Getting really tired & annoyed of losing my prop anode

[baz]

I've asked my Double J Diving service to review this thread to see if they have any good advice. Based on what I've read here it seems to me that with the current method for securing the prop shaft anode on my boat, it will most likely continue to be a problem.

 

[baz]

I want to state that I've lost my prop shaft anode twice; one was related to me colliding with three logs several months ago that damaged my prop and consequently(presumably) also caused the prop shaft anode to fall off, and 2nd one recently discovered when my under water anodes were being serviced.

Double J Diving has given me excellent service for past 10 years, and I do not want to infer in this thread that they have done anything wrong.

I guess I was exaggerating in saying I keep losing my prop shaft anode, when in fact this has only happened twice as mentioned above.

 

[Tuggernaut]

Not sure if it's been mentioned. But I purchased my 27 classic used. They drilled the bolt and use a castle nut and pin. Not sure this will work in ya'll case but I figured it might be worth mentioning.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Barry,

You have my deepest empathy. I have lost multiple prop nut zincs. Cory Gracey from Sharp Yachts gave me an interesting tip. He noted-as other have— that as the collar on the zinc erodes the wobble that develops backs the bolt out and all is quickly lost. His advice was to coat both sides of the zinc collar just where the bolt contacts the zinc (in the depression on the outside and near the bolt on the inside). You can use bottom paint, epoxy, whatever. The goal is to stop corrosion of the zinc right around the bolt, while the rest of the zinc corrodes normally. Something to add to the long list of suggestions here. It works for me.

Jeff

 

[Wee Venture]

Brian B, thanks for the link to the product from boatzinks.com. I have received retaining bolts from them that were coated with a ring of some sort of threadlocker but didn’t know what it was and didn’t know they sold it separately.

Curt, no worries. I have heard from a number of people (not just you) that coating the retaining bolt with a ring of Loctite and letting it dry before taking it underwater is the correct procedure. Even someone from the factory told me that. But as we have both discovered, that doesn’t work. Thanks for the tip on threadlocking tape. I wasn’t aware of that product.

I have switched to aluminum anodes at last replacement and used a bolt from Boat Zincs that was precoated with their threadlocker. I’ll report back in the future about how that has worked out.

John

 

[baz]

I reference a shared photo album for my underwater inspection done Nov 8, 2019. The last inspection was done July 17; around 3-1/2 months ago. The boat is kept in salt water all year round and I use the boat at least once per week.

It amazes me how much crud/growth can accumulate during the 3-1/2 months. 😱

Shared Photo Album here -> https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B1AGh7fzTGg3BcY

 

[rpmerrill]

Any recommendations on the color/spec on the vibratite?

I've gone to boatzinc.com and found multiple grades to choose from.
red, blue, purple, green?

 

[BB marine]

If you are using Vibration-TITE product use the VC-3. It is (std) red color. This is the product that can be applied and dried then installed. It is removable.

 

[rick&sue]

My experience - As the anode erodes, the screw becomes loose and falls out. Various types of locktite did not work. I found that a HI COLLAR split lock washer (designed to be used with Socket Head cap screws) works for me. Have not lost an anode since installing a lock washer.

 

[Wee Venture]

My experience - As the anode erodes, the screw becomes loose and falls out. Various types of locktite did not work. I found that a HI COLLAR split lock washer (designed to be used with Socket Head cap screws) works for me. Have not lost an anode since installing a lock washer.

Regarding Loctite, if you are referring to replacing the anode underwater, please see posts earlier in this thread. Even the Loctite company agrees their standard products do not work when left to dry in open air. What Brian is recommending is a different product with different chemistry.

Thanks for the suggestion about the hi collar split lock washer. Do you use a fender washer between the lock washer and the anode? If not, I would have expected the anode to erode around the small cross section of the cap screw head/lockwasher.

 

[rick&sue]

Locktite 242 Blue - boat dry and on a trailer when installing Anode. The hi collar lockwasher and socket head cap screw sits in a counter bore in the anode - no room for a fenderwasher. All I can say is this is my experience. You can decide if it is worth trying - or not.

 

[SLyle01]

Just noticed the Yamaha O/B prop zinc (an adjustable torque-offsetting fin zinc, bolted above the prop.) missing at haul out on our 2019 R27 O/B. Neither Pocket Yachts nor Yamaha said they "had never heard of this" (despite the many reporting it HERE) and "have NO idea why this happened".
Pocket Yachts is planning to replace it in the Spring, but if this happens to several others -and repeatedly, is there a 'fix"?

 

[redbennett]

Problem Solved
On my R29, had the same problem. Tried wedging pennies between the anode and nut, no luck.
My solution was to find an anode that would clamp on to the prop shaft ahead of the prop. Finding a 1-1/2 inch
ID anode was not a problem, the only one I could find was 1/4 inch to wide. I took it to a machine shop and had
the 1/4" milled off, 1/8" on each side. Cost $10 bucks for the machine work

 

[jagizzi]

Just noticed the Yamaha O/B prop zinc (an adjustable torque-offsetting fin zinc, bolted above the prop.) missing at haul out on our 2019 R27 O/B. Neither Pocket Yachts nor Yamaha said they "had never heard of this" (despite the many reporting it HERE) and "have NO idea why this happened".
Pocket Yachts is planning to replace it in the Spring, but if this happens to several others -and repeatedly, is there a 'fix"?

I don't believe that this is the prop zinc that folks are talking about in this thread. On some of the inboard diesel boats, CW28 for example, the prop shaft ends with the prop zinc screwed into the end of the shaft outboard of the prop. As it rotates with the prop and is fastened with a bolt and washer it frequently spins off or erodes in such a way that the anode assembly eventually spins off.

The fin on the bottom of the outboards doesn't rotate with the prop and Yamaha has started to replace the fin with a traditionally shaped flatter pancake zinc, at least on the 300. Was just the fin part missing on your outboard such that maybe it is the new finless anode or was the entire zinc missing. If the zinc was missing I would be curious to know if the bolt was still in place. If so then it simply wasn't tightened properly and should not recur. If the bolt is missing then it was never installed as it can't fall out of the motor.

 

[Automaticman865]

hi,
check out the picture of my prop zinc in my photo album. Doing this it comes home with the boat at the end of every season.

Stuart

 

[mikey]

thank you for all your detailed info Brian. could you explain how the prop nut cotter pin has to be laid down properly.

 

[mikey]

should the prop cotter pin on a 2014 c28 be bent and align with the horizontal splines of the nut or bent to be at right angles and outside the nut splines?

 

[Newf]

should the prop cotter pin on a 2014 c28 be bent and align with the horizontal splines of the nut or bent to be at right angles and outside the nut splines?

Not sure if your prop nut is similar in shape to the one on the R-21EC but the cotter pin on mine has to be bent so it fits into one of the slots in the nut. Bending it 90 degrees to the nut will prevent the anode from seating properly on mine. There are a couple of photos in my album on cutlass bearing that shows the type of nut I have. The cotter pin in the photo is not bent fully down into the slot but was properly bent before I installed the zinc.