Removing Prop Cone Nut?

[Lazy Pelican]

We have a VP S130 sail drive with a standard fixed 3 blade propeller.
I want to remove the prop. I’ve removed the allen headed bolt that secures the Cone Nut but cannot shift the cone nut.
I assume the Cone Nut screws on -which hand thread?
Any tips for removing it?

John

[artemis]

John

If I remember right there is a hole throu the cone. Put it into gear and shove a screw driver throu the hole and twist or tap it with a hammer that should be it

Mike
Artemis

[Lazy Pelican]

Thanks Mike - can you remember if it’s a standard thread?

[artemis]

Cannot remember John think so

Mike

[geoff]

Normal right hand thread. Geoff

[Lazy Pelican]

I blocked the prop with a baulk of wood against the hull & used a screw driver as a Tommy bar with a 600mm extension handle but it wouldn’t move. It was removed by a mechanic last year to change the shaft seals.

[tiger79]

I blocked the prop with a baulk of wood against the hull & used a screw driver as a Tommy bar with a 600mm extension handle but it wouldn’t move. It was removed by a mechanic last year to change the shaft seals.

My local VP dealer has serviced my saildrive on a couple of occasions, using a block of wood to stop the prop turning.  This year, they found that the hub of the prop was starting to separate from the rubber insert, necessitating a new prop at around £300.  I suspect that using a block of wood, rather than putting the engine into gear as VP recommend, may risk damaging the prop.

[Yngmar]

The cone comes off easily if installed correctly, which it isn't by most "marine engineers".

For our 120S-E, that means:

Propeller cone 70 Nm - grease splines first
Cone lock bolt 20 Nm - with Loctite on threads

70 Nm isn't that much for a thread that big, so many mechanics instead apply the good old "as tight as you can fucking get it" principle, creating a problem for the next person to remove the cone and potential damage to parts.

Your standard torque wrench won't fit the cone, but a simple spring loaded luggage scale at the end of a lever will - the math is easy, 70 Nm is about 7 kg on a 1m lever - adjust for the length of your lever.

[Lazy Pelican]

Thanks for all the advice.
Despite my best efforts I was still unable to shift the cone nut.
In the end the mechanic who replaced the SD Shaft and Seal undid it for me. He used a lot of force, but it only took 2 minutes!
Anyway the I can now take the prop home and remove 15 years old antifoul.

[artemis]

John

Well at least you know for next time and nothings broken

Mike