Propeller and puller needed

Can anyone recommend a prop puller that can be used under water? I have a 1-1/2" shaft with a 3 blade 20" prop.

Does anyone have a 20 LH 12 pitch for sale? Hard to find little buggers!
I have a bronze Columbia but would entertain others.

I don't know anything special for under water use. Some prop shops will lend pullers if you buy props from them.

Divers can often change props and have their own tools.

Harbor Freight sells a large hydraulic three leg gear puller that I modified (for extra reach). Worked well for pulling the two 24" props on 2" shafts on our OA. The rudders on our boat are offset just enough to fit the barrels of the hydraulic cylinder along side. The boat was on the hard, so I added a little heat to the hubs. Kept the nuts about one turn from the hub for when they popped loose with a loud "ping". You might check if that unit would fit without dropping the rudders. Very inexpensive. Added cost was having a machine shop drill extra holes in the hook arms so they'd reach the forward edge of the hubs. Worked for me....

I’m not an expert, but I have removed our larger props easily with this.

Any prop puller will work underwater. Wash, dry and spray Boeshield on it when done.

cdsailor said:

I’m not an expert, but I have removed our larger props easily with this.
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Do you have any idea who makes this puller or were I buy one?
I just found a line on a similar one out of Europe. May just have to bite the bullet and spend the money. Shipping is ridiculous!
Thanks
Tom

cdsailor said:

I’m not an expert, but I have removed our larger props easily with this.
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Yeah, this one is nice. Along the Algonic style, where you don't need a separate wrench to operate.
I'm usually upside down on this type of job, with scuba, feet on the hull. The more interesting part is dealing with tight prop nuts...

A tip from my yard, leave the prop nut loosely on the shaft when you pull the prop so it doesn't pop right off the end of the shaft and drop into the deep. When it lets go of the taper on the shaft, it can jump quite a ways back, so be prepared for it.

I’m also no YouTube sensation, but I did record our prop removal. You know, because everyone’s an expert. [emoji6]

Here’s the puller in action:

https://youtu.be/U5Nf0-knQH4

cdsailor said:

I’m not an expert, but I have removed our larger props easily with this.
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That puller looks like it fits between the strut bearing housing and the prop hub. If so, it pushes the prop off the shaft versus pulling it. Very high loads would be transmitted to the transmission thrust bearing and housing, as well as the strut bracket (if applicable). Very bad idea (if it is indeed a spreader arrangement). Forces should be between the prop hub and the end of the shaft...a puller. not a pusher.

Rufus said:

That puller looks like it fits between the strut bearing housing and the prop hub. If so, it pushes the prop off the shaft versus pulling it. Very high loads would be transmitted to the transmission thrust bearing and housing, as well as the strut bracket (if applicable). Very bad idea (if it is indeed a spreader arrangement). Forces should be between the prop hub and the end of the shaft...a puller. not a pusher.

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You are mistaken. Forces with this puller are between the prop hub and the shaft.

cdsailor said:

You are mistaken. Forces with this puller are between the prop hub and the shaft.

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And it provides tremendous leverage. Its a great puller.

Yes, you were posting your video while I was typing. When I saw your video. I attempted to delete my post, but you posted before I could hit the button.

That said, I have seen a yard use a hydraulic jaw type spreader between the prop hub and the strut....very bad news as it put a huge load on the strut before the lip on the jaws slipped off the prop hub and left a big gash in the bronze casting. The "service crew" subsequently went to Carver and borrowed a proper puller that spreads the load around most of the radius of the prop hub. It looks like this puller concentrates the load on a very small area on the hub....not good. I also doubt it would have had the leverage to budge the props on our boat without serious application of heat. The big concern I'd have for a larger prop is what appears to be a small contact surface on the hub radius.

These guys sell some good pullers. Not cheap...

https://www.deepblueyachtsupply.com/

https://www.deepblueyachtsupply.com/boat-prop-pullers

Exceeded 3 blades can make the puller choice difficult. Due to blade overlap at the hub. Need to watch that one when selecting.

