🚀 go-pugleaf

Mike
Merc's don't mind it so much if you follow two rules, 1, keep them
lubricated (although some are not greasable) and always keep the RPM's low,
under 1000 if at all possible.

The angle on tilt is very close to the angle a U joint would face in the
steering knuckle of a 4 wheel drive truck and Merc's use a Cardin (sp) joint
so there is no in/out travel on the shaft (good thing).  Higher RPMs and/or
bigger loads will put additional pressure on the support bearings too, not
just the joints.

One other less appealing plus, if the joint is shot and about to blow out,
driving trimmed right up will probably take it out, but I would rather it
blow like that then under full throttle at top speed where it usually takes
the gear case out with it.

Greg Moore

ps. when running right up, watch the temp close, on some boats that float
height enough, high trim may limit water intake..

"Mikhael" <mikhael47@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Gi8Va.2023$537.239009@news20.bellglobal.com...
> For those who don't know, I own a brand new four winns 180 freedom.  I hit
a
> shoal this weekend.  Extremely windy on the st lawrence near
> johnstown/ogdensburg.  In the bay near grenville park there is a bunch of
> shoals.  These are marked, however the one I hit was not.   The marker was
> submerged.  I was just raising my tilt when I hit it. I immediately went
to
> neutral, then raised my tilt as far as I could stand it, then puttered out
> of there.
>
> In 10 years of owning a boat, the shoal incident waits until I own a very
> expensive boat to occur.
>
> When I finally made it back to the ramp, I brought my boat on shore to
> examine the damage.  To my relief, it was only minor damage to the prop.
I
> planned on purchasing a new prop with my xmas bonus this year anyway.
>
> Question:  Is it ok to run an Mercruiser Alpha drive in a tilted up
position
> where the prop is barely covered in water? I can't really see the joints
on
> the drive lasting too long in that position.  If I get into another
> situation where I have to trim way up or hit a shoal, what are my options?
>
> Mike
>
>

Thanks, that was the type of info I was looking for.

Happy Boating

Mike
"Greg Moore" <gdm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:W%iVa.2393$537.364132@news20.bellglobal.com...
> Mike
> Merc's don't mind it so much if you follow two rules, 1, keep them
> lubricated (although some are not greasable) and always keep the RPM's
low,
> under 1000 if at all possible.
>
> The angle on tilt is very close to the angle a U joint would face in the
> steering knuckle of a 4 wheel drive truck and Merc's use a Cardin (sp)
joint
> so there is no in/out travel on the shaft (good thing).  Higher RPMs
and/or
> bigger loads will put additional pressure on the support bearings too, not
> just the joints.
>
> One other less appealing plus, if the joint is shot and about to blow out,
> driving trimmed right up will probably take it out, but I would rather it
> blow like that then under full throttle at top speed where it usually
takes
> the gear case out with it.
>
> Greg Moore
>
> ps. when running right up, watch the temp close, on some boats that float
> height enough, high trim may limit water intake..
>
> "Mikhael" <mikhael47@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:Gi8Va.2023$537.239009@news20.bellglobal.com...
> > For those who don't know, I own a brand new four winns 180 freedom.  I
hit
> a
> > shoal this weekend.  Extremely windy on the st lawrence near
> > johnstown/ogdensburg.  In the bay near grenville park there is a bunch
of
> > shoals.  These are marked, however the one I hit was not.   The marker
was
> > submerged.  I was just raising my tilt when I hit it. I immediately went
> to
> > neutral, then raised my tilt as far as I could stand it, then puttered
out
> > of there.
> >
> > In 10 years of owning a boat, the shoal incident waits until I own a
very
> > expensive boat to occur.
> >
> > When I finally made it back to the ramp, I brought my boat on shore to
> > examine the damage.  To my relief, it was only minor damage to the prop.
> I
> > planned on purchasing a new prop with my xmas bonus this year anyway.
> >
> > Question:  Is it ok to run an Mercruiser Alpha drive in a tilted up
> position
> > where the prop is barely covered in water? I can't really see the joints
> on
> > the drive lasting too long in that position.  If I get into another
> > situation where I have to trim way up or hit a shoal, what are my
options?
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
>
>

In article <Gi8Va.2023$537.239009@news20.bellglobal.com>, Mikhael
<mikhael47@hotmail.com> writes
>In 10 years of owning a boat, the shoal incident waits until I own a very
>expensive boat to occur.

