Right or left hand prop on a volvo

[Ralph Savarese]

what prop should I use?
I have a chance to get some great right hand props but I have always used lefts . How much will it change performance?
Ralph

[boldts]

Ralph - Usually the only reason for running a left hand prop is to off-set the steering helm being on the left as it appears your boat is. I had a 1969 18' Classic with the Volvo 250 and because I wanted to run a stainless prop on it, I switched the linkage under the back drive cover to the opposite side that it was on and ran a right handed stainless prop. There was some lean, but not enough to make the boat uncomfortable.

[MOP]

I have to preface this comment with my memory is bad even after being a Volvo tech for to many years, but the Volvo drives will take alot of punishment when the shifter cone is driving the spiral shaft downward. If the shaft is being driven up and you do a normaly surviveable thing like hitting something or jumping it out of the water to many times the shaft will come out through the top sooner or later. As you probably know the same basic box guts were used in the inboard setups, we had a lobster guy pop two shafts through the top. I called the rep, first thing asked was engine rotation opposed to prop rotation. Said fix it and change the diection and prop. We did it and the guy never had anymore trouble. I think it goes right prop right engine rotation left prop left engine rotation, damn don't quote me! To be right at this point in my memory I would pull the shifter cam out and look, Sorry!

[Ralph Savarese]

MOP , Well I know if you are running a left hand prop it is the same direction as a standard engine rotation so that is good based on your theory. Other than the boat compensating for having left hand steering. Putting a right hand prop on can cause it to list to one side true ?
Ralph

[MOP]

No question prop rotation has alot to do with list etc. The thing tha factory tech brought up was the shaft when pushed downward sits on a decent sized bearing in the case which is very heavy. But when the shaft is pushed upward it pushes against the lock ring which lets go and the shaft shoots up through the top. When you take it apart the land for the ring is shot the shear coupling is gawled and one or the other shaft tips is chewed a little from the parts pulling out of each other under heavy load. Meaning if it goes it AIN'T CHEAP!

[Ralph Savarese]

MOP
When you use a Lh prop you are using the lower gear so no problem. Either way I have been using this volvo drive for 15 years and do nothing but beat the crap out of it! Before me it came of another Donzi it is a 1974 drive that has never been apart!
Ralph

[MOP]

Ralph for the lower to turn it must go through the upper and turn the vertical shaft, on our light boats it is probaly not as much of an issue till the HP and speed is boosted up. I 100% agree that the Volvo drives even the older ones will outlast many of the new ones, there are several member that have some over 25 years old and other than seals have never been apart. *** (I just called All Island Marine to clear up the issue, as most know one of the largest Volvo shops around. According to Pete the top guy there, it is not the direction that is important. It is very important with high horse power or if the boat jumps out of the water alot to have the cone at the top when in forward so as not to send the vertical shaft through the top.

[gerrybrooks]

:wink:
what prop should I use?
I have a chance to get some great right hand props but I have always used lefts . How much will it change performance?
Ralph

[mattyboy]

Gerry

give BigGrizzly a call or drop him a note or PM

he has SS props that work very well on the volvo driven classics