Removing a Prop from a Paragon (ACME Prop Puller)

[RDT-G23]

greggmck and I have been exchanging PMs on this topic (related to the active thread "2021 G25 Prop"). I contacted ACME Marine this morning about the fitment issues with the 330S puller and the Paragon - (I assume the new Gs have the same scenario?). At any rate, the gentleman I've been e-mailing with (Branden Miller @ ACME Marine) tells me that they revised the puller this spring. According to Branden, the number of older 330S pullers out there is creating confusion. If someone buys one new in the near future for this purpose, please confirm for the rest of us that it has been modified satisfactorily to meet our needs. Thanks.

[MG94]

So my mechanic ground down his to make it work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Spud]

Branden Miller @ ACME Marine is a top guy has always provided great advice when I've reached out in the past.

[FOB1SAN]

My old one worked just fine. Literally tapped it with a hammer like 5 times and in under 30 seconds it was on. In the following 30 seconds prop was off. First time I ever used a prop puller and the first time I ever changed a prop!

[RDT-G23]

My old one worked just fine. Literally tapped it with a hammer like 5 times and in under 30 seconds it was on. In the following 30 seconds prop was off. First time I ever used a prop puller and the first time I ever changed a prop!

Not the same prop/situation.

[FOB1SAN]

As long as the shaft is the same size, shouldn’t the same prop puller work? It was the length of the shaft that required me to tap on the puller.

what prop is on the paragon? I wonder if that will help me get out of the whole quicker? My additional weight bogs me down.

[RDT-G23]

As long as the shaft is the same size, shouldn’t the same prop puller work? It was the length of the shaft that required me to tap on the puller.

what prop is on the paragon? I wonder if that will help me get out of the whole quicker? My additional weight bogs me down.

The Paragon with a ZZ8 uses a #3563 prop. This prop, larger than yours, is specific to the ZZ8 (600HP/608TQ). I would not change the prop to this unit in your case. This prop is meant to optimize the 1.5 reduction ratio and the aforementioned power of the ZZ8.

[greggmck]

I am still waiting to hear back from ACME on an update to the 330S puller and their plans to address the 2021 G23/Paragon. However, if one is so inclined a modification to the puller can be made to make it work properly.

There are two problems preventing the puller from working as designed. The first one is: the puller does not clear the larger diameter strut on the 2021 Paragon / ZZ8 engine. The difference is a few mm so if one is fond of sledgehammer engineering it is possible to force it onto the strut. However, this will gouge the strut as the material of the puller is much harder than the bronze material of the strut.

Below is a picture of the Paragon strut where I lightly tapped the puller to see if it would slide into place. You can see the circled gouge in the strut that even a few taps with a light hammer caused. To fit the puller properly the gouge would need to be much deeper and longer.


Instead of gouging the strut, a modification to the puller can be made to make it fit. To do this it is necessary to remove about 1-2 mm of material from the inside of the puller D opening to increase its diameter. This can be done in about 20 minutes with a Dremel tool or air grinder with a square grindstone bit.



The second problem is that the ZZ8 prop hub / shaft length is too long for the puller to comfortably fit onto the end of the prop shaft. Fitting onto the end of the shaft parallel to the prop shaft is crucial because this is how the force of the puller is transferred to the front hub of the propeller to cause it to be removed. It may be possible to angle the puller to catch just the corner of the prop shaft but hitting the puller when placed on an angle greatly increases the chances it will fracture and break as one poster has already stated. I would prefer not to ruin my $130 puller doing this. Furthermore, while this technique may have worked for some who have brand new boats, it remains to be seen if this will work after the prop has been installed for a few seasons.



To increase the length of the puller so that it fits properly it is possible to remove the cup fitting from the end of the puller bolt. This increases the length to enable the puller to fit over the end of the prop shaft however, there will be no positive engagement with the prop shaft and the puller can easily slip off when struck.

The inside diameter of the puller bolt insert hole is 17/64”. I cut off about 1.5 CM from the end of an old 17/64” drill bit using a Dremel cut-off tool to create a dowel that would lock the puller into the prop shaft dimple. After the drill bit is cut create the dimple on the bit by placing the cut bit in a drill and spin it on emery cloth or a grindstone to create a round dimple as shown.



