HELP! Hit an object today, whats wrong?

[crun]

Ok. Just got my boat last week (21i).. first time out and i hit something? WTF! I think the top of a tree (lake was man made). The prop and shafts all look straight (was able to hand spin and didnt notice any wobble) and dont have any marks on em. I only ran it for about 4 minutes after the thump so i dont know much. The boat vibrates more (mildly) under acceleration then it did prior to thump. At some speeds it seemed to be fine and at others it didnt feel as smooth as it did.

What should i do? I took the boat out ASAP thinking not to make anything worse. My dealer is a hour way so dont want to make the drive if i dont have to. Anyone done this before? Can i take it to a local non-tige dealer that services mercury? What could the problem be? Any other info would be GREATLY appriciated. Thanks, crun.

[wakeboarder_37122]

vibration

I did the same thing.It was verry plain to see the problem was my prop.I took it to prop shop and had it repaired.While it was on shaft I used a carpenters square held to bottem of boat squared to the end of shaft and rotated prop to ck,as best I could to ,to see if shaft was bent at all.A prop shop can ck. prop to see if it is off at all or out of ballence.
Good luck

[Domsz06]

i did the same thing, my prop was bent(noticibly) it shoulds like you bent the prop. It doesn't take much to bend em.

Dom

[Tige M.D.]

If you have a prop puller remove the prop and place it face down on a flat surface. Check that all the blades touch the surface evenly. That should give you an idea if you bent a blade deep down towards the hub. Double check that your strut and shaft are in line with your rudder.
As for taking it to a Merc shop, you will probably be better off taking it to another ski boat shop. Sterndrive mechs. don't usually know too much about tournament boat drive systems.

[crun]

Thanks for all the info. Keep it coming. This could be a helpful post in the future for others.

Im thinking of buying an extra prop (havent decide on 3 or 4 blade acme) to have just in case. I dont want to miss any lake time waiting for a prop to get fixed. I have a 3 blade now and cant decide to stick with and have 2 3 blades or get a 4 blade for options.

Anyone know how hard it is to switch a prop?

[Tip]

With the boat being that new I would call Spencer and ask him for advice. -Tip

[hanzj]

I would recommend taking it to a prop shop. The smallest dent, ding, or bend can cause vibrations, and major problems down the road. This is why some props are being CNC machined to very strict specifications. Most prop shops in my area have a 24hour turn around time. Switching out a prop takes 2 seconds.

[crun]

I ended up ordering another 3 blade acme and will get the current blade fixed by one of the two prop fixers listed on acme's site. Here is what amce said.

Good morning Courtney,
I am sorry to hear that you had such bad luck on your first time out. I
would suggest that you purchase the Acme three blade that is standard
equipment on your Tige 21I. This also happens to be the best prop four your Tige 21I. The Acme three blade is the best all around propeller made today. Your boat should have came with Acme 515 13 lh 12 three blade nibral 1 1/8" bore .080 cup. This propeller sells for $369.00. We also offer this with a weekend saver kit that contains a prop puller, wrench, new nut & key & cotter pin & soft sider kit. The three blade prop & weekend saver kit sells for $475.00. This kit will include all you need to change your propeller with the exception of a hammer. Once you get your prop puller & kit please call so we may explain how to change your propeller.


Thank You,

Bill Weeks
Sales Engineer
Acme Marine Group
www.acmemarine.com
bweeks@acmemarine.com
888-661-2263


I ended up buying it from propellers online for $415.00. I did reinspect my prop for damage and noticed some small dings (hard to find). I also spoke to a sales engineer from tige and he said that it takes a good deal to bend the shaft or damage any driveline components. The impact with the object seemed light so i feel confident that its the prop. We will see in a few days when my new prop gets here.

[smendez]

Could it be possible that you bent one of the fins at the bottom of the boat (keel?)

[crun]

I changed my prop out today. Wasnt to hard to do. The boat runs great. Now i just have to repair the other.

[smendez]

Glad to hear it was a minor thing. An annoyance, but still minor