Re pitched prop doesn't work anymore .

ian parkes · 11 June 2007, 22:44

I have 2 props a 17" pitch and a 19"
The 17 allowed just a bit too many revs , and the 19 not quite enough when loaded a bit .

So i sent the 17" pitch prop to Steel Developments to re pitch to 18"

Tried the new re pitched prop saturday and its just cavitates when trimmed out where I normally cruise . If you go from about 3/4 throttle to full it just slips again .

At wot the revs are wantinmg to go over 6000 . Its as if they have re pitched it to 15 .

The prop was returned re painted looking like new , but the blades appear much thinner and sharper than before ,and there appears to be fine grinder marks visible .

I rang steel developments and told them and really just got some flannel that the prop probably just didn't suit my boat ,and re pitching envolved bending the blades not grinding . They tried to say I had damaged it or dropped it and bent a blade , which I haven't .
Before it went it was fine just a little undergeared unless loaded or towing . They want me to send it back for them to see , but I fear that will waste another £12 each way postage on top of the £57 its allready cost , plus I no longer have useable spare prop .

Any ideas what they have got wrong

and what I should do .

Downhilldai · 11 June 2007, 23:21

You expected it to perform midway between the 17" and 19" which it does not. Tell them to sort it out at their own expense, or you'll spread a load of shit about them on a popular boating forum.......Oops, too late

If they do agree to take it back, take lots of photos of it first and e-mail these to them before sending it back, to prove that it arrived with you in the same condition as they sent it. Are there any local prop specialists who could take a look at it and measure the pitch, blade profile, balance, etc?

Mollers · 12 June 2007, 07:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

Are there any local prop specialists who could take a look at it and measure the pitch, blade profile, balance, etc?

Are you 'avin a laugh?!!! The local 'prop specialists' down here also shoe horses and make gates.

Sounds like the may well have sent you back the wrong prop. Why all the grinding marks? Did the prop require re-dressing aswell as re-pitching?
Poisonally, I don't particularly hold with all this re-pitching business. I know that tuning race props is the done thing, but that is a process that can be checked and re-checked by running the boat until the desired result is achieved. I wonder how sophisticated the process is at Steel Developments. It only takes a slight difference in the individual blade pitches to cock it right up.

AndrewH · 12 June 2007, 08:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

Are there any local prop specialists who could take a look at it and measure the pitch, blade profile, balance, etc?

Not exactly local , I know ... but closer to you than Steel Dev. Is there any chance that you'll be in the Poole area? I've found Propeller revolutions here to be very helpful and they've got all the kit for measuring the prop.

Andrew

Into The Blue · 12 June 2007, 08:59

I'd have to agree, I've used Propellor revolutions in Cobbs Quay for years and are very good. And they don't tend to have many good things to say about some of their competitors.......

Just tell them what you want - only problem is they don't open Saturdays.

Mollers · 12 June 2007, 09:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

You expected it to perform midway between the 17" and 19" which it does not. Tell them to sort it out at their own expense, or you'll spread a load of shit about them on a popular boating forum.......Oops, too late

If they do agree to take it back, take lots of photos of it first and e-mail these to them before sending it back, to prove that it arrived with you in the same condition as they sent it. Are there any local prop specialists who could take a look at it and measure the pitch, blade profile, balance, etc?

Eh Druid, Empty yer box.

Jelly · 12 June 2007, 10:07

Ian
you can try BT Marine in Newton Abbot, they've been recommended to me.
I have a similar issue in that I had a SS prop rebuilt after I found a pot line and its nothing like it was before.
http://www.btmarinepropellers.co.uk/

MikeCC · 12 June 2007, 10:21

Others on here have posted postive comments about Streamlined Propellers in Aldershot. Tel 01252 316412. Not local obviously, but may have some ideas.

Pete7 · 12 June 2007, 11:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeCC

Others on here have posted postive comments about Streamlined Propellers in Aldershot. Tel 01252 316412. Not local obviously, but may have some ideas.

Dropped a prop in with Geoff this morning, place is chocka with props, coldn't even get in through the door. He is good though

Pete

BogMonster · 12 June 2007, 16:40

Interesting, I was going to take my bent props back to UK and send them to SD for repairs but maybe I will just dump them and order a couple of new ones...

John Kennett · 12 June 2007, 17:40

I wouldn't write Steel Developments off too quickly. They have a pretty good reputation and I'm sure they'll sort this problem out.

John

Hugh Jardon · 12 June 2007, 17:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

Dropped a prop in with Geoff this morning, place is chocka with props, coldn't even get in through the door. He is good though

Pete

i used them for a prop on a previous engine and seemed to do a good job, like you say a tricky place to find and then to get into!!

sticky · 12 June 2007, 18:25

Hi Ian,I had a problem last year(Loss of rpm)happened during a foggy trip back into Fal`. After posting and talking to a few as well as S.Dev`it was assumed that the bush had gone.Sent off to S.D to be checked out,they told me it also needed repairs to some damage.
This was a highly polished S.S prop,and from my limited knowledge on props appeared in good condition(no apparent dings etc)
S.D told me it needed repairing and rebushing! I took there word for it and the approx costs.Week later prop returned after paying £140.00 no longer highly polished and looking like they`d used the rough`st grinding disk going.I was`nt happy S.D told me it was part of the repair.

