Stuck Up Props 

Some of you may have experienced difficulty removing a prop. This usually occurs after banging a lot of rocks or when the prop and lower jam nut have been put on too tight.

Let's assume you have the model with a large jam nut on the engine side of the prop followed by a large brass washer, the prop, a smaller brass washer, a smaller jam nut, a lock washer, and finally a nyloc nut. Put a large (10" or 12") crescent wrench on the large jam nut and a bar like a wrecking bar under the shaft behind the prop and hook it over a prop blade. (remember your turning the prop off) Push down on the bar while pulling up on the wrench. This eliminates the spring in the shaft and will usually seperate the prop, washer and jam nut.

If this doesn't work split the upper jam nut. You can do this by drilling a series of holes in one flat of the nut and splitting it with a chisel or sawing it diagonally with a hack saw and splitting it. Be careful not to damage the shaft. Usually, as soon as the nut splits, the prop loosens right up.

One of these techniques works in 99% of the cases I've encountered. If neither works e-mail me or call me and I'll tell you the bad news.