A month ago I put a Jack Foreman prop on my Suzuki 60, which required me to shave down my trim tab anode a bit. A few trips ago I felt a thump while on plane and once I got back to the ramp I noticed that the anode was gone, leaving a sheared off stainless steel bolt.
I have run the skiff a few times after this and definitely feel some torque steer, but my main concern is corrosion.
I have tried to remove the sheared bolt by drilling a pilot hole and using a screw extractor but I think the SS bolt is too hard for this to work. My next step would be finding a welder to tack weld something onto the sheared bolt to gain some leverage and eventually extract the bolt so I can put a new anode in.
Should I be concerned about corrosion over time and eventually get to it, say, “f it” and roll with it as is or should I be calling a welder ASAP?
If you decide to do something, do it now rather than later. The bolt could get fused in there in time and you’ll never get it out. FWIW , I ditched the trim anode on my old Tohatsu 60 and had to really cut the one on my Tohatsu 30 way down.
Foreman props are made to run high on a jack plate and partially out of the water, so they are larger and have much more cup than standard props. I’ve ran them for over 16 years across three boats - never had to get one rebuilt and I run across a lot of sand.
Once you get the bolt out replace it and get another anode. If it’s a tiller you need either the anode set correctly to counter prop torque or cut it flush and get a good compression plate and it will help counter the prop torque when running the jackplate lower.
What Smack said, and to add a bit more. If TQ steer is still an issue, Bobs TQ tamer helps mitigate it as well. Problem I have is my tab isn’t in the water, so it doesn’t do much. I put the tamer on, and it didn’t completely eliminate the TQ steer, but did lessen it.
Okay thanks everyone for the advice. I guess I’ll find some time off the water and get a welder or something to help me get this dang bolt out, then put a new tab in once I trim it down. I’ll manage the torque in the meantime and keep an eye on corrosion.