We have 4 blade props. I made a puller that works great. 2 plates and 4 bolts.

cdsailor said:

I’m not an expert, but I have removed our larger props easily with this.
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This is the type puller we used at a major boat dealership on all sized boats up to 54'ers.


Literally hundreds of props every season with good results and no damage to the props.


It was the go to puller because it was fast. It didn't work all the time and occasionally a threaded rod or hydraulic puller was needed.

I made a prop puller almost identical to Comodave. I did put a set screw right in the middle of the outside plate. This fit into the dimple on the end of the shaft and kept the plate centered. It was easy and cheap to make and worked really well.

Probably have to make a triangular one for a three blade prop.

Comodave said:

We have 4 blade props. I made a puller that works great. 2 plates and 4 bolts.

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...that's a proper puller...can't cost all that much for a shop to fabricate.

Everybody wants to know where to buy things in a store.

Nice to see there are some independent guys here.
I didn’t make the whole thing like some admirable guys did. But I didn’t go to the store either. I modified two pullers I had so it worked on the boat. I used the main screw that centers the shaft from another puller. As I recall there was a length problem w the other one. Had to take off the swiveling end grind a point.

cdsailor said:

I’m not an expert, but I have removed our larger props easily with this.
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I have only used this type and it works well. Occasionally the prop still wont budge. With the puller under tension a gentle whack on the side of the prop hub with a 3# hammer pops it free.

You guys forgetting the underwater part of the OP question? Yeah, I have fiddled with the rod and nut and plate thing u/w. Quite a comedy act. I recall only one rod can be initially put on. So, you now jump into the water with how many loose parts? plus now TWO wrenches?? Is the boat rocking? Is the water deep? Is the bottom black, deep silt? Is it at night? Am I tying off tools to the stern cleats? Wearing gloves due to hull barnacles? Loose hardware in zippered pouches? Water cold so I only have 15 minutes until lack of motion?

Comodave said:

We have 4 blade props. I made a puller that works great. 2 plates and 4 bolts.

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Same here Dave.....
Touched an oyster reef last December, fabricated an identical puller in my shop, took a crisp "Texas winter" dive and popped the two 24" babies off. Although the marina is shallow enough to stand on bottom, the water only has about 4" visibility. After repaired/balanced, another 1hr dive to install.....All the diving fun this 66yo wanted for sure!? Such is life when the nearest boatyard is an 8hr run away.....

The OP is on the Chesapeake, dozens of divers, prop shops and yards. Ask around the marina.

Voyager3 said:

Do you have any idea who makes this puller or were I buy one?
I just found a line on a similar one out of Europe. May just have to bite the bullet and spend the money. Shipping is ridiculous!
Thanks
Tom

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Tom,

As others have suggested, find someone who will lend you a suitable puller. Good luck.

You guys have lose props. I need heat and a 5lb sledge

Arc said:

You guys have lose props. I need heat and a 5lb sledge

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We did mine when it was hauled. I made the puller after trying with a commercially made one that didn’t even come close to popping my props off. We struggled for quite a time to get them off. I don’t think that a diver would have been able to get them off in the water. It took 2 of us and some pipe extensions on the rachets to get the props off. When one of them came off it sounded like a shotgun.

Comodave said:

We did mine when it was hauled. I made the puller after trying with a commercially made one that didn’t even come close to popping my props off. We struggled for quite a time to get them off. I don’t think that a diver would have been able to get them off in the water. It took 2 of us and some pipe extensions on the rachets to get the props off. When one of them came off it sounded like a shotgun.

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Yes. I’d do it on the hard. My experienced shipwright had a devil of a time getting mine off. Needed a tiger torch and a sledgehammer.

Jim

There was no way that a diver could have gotten my props in the water. The sheer force that was required would not have been able to be applied by a diver since they don’t have the ground to brace against. Mine were on really tight, don’t know how many years since they had been pulled since there was no record in the 15 years prior to my ownership that they had been pulled and I owned it for 3 years at that point. Also found out that my port shaft is left hand thread, don’t ask how long it took me to figure that out...

Comodave said:

We have 4 blade props. I made a puller that works great. 2 plates and 4 bolts.

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I also made on like Dave and Parks.

Rob