Here comes the best bit. After numerous sea trials with the repaired prop still had the same problems, eventually found out that it was`nt the bush it was a cylinder compression problem.Local engine specialists sorted out under warranty.
In hindsight, I should have tried a compatable prop prior to sending it off to S.D.It would then have confirmed that it was`nt a prop problem.
I took S.D and there diagnosis word for word.
You live and learn,always at your own expence.

ian parkes · 12 June 2007, 21:59

Well Iam meaning to slag off SD yet , and thanks for the opinions .

Iam no prop expert but I do know a bit about engineering , and just how exact a prop needs to be Iam not sure .

The prop I sent was like new , it had nearly all the paint intact on the blades , there was a tiny nick on the edge of one of the blades , I mean tiny less than .5mm deep and i had rubbed it off with fine emery cloth .

I have just had a good look at the prop and checked it with my machine setting tools on the cast bed of a new top of the range woodworking machine .

With the prop sat upright the blade tips vary about 2mm in height and about 1mm in diameter . The edge of one tip is a sharp as a dinner knife and the others square and approx 1mm thick .
Grinder or rotary sander marks are visible under the paint on every blade and the blades are thinner than I remember them to be , certainly not as much meat in it as my other prop .

SD said that even a nick in the blade edge of .5mmm would have been welded up , but why the whole blade needed grinding beats me ?

I can't be certain its my old prop , but it says made in Japan on it and the original markings are still there stating size .

I was using the prop before I sent it as we were loaded up and towing a donut and it was working fine .

I will return it with a letter , but I have little faith to be honest after the attitude I recieved on the phone .
But to be fair SD must recieve some knackered props and then get punters expecting the impossible , and they don't know that Iam genuine .

Just wish I had some pics of it before I sent it .

Hope I don't learne at my expense Sticky , but it seems I allready am with hassle and postage costs alone .

Downhilldai · 12 June 2007, 23:01

If you were in the prop business and someone sent you a nice shiny 17" pitch prop for re-pitching to 18", would you get the hammer out and start knocking it about, or do the same job to some old prop which had been welded up after someone tried stirring stones with it?

Hugh Jardon · 12 June 2007, 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by ian parkes

Well Iam meaning to slag off SD yet , and thanks for the opinions .

Iam no prop expert but I do know a bit about engineering , and just how exact a prop needs to be Iam not sure .

The prop I sent was like new , it had nearly all the paint intact on the blades , there was a tiny nick on the edge of one of the blades , I mean tiny less than .5mm deep and i had rubbed it off with fine emery cloth .

I have just had a good look at the prop and checked it with my machine setting tools on the cast bed of a new top of the range woodworking machine .

With the prop sat upright the blade tips vary about 2mm in height and about 1mm in diameter . The edge of one tip is a sharp as a dinner knife and the others square and approx 1mm thick .
Grinder or rotary sander marks are visible under the paint on every blade and the blades are thinner than I remember them to be , certainly not as much meat in it as my other prop .

SD said that even a nick in the blade edge of .5mmm would have been welded up , but why the whole blade needed grinding beats me ?

I can't be certain its my old prop , but it says made in Japan on it and the original markings are still there stating size .

I was using the prop before I sent it as we were loaded up and towing a donut and it was working fine .

I will return it with a letter , but I have little faith to be honest after the attitude I recieved on the phone .
But to be fair SD must recieve some knackered props and then get punters expecting the impossible , and they don't know that Iam genuine .

Just wish I had some pics of it before I sent it .

Hope I don't learne at my expense Sticky , but it seems I allready am with hassle and postage costs alone .

post some pics of it to show what you have described...that would help

ian parkes · 12 June 2007, 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

If you were in the prop business and someone sent you a nice shiny 17" pitch prop for re-pitching to 18", would you get the hammer out and start knocking it about, or do the same job to some old prop which had been welded up after someone tried stirring stones with it?

I would hope that honesty would prevail . I did suggest that I could have recieved the wrong prop back . The reponse was very fast and definate "impossible " .

I can imgine a prop shop absolutely inundated with props , and how it would be impossible I just don''t know .

The box I sent it in was very good with loads of the palstic padding bags etc , but it arrived back in a different box ??

Downhilldai · 12 June 2007, 23:39

Get someone else (with a different aaaaaaaaccent) to ring them and enquire if they have a Soozook 17" prop for sale

ian parkes · 12 June 2007, 23:50

their new solas props are only about £100 . I don't think they deal with used props Iam sure if its not my original prop the mix up wasn't intentional .

Surely if they had done welding repairs as well as re pitch it would have been on the invoice and they would have charged for it . Invoice simply said re pitch to 18 , maybe that was misread as 16 , although I wrote 18 printed on the note and on the box .

jwalker · 13 June 2007, 01:32

Julie from Steel Developments posts on Ribnet. Perhaps she would like the opportunity to reply if you make her aware of the thread.