Cotter Pin?

[musky66]

Wondering if the cotter pin holding the prop nut in place is stainless steel or just regular steel? Reason is it costs a buck to pick one up from the marina and i just found a stash of what I suspect are just steel ones in my tool box. I'm not complaining about a buck for the right cotter pin- especially if it saves my prop, but would like to use what I have if possible.

[john vail]

if your cotter pin is supose to be a shear pin, then you might want to stick with the stainless as it is a softer metal that hardened steel

[OhioFisherman]

Hardware store or nut and bolt shop should have stainless steel or possibly brass ones a lot cheaper. Cabela`s or BPS might have a boaters nut and bolt kit containing some in it?

[musky66]

Cotter pin only holds the castellated nut in place. Prop has a different system to protect her in case of impact. I guess as long as the steel one won't rust and fall off in a season I should be alright.

[vance]

On my dads boat he used a regular cotter pin for the nut and when I took it fishing one day I lost everything when the nut came off when the pin rusted thru.Those washers and nuts for the prop set me back $16 .We found the prop in 8ft of water off the dock but nearly froze diving for it.

 

vance

[aplumma]

If it fails and it is steel then you will have something to blame it on instead of knowing it was an act of god if it is stainless steel.

 

Art

[Tybo]

Most cotter pin failure is do to the pin was bent to far.

 

Yes, there is appropriate angle a cotter pin is suppose to be bent.

Ant further and you weaken the cotter pin.

[didoban]

Stainless is better but I just use the cheaper ones. Replace as necessary usually when I lube the prop shaft yearly. Mostly to hold the castlenut in place, same as your trailer hub.

[BITEME]

Your kidding right!!!

[Fisherman]

If you look at it from a technical view, you could almost hold the castle nut on a splined shaft with a wooden toothpick, reason being, the prop whether going forward or reverse cannot rotate on the splined shaft and turn the nut at the same time, physical impossibility unless your splined shaft is FUBAR. For those with a shear pin drive, different story, but again most of the directional for is forward and not against the cotter pin.