Malibu Boats Response Owner's Manual

Malibu Boats Response Owner's Manual Manual pdf 101 page image

3-17Propellers• A propeller can be very sharp. Be careful when you handleit. Wear a pair of protective gloves when handling anypropeller.• Remove your key from the ignition to prevent accidentalstarting of the engine.• DO NOT reuse the nylon locknut or the cotter pin.• DO NOT use a damaged propeller. A damaged propeller candamage your engine and/or your boat.Nothing is more important to the proper performance of your boat than the condition ofthe propeller. Even slight propeller damage can mean the loss of one MPH. Greaterdamage can mean considerably more speed loss. Worse yet, damage usually is not doneto each blade uniformly and, therefore, sets up imbalanced vibrations that can causefatigue damage to other parts of the engine or drive system.Your propeller is custom calibrated for yourMalibu by our Research and Design team togive maximum performance. Beforeinstalling props other than those suggestedby Malibu contact your dealer, otherwiseadverse handling and top speedcharacteristics may be experienced.The prop is identified by two numbers, i.e.,13 x 14, and material identification such asbrass or stainless steel. The first numberis the diameter of the prop and thesecond is the pitch. The pitch is theangle of the blades and is measured in how far the boat will travel through the water inone revolution. In this case, for every one revolution the boat will travel 14 in.Do not operate engine above the manufacturer’srecommended RPM rating; severe damage could result,voiding the warranty.At least once a year, more often if you use your boat extensively, you should have yourlocal Malibu dealer inspect the propeller for any possible damage.At least once a month, if you use your boat regularly, you should check and tighten the propnut. If it is necessary to remove the prop, use care. If the prop is not removed correctly, damagecould result if it comes off the shaft too quickly and hits the ground. Whenever possible, use aprop pulling tool to remove prop, this will reduce the chance of damaging the prop.KC-2220MFigure 3-13. Propeller