razorback] #7558042 05/22/12 05:14 PM Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 22,223 C-Man TFF Guru TFF Guru Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 22,223 Dang, I can't believe you'd risk an entire lower unit for one tourny. No way I woulda run it. I would've bet you could've made it there and back, but I can guarantee you that you probably messed up some seals and shortened the life on your gears. Worst thing in the world for rotating mechanical systems is vibration. Hypothetically speaking, if a man were to pay a deductible for hitting an underwater hazard, what difference would it make if the damage was merely a prop shaft as opposed to involving gears? And...my mechanic told me they were going to have to replace the seal anyway when they did the prop shaft job. I acknowledge I was fortunate, but I was also following my mechanic's advice. Your mechanic is stupid. My guess is that that vibration didn't stop at the Lower unit. It could have went up into the motor and if there is damage there insurance will not pay for that. Re: Running motor with bent prop shaft [Re: BMCD] #7558273 05/22/12 06:06 PM Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,315 Razorback OP TFF Celebrity OP TFF Celebrity Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 7,315 Bet ya there are 1000s running with bent prop shafts this coming weekend. Are you saying they already bent or are going to bend them? Sorry, I'm a little slow today. The guy I was with when I hit the stump said his has been bent about as bad as mine for close to three years. Not me. Mine will be in the shop within a few days. Moderated by  banker-always fishing, chickenman, Derek 🐝, Duck_Hunter, Fish Killer, J-2, Jacob, Jons3825, Nocona Brian, Toon-Troller, Uncle Zeek, Weekender1

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