Straightening a prop shaft is a crapshoot. You could weaken the shaft further and lose your prop, as well as take quite a ride when she hooks.

Gman

Sartin Marine at Fork straightened mine. But they took it out of the housing and stuck it back in with new seals. I'm no marine mechanic, but I am a mechanical engineer. I wouldn't trust any repair shop that said they'd straighten it without removing it. You can really bust up some bearings, seals, or other components in the lower unit by not taking the time to do the job right.

Maybe if the motor was on it's last leg already it wouldn't be worth the time/expense of pulling it, but it would be a very uncommon circumstance to make me think it was ok to not pull it.

I've witnessed Perry at Service Marine straighten shafts back to within factory tolerances several times.

Sartin Marine where I would go it at lake
Fork

[s][/s]Not me.

They've done great work for me on the only two occasions I ever needed to have anything done to my old Evinrude. I wouldn't trust anybody else at this point. And they're a little cheaper than others.

If anyone can do it, Sartin can. Great guys!

Q: "Who will straighten a prop shaft while on the boat"? A: A fool. (Assuming you mean while the shaft is still in the lower unit).

A hammer, wood block, and a dial indicator.......go for it........

Nettles Props here in Austin has straightened literally hundreds without removing from the engines. Shafts almost always bend in the necked down area outside the housing. On my 2001 225 Vmax I had the same shaft straightened 3 times throughout the years. This last time I bent it so bad the boat would hardly get on plane. This time I had a new shaft put in. The bearings/internals were in great shape. A seal kit and the shaft were all that was needed.

I don't see how the shaft could be supported properly with it still in the lower unit. I would be worried about damaging something internal.

think of it this way: it was supported exactly the same way when it was bent originally.
I have been a machinist over 40 yrs. and I have straightened a few. In 15 minutes I can
get it within factory specs but I always take the time to get them to 0. I have never had
one bend back and my own motor has over 200 hours since I straightened it in the motor by the
way. So I guess I am the idiot you are all talking about. Personally I think you'll don't
know jack about metallurgy or straightening shafts.

Johnny

Tim Iselt in Conroe did mine. Cost a fraction of buying new shaft with install. 2 years and no problem. Btw, it's like anything, if a mechanic has done it a lot, they know the limits and the subtleties of doing it right without hurting your lower unit. Take it to someone who has done a bunch. Tim rebuilt my power head as well and did great work. Knows his sh$t! 832 492 5513.

Rocket scientist I should have asked your perspective first. Sitting here wondering if you are one to take yours to the shop to have plugs changed. If I was betting I would bet that you do.

Im not taking sides here but I wonder how straight something like the device in the video would get the shaft. With it out of the lowe unit you can lay if flat on a bench and roll it. You know if it any bends by watching it flop if it did. I can envision a shaft rotating true on the ends but wavy in the middle. That would be my concern. Obviously you guys that have lots of hours on one might negate that thinking but this photos shows something similar to what I'm talking about. You can imagine the ends rotating true even though the shaft obviously isn't straight.