Freestyle stuck prop removal

[102nd7]

Figured I would solve the mystery on how to remove a stuck prop. I ruined 2 prop tools before I said licorice it and welded the wrench rite in the tool that spun inside the prop. So I decided to do 1 better and welded the wrench on the prop. I'm guess about 600 lbs of torque to finally bust it lose.

 

[Dirtybird]

Nice.

 

[Henry Stephen]

good last resort, heat wasn;t working?

 

[Sasquachcrap]

How much for that prop/wrench combo?

 

[102nd7]

Tried heat it was unsuccessful. Prop wrench combo is not for sale I got to send it to impros in this condition just to see what they say lol.

 

[BruceSki]

If they are anything like skat trak they will say installer error.

ST-"use ______ grease"

ME-"I did use_____ grease"

ST-"oh well then you torqued it too much when installing"

ME-"I've installed it the same way I've installed about 35 other props that never got stuck like this. soooo..... Eff me huh?"

ST-"sort of. We can fix it for 85% of the cost of a new one"

 

[rubbertoe]

so let me understand this correctly ? because your prop seized on the shaft this constitutes a warranty issue ? did skat or impros install the prop ?

 

[BruceSki]

so let me understand this correctly ? because your prop seized on the shaft this constitutes a warranty issue ? did skat or impros install the prop ?

Mine was a completely different issue than this. I don't want to crap up this guys thread with my issues. It stems from skats use of garbage quality stainless for their shafts.

If you would like to know more we can pm.

 

[rubbertoe]

have no dog in this , just curious on how the thinking goes on these issues brought to light , very ambiguous in their nature ,yet still the somehow leans towards fault of the manufacture.

 

[McDog]

I had issues with skat shaft too. Cost me the shaft and the prop and money to a shop to cut it off. I ended up with a skat shaft on my current pump by buying used and I'm honestly nervous about using it.

 

[rubbertoe]

i don't have any bad experience input on skat shafts ,what is the issue ? not to de-rail just to understand how this is a similar problem ? is it softer alloy than say a oem .i guess i don't get it when someone only tells a small portion of a problematic story in order to get a reaction from the internet crowd to help their cause at the expense of reputable companies ? see it all the time .but on the flip side sometimes real manufacturing issues are brought to light .so guys if its not skat or impros who do you recommend ? i have had props seize and its no fun removing them ,but given the amount of time the prop was on and the conditions it was subject to it was never a warranty issue in my mind .this is a condition that happens i guess ? i mean its not like i maintain my prop ,the only time i touch it is to change or tune my pump gearing ,sometimes with very long periods of never seeing a wrench .Mc Dog did you contact skat about it , curious what they had to say ?

 

[BruceSki]

I have pulled crusty ugly 20 year old props off oem saltwater skis with just two minutes of map gas.

Meanwhile that prop I removed off my skat shaft had two months run time. Was all brand spanking new parts(read: $1500) and was ruined when taking apart.

The problem lies in the subpar quality of the metal the shaft is made out of. It's softer than the metal threads on the impeller and the impeller galls up the threads on the way off.

My biggest gripe is spending all this money for aftermarket parts that are supposed to be the bees knees. However the quality doesn't match up to oem.

I had it sent in and was charged 350-400 to cut the prop off and cut out the two bad threads that galled up. Then I was accused of an improper installation.

/rant over

 

[McDog]

I didn't contact skat. Didn't expect a warranty. But I had the same issue as bruceski exactly. I sucked it up and moved on. I don't need anyone's reaction. Just stating the facts of what happened to me. I have heard of many others. If skat is using a lower grade of metal they should address the problem by switching to higher grade materials. Maybe they already have for all I know.

 

[BruceSki]

Agreed. Just venting. I get mad spending a lot of money and not getting what I expected

 

[augustaf]

Please, always apply teflon paste or anti seize compound to shaft threads before installing impeller. No more worries.

 

[McDog]

I did Fred. I did.

 

[augustaf]

Well, something else could be happening. Since ss is pretty strong sometimes sufficient thread strength is attained at 50% thread depth. Picture the following scenario: Shaft thread depth 60- 70% , imp. 50 %. Now there is no wheres to go for the extra height of shaft threads. They might curl over a bit causing galling.

 

[jdog]

Did any of you try spraying it down with a penetrating oil and and banging on it then letting it sit over night sometimes it takes sitting for a few days to letb the oil soak in but you just have to keep it soaked

 

[Proformance1]

H20 products for the win on this topic. I have ten of the stock tools for sale 10/each shipped. im done with them

 

[Proformance1]

FYI we do oil field SS to SS all the time here. Galling is whats it called, IMO we are constantly cutting fasteners apart, additives, grease, never sieze, etc will help.