My boat did some odd stuff on the weekend.
 

Spent a great weekend in the ocean but my 271 did some stuff it hasn't done before.

On Saturday, after cruising at 1500 rpm fpr a while, I gave it some throttle to get up on plane and it reved up and started to accelerate then it felt like it came out of gear or like automatic tranny slipping, rpm 's shot up and no
forward motion. It did that twice. I thought I might have blown out the prop, I was trimmed just below half on the gauge.

On Sunday, again after cruising for awhile, I could feel a vibration in the hull and it felt like it was laboring to pull rpm, then it slipped again. I was at 3/4 trim so I know I didn't blow out the prop.

I stopped and checked fluids, the prop, gauges all ok.

Worked ok after that but didn't feel right.

Anyway, got it home on the trailer and notice one prop blade folded over on the tip.
I have had way worst blade damage before without any of the above systems. I haven't taken it off yet to check the splines but they seem ok just turning the props.

Any ideas, will the coupler cause those systems,
the drive.

It's a 502/ bravo 3

My guess would be the coupler on the back of the engine on its way out!!!!!!!

How does the coupler work ?
Is it like a clutch or a solid connection.
Could it feel like it was binding up?
Everything was out of this hull last winter to repair the steering swivel seal and replace a broken transom plate.

You would expect they would inspect that stuff, not to say
there was anything wrong with it at the time.

I did have time to pull the props, all is well, splines ok, every thing tight and no indiction of slippage.

Sounds to me like ya hit something with the prop and damaged the coupler, it wont be long before it is gone.

Same questions,
how does it work, clutch, solid , fluid?

can it bind up

coupler
 

No it can't bind up just will start to slip all the time and you won;t move,and it will stink like burnt rubber.It is just a rubber coupling. . Down side is you have to pull motor to fix.JOHN SR

I wouldn't call it the coupler until I checked the hub on the prop. You obviously hit something to ding that prop...my guess is the rubber do-nut in the prop is just about to let go. Pull it and take it to a prop shop to do the bent blade...have them check the hub at the same time. My money is on the hub.

I just had a prop in my hand and there is no rubber in it.
Solid stainless.

Any way to check. It is dark out now so I can't look.

Could I chauk both sides out the coupler and see if the reference lines move the next time I'm in the water.

Coupler doesn't explain the binding, vibration.

The engine felt like my old 454 did when the exh manifold leaked and filled the c/case with water and the bearings were getting fried.
Felt like the engine was trying to overcome a huge resistance.
There is now water in my oil.

Sounds like you have a few things going on at the same time because some of the symptoms don't go together.

Maybe a shift cable is badly out of adjustment for the kick out of gear feel.


Coupler is a pressed rubber ring around the splines holding the drive shaft bolted to the flywheel. Marking could work if you can get to it. Mark the spline collar and the metal outside of the coupler to see if the lines move.