Haulout - Advice needed

[KeelHaulin]

I'm getting ready to do a haulout, and there are some questions I have about how to do some of the work. I'm planning to do everything myself; as yard rates in my area are ~$100/hour and it just adds hassle in terms of keeping people honest on rated time, etc. I'm handy enough to do most things myself and this is just a maintenance haul, no major work will be needed.

So here are some of the issues I need advice with. First the yard I am considering only allows wet-sanding. They provide air operated DA sanders to do the sanding. I have never done hull sanding with an air-operated DA; or wet-sanded a hull. This seems like a messy, cold operation, potentially miserable (at 40-60deg temp); and how would you keep the hull wet with water while holding the sander? Advice on how to do this is needed if you have experience doing this. As I understand; wet-sanding/burnishing by hand after rolling on the paint is preferable to get a smooth finish, but this is done by hand, correct? The paint I used 3 years ago was Interlux Ultra; which is a hard epoxy modified paint.

Next, what is the best method to remove a prop shaft? The shaft is coupled to a Borg-Warner Velvet Drive gearbox. Does the flange need to be pressed off with a special puller; and is there any concern for the flange getting frozen onto the shaft? Should I be putting a penetrating oil on the coupling now to help loosen it up?

What is a good method to hold the prop shaft held in place to prevent the shaft from rotating while removing the prop nut? Is a puller needed to remove the prop from the shaft also?

[tommays]

The wet sanding thing is strange becasue your NOT allowed to wet sand here becasue of the runoff and have to use a vacume sander


PSS Shaft Seal Installation Photo Gallery by Compass Marine at pbase.com

The mainsail guides should get you through the rest

[erps]

Next, what is the best method to remove a prop shaft? The shaft is coupled to a Borg-Warner Velvet Drive gearbox. Does the flange need to be pressed off with a special puller; and is there any concern for the flange getting frozen onto the shaft? Should I be putting a penetrating oil on the coupling now to help loosen it up?

Unbolt the coupling. Unbolt the single jam bolt that goes through the side of the coupling against the shaft. Find a socket in your tool box with an O.D. slightly smaller than the shaft OD. Put it against the end of the shaft between the two coupling halves. Put the coupling back together. The originals bolts are probably too short now. Use longer bolts and begin applying pressure to bring the coupling halves back together. As the halves come together, the socket will push the shaft out the back of the aft coupling half.

What is a good method to hold the prop shaft held in place to prevent the shaft from rotating while removing the prop nut? Is a puller needed to remove the prop from the shaft also?

If you can borrow and air compressor and impact wrench, you can spin the nut off while holding the shaft with your hand. Otherwise you can see if there is enough room to put a pipe wrench on part of the propeller hub or simply put the transmission in gear.

Props are typically held on a tapered shaft with the nut. If that is the case, you'll need a two jawed puller at the minimum. Leave the nut on but loose to help protect the shaft threads from the puller. Tighten the puller a bit and then give it a wack with a hammer. It usually pops right off.

[donradclife]

Yes, some prop shafts don't want to come out of the coupling easy. If you have room, you can use the same kind of puller you use on the prop--http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8-3-JAW-GEAR-PULLER-LIFETIME-WARRANTY-f_W0QQitemZ120493242529QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_A utomotive_Tools?hash=item1c0df4f8a1

Pull the prop first. You didn't mention why you need to remove the shaft....there may also be issues with rudder clearance.

If they make you wet sand, its time for the old foul weather gear. I always sand the bottom on Sunday, and then apologize.

[KeelHaulin]

Originally Posted by tommays

The wet sanding thing is strange becasue your NOT allowed to wet sand here becasue of the runoff and have to use a vacume sander

Yes, I agree; usually they want you to use a fein with vac attachment or similar. When we sanded down what would not release with peel-away it was tough going as the paint was hard as nails. That was in the summer with temps up in the 90's and the paint was very dry. I'm not expecting to do so much sanding this time; just to get it smooth and ready for another coat. On one hand the wet sanding might help keep the paint soft (the paint will wipe off a tad if you rub it while wet). I have a feeling that they address the environmental issue by filtering the runoff water; and keeping airborne dust to a minimum.

What type of roller is preferred to apply the paint as smoothly as possible? Last time I used a 3/8" nap roller and it did not go on smoothly. I think it was both a roller and a paint problem (paint too damn thick). I'd like to try and get it smoother this time and if I have time I might burnish/wet sand since it is allowed.

Thanks for the link; and thanks Erps for the procedure!

[KeelHaulin]

Originally Posted by donradclife

Yes, some prop shafts don't want to come out of the coupling easy. If you have room, you can use the same kind of puller you use on the prop--http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/8-3-JAW-GEAR-PULLER-LIFETIME-WARRANTY-f_W0QQitemZ120493242529QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_A utomotive_Tools?hash=item1c0df4f8a1

Pull the prop first. You didn't mention why you need to remove the shaft....there may also be issues with rudder clearance.

If they make you wet sand, its time for the old foul weather gear. I always sand the bottom on Sunday, and then apologize.

The reason for pulling the shaft will be to make sure it's true as I have some vibration; and also to install a PSS dripless shaft seal. I'm also considering either switching to a folding prop (Martec) or going to a 3-blade fixed. I have the Martec but it needs inspection/assembly. My current prop 12"x14 is on the small side so if I don't install the Martec (which is the same) I would want a bigger prop. I'm a bit limited by a shallow exit angle so the prop diameter will need to remain small (but not sure what my max diameter is).

So if I go with a 3-blade will I gain 30% more thrust? My boat is a bit under-propped with a 12x14 on a 40HP engine. I would like a bigger folding prop but the budget won't allow this time; so I'm thinking about either putting the Martec on or going to a 3-blade and getting a bit more power while I wait to buy a max-prop or kiwi down the road. The prop is offset 10" to port so I won't have trouble with hitting the rudder.