Likewise. In 10 years boating I've damaged a prop once. Now I have a new
boat, I'm on my forth major prop repair!!
-- 
Nick

Another rule of boating: Sooner or later, you WILL hit something.  It's
inevitable.  I had never hit anything in over 10 years until about a month
ago when I hit a partially submerged log.  Nice dent in the prop....

Charles

"Nick" <Nick@dev.null> wrote in message
news:AXweRBA3zDK$EwEA@noslow.org.uk...
> In article <Gi8Va.2023$537.239009@news20.bellglobal.com>, Mikhael
> <mikhael47@hotmail.com> writes
> >In 10 years of owning a boat, the shoal incident waits until I own a very
> >expensive boat to occur.
>
> Likewise. In 10 years boating I've damaged a prop once. Now I have a new
> boat, I'm on my forth major prop repair!!
> --
> Nick

Hi Mike,
I am happy to hear the damage is minor.
If I were you I would have the prop shaft checked to make sure its 
running true. Have a shop put a micrometer dial on it and rotate it 
slowly. If you see more then a couple of thousand's difference, concider 
replacing the part. It IS expensive though. The consequences of not 
replacing a bent shaft are 1 vibration and 2 premature wear on your 
carrier bearings and metal fatigue in the lower unit housing.

Capt. Frank USCG-Auxillary

la Dolce Vita 26' Formula PC

Mikhael wrote:

> For those who don't know, I own a brand new four winns 180 freedom.  I hit a
> shoal this weekend.  Extremely windy on the st lawrence near
> johnstown/ogdensburg.  In the bay near grenville park there is a bunch of
> shoals.  These are marked, however the one I hit was not.   The marker was
> submerged.  I was just raising my tilt when I hit it. I immediately went to
> neutral, then raised my tilt as far as I could stand it, then puttered out
> of there.
> 
> In 10 years of owning a boat, the shoal incident waits until I own a very
> expensive boat to occur.
> 
> When I finally made it back to the ramp, I brought my boat on shore to
> examine the damage.  To my relief, it was only minor damage to the prop.  I
> planned on purchasing a new prop with my xmas bonus this year anyway.
> 
> Question:  Is it ok to run an Mercruiser Alpha drive in a tilted up position
> where the prop is barely covered in water? I can't really see the joints on
> the drive lasting too long in that position.  If I get into another
> situation where I have to trim way up or hit a shoal, what are my options?
> 
> Mike
> 
> 

That's good advice, I'll have them look at when they are looking at another
problem I need to address.

Mike

"Capt. Frank" <aartworks@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:gBh%a.24606$vo2.10108@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> Hi Mike,
> I am happy to hear the damage is minor.
> If I were you I would have the prop shaft checked to make sure its
> running true. Have a shop put a micrometer dial on it and rotate it
> slowly. If you see more then a couple of thousand's difference, concider
> replacing the part. It IS expensive though. The consequences of not
> replacing a bent shaft are 1 vibration and 2 premature wear on your
> carrier bearings and metal fatigue in the lower unit housing.
>
> Capt. Frank USCG-Auxillary
>
> la Dolce Vita 26' Formula PC
>
> Mikhael wrote:
>
> > For those who don't know, I own a brand new four winns 180 freedom.  I
hit a
> > shoal this weekend.  Extremely windy on the st lawrence near
> > johnstown/ogdensburg.  In the bay near grenville park there is a bunch
of
> > shoals.  These are marked, however the one I hit was not.   The marker
was
> > submerged.  I was just raising my tilt when I hit it. I immediately went
to
> > neutral, then raised my tilt as far as I could stand it, then puttered
out
> > of there.
> >
> > In 10 years of owning a boat, the shoal incident waits until I own a
very
> > expensive boat to occur.
> >
> > When I finally made it back to the ramp, I brought my boat on shore to
> > examine the damage.  To my relief, it was only minor damage to the prop.
I
> > planned on purchasing a new prop with my xmas bonus this year anyway.
> >
> > Question:  Is it ok to run an Mercruiser Alpha drive in a tilted up
position
> > where the prop is barely covered in water? I can't really see the joints
on
> > the drive lasting too long in that position.  If I get into another
> > situation where I have to trim way up or hit a shoal, what are my
options?
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
>