How to tighten strut on 1993 Ski Nautique Closed Bow

[jimmylee1000]

I was doing some checking on my "new" boat today. The bolts holding the strut for the impeller shaft are loose. I got under the boat and tried to tighten them but they just spin and spin. My guess is that there is a nut on the other side that is spinning as I turn the bolt. Anyone know how I can tighten these babies? How can I get to the bolts on the other side without removing the floor or engine?

How 'bout it Wakeslayer? Anyone?

[DanielC]

I am guessing you really mean the propeller shaft strut. Impellers are in water pumps, and definitely not under the boat.

There are nuts on the other end of the screws that hold the shaft strut on the boat.

You are probably going to have to pull the floorboard.
It is really not that difficult. It is fairly common to have to access this area of the boat to service things, and you do not have any built in ballast tanks in the way.

My boat is a 1997 Ski Nautique, and this is how I would do it on my boat.
Remove the back seat. On my boat, the seat back just lifts straight up. the seat base is held in with two pins, one on each side, remove them, and the seat base come out.
Remove the motor box. Pop off one end of two gas struts that hold it open, and pull the two pins at the back hinge that go through the floor board.
Remove the gas tank cover from the back of the boat. It just pulls out from the bottom, and slips out of a groove at the top.
lift the back of the floorboard. It is just held there by the tight fit, and friction of the carpet on the edges.
This will open up the entire back of the bilge behind the motor, and it will probably be very dirty, oily, and full of gunk. I would get some detergent, Simple Green, or some Super Clean, and a pressure washer, and clean this area, or you probably will get some of the bilge gunk in your boat carpet.
You can now reach possibly under the gas tank, and get to the nuts on the strut screws.
If you put the box end of a wrench on the nut, and position the wrench against something, you can go under the boat, and using a large, correctly sized screwdriver, tighten the screws. When you cannot turn the screwdriver anymore, you can usually finish the tightening by turning the nut, the taper on the head of the screw holds it from turning most of the time. If the screw continues to turn, you will have to get somebody under the boat to hold the screw from turning.

[jimmylee1000]

Well, I did this today. What fun. I was able to tighten 3 of the 4 bolts holding the propeller strut. But one would not budge. I had a big guy underneath with a flat head screwdriver and I was on top with an impact wrench and it would not tighten. I finally got it to loosen. So I removed the nut and replaced it with a different one, and away we went. It had some buggered threads for sure. I went back on with some anti-seize so that I can remove it if ever needed.

While under there, I hit the steering mechanism with some grease (there is a grease fitting under there), and adjusted my packing per the owners manual.

Fun Fun Fun. Is it time to boat yet?

[93nautique0710]

Well, I did this today. What fun. I was able to tighten 3 of the 4 bolts holding the propeller strut. But one would not budge. I had a big guy underneath with a flat head screwdriver and I was on top with an impact wrench and it would not tighten. I finally got it to loosen. So I removed the nut and replaced it with a different one, and away we went. It had some buggered threads for sure. I went back on with some anti-seize so that I can remove it if ever needed.

While under there, I hit the steering mechanism with some grease (there is a grease fitting under there), and adjusted my packing per the owners manual.

Fun Fun Fun. Is it time to boat yet?

i hope u put 3m 5200 on the bolts or your probally goin to leak

[jimmylee1000]

i hope u put 3m 5200 on the bolts or your probally goin to leak

I used black RTV up in the bolt hole. I can't imagine it leaking into the bilge that way.