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ErikFinn · 26-06-2012, 16:09

Hi I have a late 80's Max-Prop 3-Blade I believe what is referred now as the "Max-Pro 3-Blade Classic" by the manufacturer and PYI:
-- PYI Inc. Max-Prop PSS Shaft Seal Seaview Radar Mounts R&D --

The prop dos NOT have the grease nipples ("Zerc-kit") as do the later models so I'll need to take the prop apart in order to be able to grease the internals. At this stage I do not want to install the ZERCKIT:
-- PYI Inc. Max-Prop PSS Shaft Seal Seaview Radar Mounts R&D --

I have seen the assembly videos and my question is:
do I need to apply some kind of liquid sealant or gasket maker in between the two spinner halves, or just tighten the six screws and that's it?
This is a new boat to myself and a new prop, hence the Q...
Videos (click the arrow right to the "Classic 3 Blades Installation Generation 1") :
Max Prop > Video

Albro359 · 26-06-2012, 16:54

No sealant required.
Make sure the prop is as clean as it can be before you dismantle it.
Take careful note of the orientation of all parts (pictures are good).
Clean everything before reassembling...make sure the mating faces of the two halves are absolutely clean....install the cotter pins as per PYI instructions
Oh, and don't put too much grease in it...if it's full of compacted grease it won't work well.
Good luck !

**Ex-Calif** · 26-06-2012, 17:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albro359

No sealant required.
Make sure the prop is as clean as it can be before you dismantle it.
Take careful note of the orientation of all parts (pictures are good).
Clean everything before reassembling...make sure the mating faces of the two halves are absolutely clean....install the cotter pins as per PYI instructions
Oh, and don't put too much grease in it...if it's full of compacted grease it won't work well.
Good luck !

Ditto and make sure when you take the half apart you mark both the blade angles and the drive gear index.

Download the assembly manual and you will see what I mean. We acquired ours with no known refence and pitching it took a couple of trial and errors to get the right boat and engine speeds.

ErikFinn · 26-06-2012, 17:16

Thanks guys, that's great advice.

I have the old manual (photocopy) noting the correct setting for the left&right rotation for this boat. Have to check the videos once more though just to make sure I'll be confident what to do.

Erik

btrayfors · 26-06-2012, 17:52

Erik, I have a 17" 3-blade Max Prop from 1989. Looks just like yours. You do not have to take this prop apart to grease it. Just remove the little screws. There's a short grease nipple fitting which screws into these holes. You just screw it in, and pump in the grease. I'd recommend against taking this prop apart unless you are very good at mechanical things. It's not as easy as it looks, and there's plenty of room for foulups. On the other hand, if you can get an experienced MaxProp service guy to watch or help you the first time, it's not a bad thing to do because you'd be able to inspect the condition of the insides and, especially, the grease. These are wonderful props....mine has been flawless for 23 years now! Bill

**Ex-Calif** · 26-06-2012, 19:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by btrayfors

Erik, I have a 17" 3-blade Max Prop from 1989. Looks just like yours. You do not have to take this prop apart to grease it. Just remove the little screws. There's a short grease nipple fitting which screws into these holes. You just screw it in, and pump in the grease. I'd recommend against taking this prop apart unless you are very good at mechanical things. It's not as easy as it looks, and there's plenty of room for foulups. On the other hand, if you can get an experienced MaxProp service guy to watch or help you the first time, it's not a bad thing to do because you'd be able to inspect the condition of the insides and, especially, the grease. These are wonderful props....mine has been flawless for 23 years now! Bill

The screwiest thing on my two blade was the "dot" for lining the pinion gear to the drive gear is at the bottom of a tooth. Unless you get the bottom of the teeth really clean you can't find the dot...

Stumble · 26-06-2012, 20:50

In addition to pictures, take a colorful paint pen, and mark up the hub and blades. When you start putting them together this way it is easier to distinguish between otherwise similar parts....

I.e. oh ya that blade goes there, because it has three stripes on it to match the hub slot with three.

