Re: Michigan Prop ID
Thanks for that little Merc test prop detail, Wally!
Real reason I bought it was on a gamble. In the photo it looked exactly like the early Force/late Chrysler stock props in blade profile. Didn't bother to ask hub diameter and it was advertised as Merc. It was inexpensive enough not to matter.
When I got it, I saw that the blade faces and backs were not fully finished. Deep grinding marks (not visible in the photos) were on all blade surfaces--enough to be really noticeable but not enough to affect blade thickness or performance. Since there was light exhaust residue inside the hub and since there is no damage or wear to either the paint or blades, I thought it was a poor repair job with the prop never used afterward.
Interestingly though, there is a one inch wide chrome trim ring pressed onto the nut end flange of the hub. That would be a detail I would not expect on a test prop.
The gearcase end is too large to fit inside a Force (prior to 90s) gearcase. For testing purposes I can shim it out away from the gearcase but if I decide to keep the prop, I may just decide to cut that hub flange off.