Insert the cut drill bit into the end of the puller bolt instead of the stock end cap and check for fit. The puller bolt must fit flush on the propeller shaft while the dimple fits into the propeller shaft pilot hole. You may have to grind the length of the cut drill bit to get this just right. Once complete the modification produces a safe, positive engagement into the end of the prop shaft when the puller is under tension and also increases the length that the puller will open to easily fit on the longer Paragon prop hub /shaft.



For those of you who claim this puller fits fine as is on the 2021 G23/25, I would love to see a video of the puller being placed into position, parallel to the prop shaft with the end cap installed and without the need to hammer it in. This would prove that there are multiple strut and prop shaft combinations on the G23 / Paragon. Thanks!

[RDT-G23]

I am still waiting to hear back from ACME on an update to the 330S puller and their plans to address the 2021 G23/Paragon. However, if one is so inclined a modification to the puller can be made to make it work properly.

There are two problems preventing the puller from working as designed. The first one is: the puller does not clear the larger diameter strut on the 2021 Paragon / ZZ8 engine. The difference is a few mm so if one is fond of sledgehammer engineering it is possible to force it onto the strut. However, this will gouge the strut as the material of the puller is much harder than the bronze material of the strut.

Below is a picture of the Paragon strut where I lightly tapped the puller to see if it would slide into place. You can see the circled gouge in the strut that even a few taps with a light hammer caused. To fit the puller properly the gouge would need to be much deeper and longer.


Instead of gouging the strut, a modification to the puller can be made to make it fit. To do this it is necessary to remove about 1-2 mm of material from the inside of the puller D opening to increase its diameter. This can be done in about 20 minutes with a Dremel tool or air grinder with a square grindstone bit.



The second problem is that the ZZ8 prop hub / shaft length is too long for the puller to comfortably fit onto the end of the prop shaft. Fitting onto the end of the shaft parallel to the prop shaft is crucial because this is how the force of the puller is transferred to the front hub of the propeller to cause it to be removed. It may be possible to angle the puller to catch just the corner of the prop shaft but hitting the puller when placed on an angle greatly increases the chances it will fracture and break as one poster has already stated. I would prefer not to ruin my $130 puller doing this. Furthermore, while this technique may have worked for some who have brand new boats, it remains to be seen if this will work after the prop has been installed for a few seasons.



To increase the length of the puller so that it fits properly it is possible to remove the cup fitting from the end of the puller bolt. This increases the length to enable the puller to fit over the end of the prop shaft however, there will be no positive engagement with the prop shaft and the puller can easily slip off when struck.

The inside diameter of the puller bolt insert hole is 17/64”. I cut off about 1.5 CM from the end of an old 17/64” drill bit using a Dremel cut-off tool to create a dowel that would lock the puller into the prop shaft dimple. After the drill bit is cut create the dimple on the bit by placing the cut bit in a drill and spin it on emery cloth or a grindstone to create a round dimple as shown.



Insert the cut drill bit into the end of the puller bolt instead of the stock end cap and check for fit. The puller bolt must fit flush on the propeller shaft while the dimple fits into the propeller shaft pilot hole. You may have to grind the length of the cut drill bit to get this just right. Once complete the modification produces a safe, positive engagement into the end of the prop shaft when the puller is under tension and also increases the length that the puller will open to easily fit on the longer Paragon prop hub /shaft.



For those of you who claim this puller fits fine as is on the 2021 G23/25, I would love to see a video of the puller being placed into position, parallel to the prop shaft with the end cap installed and without the need to hammer it in. This would prove that there are multiple strut and prop shaft combinations on the G23 / Paragon. Thanks!

As usual, nice work. Maybe I should send this to ACME as a guide for theirs...

[greggmck]

Posted this in the G23 prop thread, adding here for completeness.

So according to ACME there are at two versions of the 330S. The latest version has been redesigned with a wider opening to accept the new strut on the G23 and Paragon. This puller was first sold in March of 2020. This puller can be identified with the new wave ACME logo. Below are the images of the first generation and latest version of the puller logos. ACME is currently out of stock of the new versions.

First generation older than March 2020 will not fit 2021 G23/Paragon.


Latest generation produce after March 2020.