TOPIC: A horse shoe nail

So, there I was, tearing apart the 115 rude that was on the predictor.
My intent was / is / maybe to sell off parts and keep a few bucks flowing in.
Now when I bought the boat, the story was, a couple of owners ago,
took the boat out for a spin.
The motor overheated and they limped her back to the dock.
Two scored cylinders later and a lack of interest, brought a crack to the lower unit.
Bummer there,
but I digress.
I assumed the prior owner had failed to do the necessary routine, maintenance:
install a new impeller.
I was shocked when I pulled the cap off the impeller housing to find what looked like a brand new impeller! WTH!
Funny thing tho, as I spun the drive-shaft I noticed the impeller did not move. It just sat there.
Once I pried the impeller out of the housing I could not believe my eyes.
The drive key was missing!!!

To bad I never met the owner to whom this unfortunate calamity befell.
Would like to know.
Did you do that?
Or did you pay good money to have someone do that?
The whole thing reminded me of that ole scenario of how the war was lost due to the lack of a horse shoe nail.

lar

I borrowed a boat one day to head onto Lake Superior out of Thunder Bay. No sooner did we get out past the breakwall when I heard 'zzziiiiiiinnnnng' as the rpm shot up.

Lifted the motor to find us propless, nothing but a bare prop shaft and without appropriate rowing devices. A short piece of wooden baseboard was all we had to row back to shore with. We got there, eventually.

Seems the owner of the boat used a common nail as a shear pin on that old OMC. Sheared it did.

Many morals to this story.

I've sold more than one new prop & prop hardware due to non stainless cotter pins being used.