Bad luck from the start. Ground my prop taking the boat out to my first trip tp Erie. Anchor Marine fixed me up with a new prop and all was well until today. Powered up from a stop to get up to crusing speed. Engine/drive sounded different then all of a sudden RPM's reved to 5500 and prop seemed to slip. Able to shut it down right away. Tried fo run it again but could only run at 1800 RPM's. any higher it slipped. Saw some smoke and smell. Made it to boat launch and brought it back home. So much for the July 4th week in Erie. Any ideas what the problem is?
1989 Rinker 250 Fiesta Vee 350 Mercruser Alpha Drive
Well if the smoke and smell is coming from the engine compartment I would say it's your drive coupler. the part is about $200, but the bad news is you have the pull out the engine to replace it. If that's not the problem then it's your gears in the outdrive from the impact when you grounded it.
ask the prop shop if they replaced the prop hub
i spun inner hub before and it will work at idle but give it gas and nothing
however it wouldn't smoke!
the propshop should have done this but you never know
also for sure check that outdrive oil for metal shavings
i agree with flapjaw its probably a little bigger than just the prop
best of luck
Thanks for some ideas. I don't think it's the gears as I damaged the prop taking in out of the river before I left. I put a spare prop on and it worked ok in the lake in Erie.I wanted to be sure and had a new prop put on in Erie and it worked great....until yesterday. No smoke from engine. It was just like if your car transmission just started to slip. But it did work at low RPM's......I dunno. What's that about the two happiest days of owning a boat....I might be close to the second.
dont give up yet
however as the saying goes a boat is a dry spot in the water to throw momney into.
but without a boat you dont get that mini vacation when you use it and it works.
just for kicks hows your engine temperature?
could be a waterpump. dont overheat that would be costly
secondly was it a stainless prop or aluminum
with a stainless when you hit something with the prop you can cause greater damage
with an aluminum they usually shred up and cause less strain on the driveline
just thinken here
if you got a freindly mechanic ask him if you can take him for a ride and show him whats happening.
if you are currently on a trailer you can take that lower screw out of the outdrive to look for shavings.
if you dont open up the upper screw you will not lose very much gear lube
and be able to inspect without replacing the lower unit lube.
although for as much as the lube costs i would just drain and refill with this you can tell if there is gear damage even if your lower screw isnt magnetized
let us know what you find out
It is an aluminum prop. The boat is on a trailer now. I checked the prop and found two very small dents on the outer edge of two blades. The anode is also gone that is above the prop. Looks like the prop may have hit the anode but there is very little if any damage to the prop. It does turn freely. The shop just put a new prop on while it was in the water. Temp was fine while in water.
I really appreciate your ideas and sugesstions, keep em coming...lol. I'm hoping for an easy solution like a spun hub. I'll let you know what I find out, now what about that "friendly" mechanic? lol
gotta check that lower unit! not hard to do one flathead screwdriver is all you need.
as far as how you can tell if the prop has spun take it off and take back to where you got it ask them
i dont wana tell you to put in gear and try to spin by hand cause not sure if you can really break it if it hasnt allready spun! orwhat the tolerance is supposed to be.
someone on here might know
its unlikely that the prop hit the annode (you should replace as well)
more likely that what you ran into did that damage
as far as a freindly mechanic
this season i was referred to (not sure of the spelling)margettics outboard, new brighton (marion hill)
a little tricky to get there but wow a great shop with awesome service
i know he is very busy but he may be able to diagnose quickly and get you on the way i would call him and see if you can stop out.
he has some great hours also but not on sunday.
if you pm me i will be happy to give you the number
i had to replace a weird carb part that wasnt listed in diagrams he had me fixed up in minuetes and on my way
took me longer to find him than it took to fix.
happy to spread the word
if you were or are in erie
it is easy to spin the prop in all that sand just a little rub while running is all it takes
or if you was in the bay there is alot of weeds if you ran thru some thick ones it could have happened also
i am leaning towards a spun prop here. get her checked out
and i cant STRESS enough anytime u run aground there is a possibility of getting water into your lower unit
if there is water there it will ruin the gears if left in there
that lower screw when opened will let the water out first and only the water as long as you leave the top screw in.
please take the time to do this.
lets just say it is a spun prop.
u get it fixed and dont check for water or shavings in the lower unit lube
use it all year and there was water or damage it will get alot worse and costly.
next year you will be looking for a lower unit.
if you need further help on how to do this just ask i will be happy to help
good luck
Again thank you for any advise. I got the prop in Erie, and the boat is home here in Beaver County. I've dealt with a local shop for a few years and will call both the shop in Erie and the local one. (Didn't know if it was proper to name business on here)
I took the prop off and found fishing line....don't know what else to look for but I'm hoping/guessing we must have tangeled up in something and it just needs a new prop. Lucky me.....it was only two days old! We were just outside the channel coming back into the bay. I may tinker a little more since no one will be open until Tuesday anyways.
i think this a great place to talk about buisness' here.
this is the(word of mouth central)
i like to know where i can spend with confidence.
fishing line huh
sounds like you found at least one of the problems
its possible the line was binding
check it out in the driveway on some muffs
if it turns while running and no smoking from the engine((watch flyaways) only idle forward and reverse)
its time for a test drive
bring the both props n a propwrench if you get a chance
i can be around to throw you a rope(if need be)
if that prop has spun have the spare ready to go on
i will be on the water all day tomorrow the 4th around about the beaver
happy to lend a hand
Thanks for the offer. I dock at River Harbor and put in at New Brighton. However I'm working midnights and probably won't get down there that soon. My son usually gives me a hand but he is still in Erie. I may take you up on that later in the week.
I spoke with a friend that was with us in Erie on another boat. I think the smoke he saw may have just been the exhaust.
Anchor Marine on State Street in Erie helped me with the new prop. Had I know that it might only be a spun prop I would have stayed and taken it back to them. But I thought I had bigger problems (and still might). Had me so worked up I left without having supper with my son and daughter in law. That has bothered me more than the boat.
well aint it a small world i dock there also,
only i am docked at the (cheap seats) on the lower end.
look me up next time at the dock.
you should use our launch that way you can fiddle around close to home and tools.
do you have a set of muffs to check the engine out
before you bring it back to the water?
i got a set sitting in my truck if you need them.
do you have the spare prop also?
happy to help
vacation this week so ill be around
Good news for me! Took the prop back and discovered it must have had some sort of defect. It was in fact a spun hub and no way should it have spun the hub like it did. They replaced it on the spot.
Help! Mercurser Alpha slip??
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2007 Rinker 246 cc
