losing zincs on propnuts

[duetto]

hi all,

we've always had a problem losing prop zincs. i think the problem stems from the lack of thread locker on the allen screws which hold the zinc to the propnut. some come with a dab of red loctite while others don't. i tried getting a thread locker which could be applied to the allen screws out of the water and then assembled underwater. though loctite provided a thread locker, it never proved satisfactory.

i then decided to attack the problem from a different direction. i decided to make the allen screw into a stud by screwing into the shaft side of the propnut. i applied a little marinetex to the threads on the zinc side of the stud to prevent it from ever backing out. i then used a nyloc nut to hold the zinc to the stud. because of the inset in the zinc i also fitted a nylon spacer to raise the nyloc nut enough so a box wrench will turn it onto the stud.

we have travelled 1000 miles since the zincs were installed and they're still there, so i think it's working.

i found out larry duhaime has also implemented a variation of this on his 34.

[GEORGE]

HOW ABOUT 5200, THAT SHOULD HOLD THEM.
I ACTUALLY HAVEN'T HAD THAT PROBLEM IN OVER 4000MI.
GEORGE
DAWN

[Gadzooks!]

I was very interested in your experience with propnuts. We must have lost seven or eight by now. I was considering installing "Divers Dream" zincs on the vertical sections at the bottom of the transoms that are underwater when at rest. Would work fine once installed, and replacement could be done from the bottom step, without going into the water. But the initial installation would be a bear, working in extremely cramped space inside the hull. Also troublesome would be the requirement to install brushes on the prop shafts and wiring to the zincs.

Did you do the installation in-water, or is it necessary to haul the boat?

I will contact Larry Duhaime for details on his variation.

--Wally Gilliam

P.S. We all should be grateful to Sam Densler (sdensler@mac.com) for rescuing the forum so it did not go down with the demise of PDQ.

[duetto]

hi wally,

i did the modification while the boat was out of water. since it just involves the propnut it could easily be done in the water. just remove the nut from the shaft, the rest is done on land.

so far, it has worked really well. i changed the zincs in va on way south and it worked very well.

[Leadfree]

Larry & I beached the boat in Georgetown, Exumas so he could change the system similar to you. It was difficult to do under those circumstances but has worked very nicely over the last 4 years as we have cruised the Bahamas.
Sharon & Larry of Lead Free Too