would this cvause vibration or should i run

[seaswirl71]

okay its a 1978 starcraft 18' bowrider, has mercruiser 4cyl and mercruiser outdrive, boat is 3+ hours away so i havent seen yet, guy claims it runs great but ever since he put on the new prop it vibrates the boat when in gear, he says he tightened prop too tight and marine shop tells him he caused the thrust washer to fail? does this sound right ? what should I be looking for? I am very good with engines but fairly new to outdrives any help or advice would be great as this is the boat to replace for my wife as we sold her old one to pay for my dads funeral, thanks

 

[seaswirl71]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

900 is what i was going to pay interior completely redone, boat is a tri hull and going to be used for fishing, he claims it tops out at 42 mph

 

[Don S]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

he says he tightened prop too tight and marine shop tells him he caused the thrust washer to fail? does this sound right ?

No, that will not happen. Wrong thrust washer, or no thrust washer would cause a vibration, but if it doesn't have a thrust washer, it would eat up the lower unit when it turns.
Sounds like the owner is making up excuses. Probably a good time to keep looking.

 

[seaswirl71]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

i may go look at it either way, what are the trouble signs to look for in this setup? could he have put wrong prop on or on incorrectly? he says when put in gear and brought above idle it vibrates the boat

 

[seaswirl71]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

Could be "anything" in the drive line.

so nothing in peticular to look for ? or are you saying dont bother?

 

[Don S]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

The problem is, since you don't know what it's supposed to look like when it's good, it's almost impossible to tell you in a forum reply what to look for. Things can fail in many different ways and some can be almost impossible to see or feel.

 

[seaswirl71]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

ok , I have only had two boats prior to this so i am definately no pro, but i do understand to look for shakes and wobbles on the engine end , also if i pull the prop and run it I should be able to see the shaft spin true or not right? not supposed to have play left or right what about in and out. guy says he switched the prop and first time out it started vibrating above idle so he turned around and brought it in , and before the prop it ran fine, if this is true there shouldnt be any major damage inside right?

 

[Bondo]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

not supposed to have play left or right what about in and out.

Ayuh,... No left/ right, but about 1/8" in/ out...

if this is true there shouldnt be any major damage inside right?

Only if We Assume the guy is being Absolutely Truthful....

 

[Don S]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

From my experiece of talking to sellers and buyers, I have learned that sellers either aren't telling you the whole truth, or they don't really know what they are taking about. Either way, it won't be to your advantage.

 

[shoestring]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

If it was just a thrust washer like he says, why wouldn't he spend a few bucks on a new one? then he could say the boat runs great! sounds like he may have hit something with the prop and put a new prop on and has a bent propshaft or something. I'm in agreement "buyer beware".

 

[seaswirl71]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

guy just had major knee surgery, if its a bent shaft and i have the mechanic manual is this costly or real time consuming?

 

[zbnutcase]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

Best thing to do is pay a marine tech to do a pre-purchase mechanical inspection, and if the seller has an issue with that, then run, as he is probably hiding something...

 

[seaswirl71]

Re: would this cvause vibration or should i run

i decided to pass on the deal as its 3.5 hours away and i dont have the time to be working on a boat all season thanks for the advice