TOPIC: Broken Hub?

Hello all!

Running around Pamlico Sound in NC. It's Great! Had another post asking about bringing the boat down...glad we did! The dock at the house goes from about 20 inches deep at one end to about 6 inches at the other! My MFG needs about 14 inches to be happy.

The water around here is about 20 to 48 inches deep with a sand bar here and there.

On the way back from a sound side beach we like the motor sounded like it's cavitating. So i adjusted trim but it kept revving. So i backed off it and stopped. Checked the prop for sea grass, checked for a sand bar. nothing.

So on the way back to the dock i could only go about 1000 rpm. More than that and the motor didn't sound right (not so much the power head, but the vibration) and it would actually slow down. The motor would rev up to 3000 but the boat would slow down.

I had the rubber hub go out on our old boat years ago and if memory serves it was similar.

I have another prop with me i'm gonna swap out and see if it helps. Though i never ran that prop before so i can't be sure.

So, what do you think?

PS. What is the "red line" on a 68 merc 1000? I've been trying to not go over 4000 with an average plane of about 2800~3100RPM.

same thing happened to me years ago....SPUN HUB. $50 repair. ron

Sounds good! I was going to swap it while the wife went shopping but she took my truck with the tool box!

need to take 2 vehicles on vacation.

she just got back. on my way out to the dock!

Full throttle RPM between 4800-5300. Prop for 5000-5300 with just you in the boat and it will be fine with a load, skiing, tubing, etc. Best cruise RPM would be around 3500, correctly propped.

Thanks Kerry!

Put on the 2 blade "speed prop" (his words) that the previous owner included. Runs like a champ!

But i don't like this prop! I'll need to get the other one fixed when i get home. This one uses too much gas with a full load of people and gear.

At least we are back on the water!