Folding Prop: How do I remove?

[rbrasi]

Originally Posted by Fstbttms

Not semantics. Apples and oranges.

If they were as different as apples and oranges, why am I still not clear? "Aligned with the direction of the water" and "fold back in trail to the direction of travel" sound pretty similar to me. I'm new to all this, so tell me- how many types of props are there that are not fixed that would be of use on a sailboat, and what are their characteristics?

[olson34]

Originally Posted by rbrasi

If they were as different as apples and oranges, why am I still not clear? "Aligned with the direction of the water" and "fold back in trail to the direction of travel" sound pretty similar to me. I'm new to all this, so tell me- how many types of props are there that are not fixed that would be of use on a sailboat, and what are their characteristics?

Sometimes it helps to see both types illustrated.
One vendor that sells both Feathering props and Folding props is Martec. (Other products are equally fine, FWIW.)

Martec Propellers · Products


L

[Fstbttms]

Originally Posted by rbrasi

If they were as different as apples and oranges, why am I still not clear? "Aligned with the direction of the water" and "fold back in trail to the direction of travel" sound pretty similar to me. I'm new to all this, so tell me- how many types of props are there that are not fixed that would be of use on a sailboat, and what are their characteristics?

Folding prop- blades simply flip out to an open position when prop shaft spins and fold back to a closed position when it doesn't.

Feathering prop- blades rotate on an axis or "feather" to align with direction of water flow when prop shaft is not spinning. When it does spin, the blades move into a preset pitch position. The pitch is typically adjustable, however.

Self-pitching prop- somewhat similar to a feathering prop, blades are shaped so that they move into the optimum pitch position when the shaft is turning and this changes with RPM. When the shaft is not spinning, the blades fall into a feathered position.

[Faster]

... not to mention the 2 to 3 times price factor of feathering vs folding!!

Here's another shot at the difference... A folding prop is similar to you either doing the splits or putting your ankles together. A feathering prop is like you holding your hand out the window on a fast drive down the road and rotating your hand to in-line (the point of least drag) with the breeze .

[rbrasi]

Awesome! Thanks, all!

[Hudsonian]

You may need to use a bearing puller to remove the prop hub. I've been unable to fit two and three jaw gear pullers between the prop hub and the strut. A bearing puller made a world of difference.

[JimsCAL]

Originally Posted by Hudsonian

You may need to use a bearing puller to remove the prop hub. I've been unable to fit two and three jaw gear pullers between the prop hub and the strut. A bearing puller made a world of difference.

You will almost certainly need a puller of some kind. I removed my Martec prop last fall and was able to get a C-clamp to apply some pressure, then one tap with a hammer and it was off. A puller would have been better than the C-clamp but I didn't have one that fit. Follow the instructions on the Martec site. Only loosen the nut, don't remove it completely as prop may "pop" when it releases from the taper. Mine sure did.

[rbrasi]

Got it!
I used a 1/2" socket wrench extender to unscrew the nut, and I had to take it out completely to put the bearing puller in there against the aft end of the shaft. It took some doing, but, it worked. The prop did not shoot off or anything. The hardest part was getting the cotter pins out and making the puller grab on. We had to grind the ends to sharpen them. BTW- Harbor Freight sells them for $18.
Thanks, as always to the vast knowledge data base that is SailNet!!!!!

PS- Does anyone want a Martec Folding Prop? I'm going to try a trade in for a fixed.