I also like to mark the hub, the shaft, and the prop in a continuious line. It makes it easier to get things lines up at the end.

athene · 27-06-2012, 05:56

Some excellent advice here. I've had a classic Maxprop on my boat for the past 12 years (just changed to a Brunton Autoprop). I tapped a screw hole in the body to accept a grease nipple and then used to grease it every year with a grease gun and dismantle it every other year for a complete cleaning, inspection and re-greasing. If I'm honest, most years it wasn't necessary to dismantle it (assuming you use a good quality grease), but I did occasionally note some burring on the spinner or the rotation stop and it's useful to file this off in case it stops the spinner from rotating freely. Tips for reassembly: once you've decided on the pitch settings, set the X setting and then tape the spinner to the hub with duck tape to hold it in position while you adjust the Y setting. The hardest bit is offering up the blades (being very careful to observe the 1,2,3 marks on all the blade components) to the spinner. I foound the only way without having two pairs of hands was to assemble the blades on the (clean!) ground and then offer them up while holding them in the feathered position. A bit of careful jiggling around and they usually eventually slide in. Final tip: do make sure you follow the instructions about tapping the blades with a mallet to seat them and ensuring the blades rotate freely. It's an expensive mistake to have to lift out again because they're binding (I know!).

lancelot9898 · 27-06-2012, 06:43

Execellent advice from athene. I've had the 3 blade max prop since 1985 and haul out every 2 to 3 years and disassemble it all and repack. As I take it apart I put the pieces into a bucket to keep it free from picking up any dirt. I use all new cotter pins and use PYI grease...lubriplate I believe it's called. Plus I fill it as full as I can and let the excess ooze out of the halves as you tighten down the screws. An extra pair of hands are important in getting the 3 blades to line up when reassemblying. Good Luck and make sure that you get the right pitch set and the proper blades into the proper hub. Note that the end cap also needs to be lined up properly.

ErikFinn · 30-06-2012, 18:09

Thank you everyone for the great advice!

The prop is now cleaned thoroughly (not a drop of old grease remaining), re-greased with Lubriplate 130-AA, and assembled back together again, and I'd like to forward the following notes to anyone who wants to do the same and has not done this before:

1) Be sure to study the videos in detail on MaxProp or PYI sites, they are EXTREMELY helpful.

2) Know your correct "X and Y settings" for your boat-engine combination.

3) Keep taking lots of photos during the process; before, during, and after. So you will always have a document to come back to if you need to check something.

4) When setting the "Y-mark", be sure to draw a reference line to the central hub and the spinners with a permanent marker, as illustrated here:

Marking spinner and hub - YouTube

This is VERY important!

I almost screwed up this myself as my old reference mark had dissolved (although "permanent"), and as I was installing the blades I had accidentally moved the spinners

and thus the blades would have been completely off the correct setting, an expensive mistake!
Luckily I noticed my mistake and I had to dig out the "Y-mark" from underneath all the grease again and make a new mark.
So remember to draw that reference line when assembling, and check it is correct. And then double check.

5) I installed mine alone, but an extra pair of hands would be useful when assembling blades and end cap onto spinner. It looks easy on the video (small prop, no grease), but I can assure it's not when you have a big and heavy prop in your greasy one hand and you are feathering all the three blades with your greasy other hand, you are doing it the first time.

Assembling blades and end cap onto spinner - YouTube

6) For the next time I will definitely buy and install the ZERC-KIT as I understand with this kit one can grease the prop using a grease gun. (as I mentioned on my first post, my prop is from late 80's and does not have the zerc fittings, therefore the only way to grease it is to take it apart):
ZERC INSTALLATION KIT

ErikFinn · 30-06-2012, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by btrayfors

Erik, I have a 17" 3-blade Max Prop from 1989. Looks just like yours. You do not have to take this prop apart to grease it. Just remove the little screws. There's a short grease nipple fitting which screws into these holes. You just screw it in, and pump in the grease. I'd recommend against taking this prop apart unless you are very good at mechanical things. It's not as easy as it looks, and there's plenty of room for foulups. On the other hand, if you can get an experienced MaxProp service guy to watch or help you the first time, it's not a bad thing to do because you'd be able to inspect the condition of the insides and, especially, the grease. These are wonderful props....mine has been flawless for 23 years now! Bill

Thanks for your post Bill, I wish my prop had the grease nipples (the holes for them) but this is one of the early models without the holes for the grease nipples. For the next time I will however buy and install the
ZERC KIT

Here's how the later models with the holes for the grease nipple look like, but mine definitely does NOT have those

GREASING THE PROPELLER - YouTube

chad.lawie · 19-10-2014, 13:00

haha, oh man... I just dissembled my Max props... then did a little research and have found that I made every mistake in the book!

I suspect there is going to be a lot of four letter words in my future.

Suijin · 19-10-2014, 13:22

I want to reinforce that you want to clean the exterior of the prop as well possible before disassembly, as it makes it easier to mark the prop and avoid boneheaded moves like accidentally cleaning the marks off after it's disassembled. Not saying I've done that or anything...