2017 Prostar - making noise when in neutral

Jerry44

... and boat is still moving. It sounds like the shaft is making a noise.

Any ideas?

Mastercrafter

It’s this when idling down quickly from ski speeds, or at 5mph then clicking into neutral?

How many hours on strut bearings?

Jerry44

5 mph then clicking into neutral. Boat has 207 hours.

jhughes

Possibly a noisy damper plate.

Jerry44

On the damper plate, what would be the solution there?

BraceMaker

@Jerry44 pulling the trans and replacing it. But how sticky is the neutral? Ie running in neutral if you were to press say a handle of a hammer against the trans output shaft does it easily stop? Or is it basically in forwards gear unless you are in reverse.

Two very different problems. Although it could just need the shift cable adjusted it might be just dragging in gear and therefore rattly.

Jerry44

@BraceMaker I could be wrong, but I don't think it's the shifter but I will check those things you mentioned the next time I put it in. Thank you.

Gloersen

might want to check engine coupler as well as prop connections

wski1831

Had a friend with a 17. The shaft came out of the coupler. Seemed extreme to me but master craft replaced the whole transmission under warranty

Jerry44

@Gloersen when this started a couple of weeks ago, I checked the prop and it needed tightening and the cotter pin was missing.

I tightened the prop and it seems like it stopped for a while but the noise started again. The prop is still tight.

Gloersen

@Jerry44 video below from SkiDim may assist with inspecting the drive shaft coupler integrity.

dchristman

@Gloersen well there's a trick I wish I would have known 40 years ago. Twice I ended up cutting off a coupler and replacing a shaft that could have maybe been straightened.

Mastercrafter

Just went to replace a prop on a new-to-me 2017 Prostar, 1300 hours. Once prop was tight, still heard a weird rattle when I moved the prop back and fourth. Low and behold, all four trans coupler bolts were loose. Like scary loose. Check yer bolts!

Andre

@Gloersen Ya,thanks for the link.I never knew Vince from SkiDim had a Youtube channel.
Lots of interresting stuff for older boats.

BraceMaker

@Mastercrafter you should see when a V-drive coupler nut comes off and the prop drops back to the rudder.

BraceMaker

@dchristman you mean the nut "press" method? That's super common in MC world because with the velvet drive 1.5:1's there is so little room for any of the other methods.

I've also made slide hammer couplers so you pull the nut, bolt up the flanges and tappy tap tap from below - but when I do that I usually will put a block of wood between the flange and the gland nut as well to not put all the shock into the trans.

And then again heat gun heat gun heat gun penetrating fluid and wham.

Jerry44

I also need help / suggestions for removing the motorbox. I don't see a way to disconnect the hinges from the floor panel.

Something I read somewhere else seemed to say to leave the motorbox connected to the floor panel.

Mastercrafter

You can leave them connected and remove together, or remove the nuts underneath the floor from the hinges; there are studs welded into the hinge, through the floor.

Jerry44

@Mastercrafter Thanks! Which way would you recommend? Another question... there are 4 screws in the floor panel. Are they holding the floor panel or is it just laying in there?

On my Nautiques in the past it was just laying in there.

Also looks like the fire extinguisher has to be disconnected. Is there anything special that needs to be done there?