I've had my gd longtail for 3 years and decided it was time to replace my prop, being as it was about 2" smaller dia. SO I start on it last night after work. I insert a pry bar into the u joint spin the prop so the bar contacts the frame. I then start thinking......"if I just whack the prop with a dead blow hammer I'll be it spins right off the shaft" SO I pop it a few times.......nothing so I hit it harder and more times............still nothing happenin...... so my mind tells me....................bigger hammer! SO I get a piece of aluminum bar and a 6# small slege hammer because the prop is shizzle anyway who cares about denting it.............. whack whack whack whackidy whack.....................fork! nothing happenin yet! Sweet running down the crack of my arse arms tired of beatin on the prop. The ole lady say "HEY WHAT ARE YOU BEATIN ON YOUR MUD MOTOR FOR? wha wha wha I tell her I trin to get the damn prop off what the he!! ya think!!! SO I start to think HEAT! YEa thats it, ill heat up the prop and break it loose that way. Hook on to the boat trailer ack it next to my shop fire up the torch. She gets red hot and I whack it a few more times with no sucsess. SO I then decide to go read the manual I printed off from GD sitte 3 years ago. The first daaum thing I read is "don't bother hitting the prop with a hammer to get it off, it won't work because the shaft acts like a torsion bar and absorbs the shock. Well I guess coco does know his shizzle. SO I read a bit further and it say to use a BIG pipe wrench and open the jaws so it contacts both fins. Pull on it hard, if that doesn't work, pull on it harder, (I'm not shiaatin you that's what it said) If that doesn't work heat up the prop and pull on it until it comes loose. Gotta love the simple instructions he gives ya! SO I try it again, I got my 14 year old son 6'2" 155# hangin on the shaft holding it down while I wrench my guts out trying to get it loose. HE says dad let just forget about it until tomorrow. I give him the look like there ain't no way in hatties I'm quitin now son, ain't happenin. SO I give it another try, still nothing. SO I heat it up a bit more tell him to get his skinny arse on that mud motor and hold on cause it's comin off this time!. HE grabs it I start wrenchin for all I'm worth and.........................POP I look at the prop and she's loose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He!! yea I got that SOB. When I installed my new one, I used antiseize. Not sure if it will help but I thought he!! it can't hurt either. SO anyone who has never changed a prop on a mud motor, good farkin luck!

Smoke

longtail prop changes can be a pain in the azz

Did it one time never again

I think before the next change I'm going to make a wrench just for the prop removal. I'm thinking of a couple of pieces of 1/2 x 2" flat stock welded to a 4' piece of heavy wall tubing. The tube will act as a breaker bar and the two pieces of flat stock would capture the fins of the prop. Brace it with a bar in the u joint prop up the motor on a stand and let er eat. 4' breaker bar should be just about right me thinks.

But I'll make it so it will except an extension if I need to go with a 10' breaker bar! LMAO

I'll do it again because I always figure theres nothing I can't do with a little red neck technology. That's why I like the long tails so much, they ain't nothing but a 25 hp lawn mower engine. I hate working on outboards, because I usually caused more damage than I started with! Long live the mud motor boys!
Smoke

I ran mine is so much saltwater that it didn't matter if I put anti-seaze on it or not.

I even took it to my dealer a couple times and they would use heat and bars and then I would get a call that my shaft broke from all the pulling and heating. So then I had to pay for a prop, shaft and 2 hours of labor.

That's when I just started buying a new shaft and a prop and just doing it myself. Disconnect the shaft from the U-joint area and it slides right out of the tube.

I had to cut mine off with a grinder. I didn't have a real big pipe wrench like you had, so beating with a hammer was about the only solution. after that didn't work I pulled the shaft and took an angle grinder, cut the blades off and then cut the prop into 2 pieces. Just have to be careful not to cut into the threads on the shaft.

The flat bar works great. That and nickel anti-seize. I try to make it a habit of taking it off every 20-25 hrs and putting fresh anti-seize.

When you put it back on tighten the prop all the way down then loosen it back a 1/4 turn next time you take it off won't take long at all I pull mine off every 4 months to get it recupped don't have problems anymore

I tighten my prop all the way. Ive found if you let them float they tend really tighten up if you hit some thing hard. The shaft wears out big time also, not that it makes a big difference beside lots of vibration.

I feel you pain Smoke.

Early 2000 23HP GDLT w/ 9x7 props

Started taking mine off last weekend. Went smooth until I got to the prop. Would not budge. Ran out of time (honey dues...).

Sunday had my dad come by w/his BFT and torch. Worked on it for over an hour. Would not budge. Talked to previous owner and he stated that we last changed it out in 2006, so four years of use.

Decided to remove the shaft and took it to dads shop (removing the shaft was very easy) Put it on the vise. Ran it through a series of heat/cold water. Proceeded to beat the hell out of it with 10# sledge. After a few hits she came lose.

Will replace all the bushings this week and put the 2nd prop on. Will send the original prop to get re-worked at the propshop this week too.

Man there is a lot of meat missing on that prop from 4+years of use. My top speed last year was about 10mph loaded in the 16x36 GD boat.

Hope to fun it this weekend...

Tore up some 2x4s and some knucklles changing mine at the camp fyi dont try this in the marsh on the bank

Looks like I will be replacing the shaft, getting new bushing kit and nut kit. It is going to cost around $145.

Also found out that I am missing about 2" off of the old prop. Looks like it will only be used as a spare.

GD makes a tool to help remove the prop. its still not easy but I've had to do this many times and I can tell you that its worth the $50. If your cheap and have some round stock and a welding machine you can make your own.
I never thought of using anti-seeze. Good idea, thats why I enjoy getting on this site.

Went by GD today.
Shaft - $50
Lower bushing - $20
Lower seal - $8 (x2)
Scraper seal - $8 (replaces lower flange bushing)
Forward jam nut - $4
I didn't change the other two nuts but I would guess they are probably $10 for them and the lockwasher.

Here is my bill from Black's Marine
Shaft - $60
Lower Seal - $8(2)
Scraper Seal - $8
Lower seal Cap - $14
Nut Set - $13

go get er where can i found those war eagle boats, and what does klibert charge to build like a 17 x 40 flat with just a couple seats. Just wondering

I bought my war eagle back in '05 at Brodicks in Hammond,La (now called Big Wheel). Kliebert is really reasonable with his prices, He takes the cost of material x2 and theres the price of your boat. Most builders take the material cost and x3.