Prop question (stopper and/or spacer)?

[tboydva]

Haven't checked in here for a while (the newness has faded after a while). I have a '13 DF60A and have been overpropped (16 pitch) and even though it "feels right" RPM-wise, by all accounts I should have a 13-14 pitch prop and run at higher RPM (5,500 "feels" right to me but I should be closer to 6,000). This is my first 4 stroke.

Anyway, I was thinking of buying a used prop (to see how I liked it) and put various applicable stock numbers in stored eBay searches. According to the Suzuki literature, a 990C0-00501-13P stainless prop is recommended for the DF60A. Saw one at a very low price (new, open box) and decided to bid. Won it and went to install this weekend. However, I noted that the prop "barrel length" is longer than my aluminum prop? When installed, the splines are just barely visible and I don't think the spacer will "grip" them properly... So, is the stopper (goes on before the prop) available in different thicknesses? I got a prop hardware kit: 57630-94300, but it looks the same... Maybe my DF60A is newer than the literature?

Any recommendations - I don't want to foul things up by wearing down the splines...

[seaox230c]

If ANY bit of spline sticks up past the end of the prop then install the spacer and tighten to the proper torque. There is no rotational torque on the spacer so there is no differential movement..nothing will wear..a picture of how your prop sits on the shaft would have been more useful

[tboydva]

SeaOx - standby, will take some pictures. Yes - that would have made it more clear. There is a little sticking out - so perhaps a proper torque will seat it adequately. I thought perhaps there were different thickness spacers available, but can't seem to find ones in a parts breakdown (but perhaps they are ones not typically purchased with the DF60A). According to the prop guide, the one I have should fit....

[seaox230c]

The part that goes in front of the prop is called the thrust washer..there are usually 3 styles stock which has a narrow dia raised lip on the prop side...these usually fit props with pressed in rubber hubs...then there are universal types which fit almost all props that are hollow and have a mercury or michigan wheel flo-torq hubs...these have the square plastic inserts that just drop into the props with square cutouts hubs...these lips have a larger diameter than the stock ones, and finally the OMC style props and hubs that have a larger raised lip than the merc thrust washers but are similar otherwise...All the thickness of these thrust washers are similar...Almost any prop will fit any engine with the correct thrust washer and combination of aft spacers and washers...All spline shafts, at least on the 150's and up are the same on the 2 strokes between every engine except the volvo drives 15 spline-same dia so almost every prop made will fit with a little bit of tinkering. The shafts with a cotter pin are easier to manipulate than the ones that take the plastic locknut and bendable locktabs

[tboydva]

OK - was on work travel for several weeks - and just got back on this today... So, took the old prop off and did some measurements. All the dimensions looked exactly the same (inner diameters, hub length, etc). I noticed a little casting "defect" on the inner part of the hub (at the inner part of the hub). A dremel tool and a little grinding of the casting line (smoothed) and the prop fit perfectly! Very strange - but perhaps that's why the prop was so inexpensive! Trying it out on Monday. Thanks for the replies - probably should have figured this out on my own, but I've always had aluminum props so I thought perhaps it was a stainless thing...