Just a heads up to all who are using Mac's prop saver or any other brand name like it. I had only 10 hours on my Mercury 9.9 4 stroke pro kicker when it started to make a noise. I took it to a Mercury dealer and they didn't know what the sound was. I was pre fishing for a tournament and needed the kicker for trolling. The dealer said use it because it was new and warranty should cover the problem. I used it for the tournament and took it to my dealer after the tournament. They fixed the motor, the gears in the lower unit were out, they installed a new lower unit on it. They sent the old lower unit to Mercury for warranty coverage. Mercury denied the warranty due to the fact I altered the motor by putting on the prop saver. According to Mercury any time you alter your motor you void your warranty. Now I am stuck with a $1500 bill that I have to pay.
I'd fight that. The motor was not altered. You drilled a coule holes in the cavitation plate,that's it. I wonder if they consider adding a Minnkota EM trolling motor "altering" the motor?
That sounds like a load of bs. You didn't alter the motor at all. Adding a prop saver had no diverse reaction to the gears in the lower unit that would cause them to wear excessively or go out.
Here is the email that I got back from Mercury. Mr. Peters,
Thank you for the recent email regarding your 9.9 horsepower fourstroke, serial number 0R219491. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.
The results of the inspection provided by both the Mercury Marine Warranty Inspection department and the Technical Service department reveal the assistance for this particular warranty claim is denied. It was determined the aftermarket product installed on your engine’s lower unit contributed to the failure of the engine’s lower unit. The pinion and forward gears were severely stressed. The heavy load on the prop caused the gear teeth to crack and the driveshaft to bend.
Please read the terms of your limited warranty. This information can be found in the owner’s manual. This particular claim rejection falls under the category of number sixteen on the list of General Exclusions from Warranty.
16. Our limited warranty does not apply to any damage to our products caused by the installation or use of parts and accessories which are not manufactured or sold by us. Failures which are not related to the use of those parts or accessories are covered under warranty if they otherwise meet the terms of the limited warranty for that product.
We sincerely hope to receive your understanding regarding the provisions of our warranty. Below is the copy of the list of General Exclusions from Warranty:
Between us kids...that sure seems lame. And I don't care what color the motor is. A kicker does not go any faster than 5 MPH. I cannot believe for the life of me that the protector could impart such force as to do that kind of damage. The part is static, not dynamic. Meaning it does not spin, or impart an action in any way to the motor.
I would contact the manufacturer of the guard and see what they say. If they are making a living of of them, they may want to reach some common ground with motor makers, or go out of business.
Mac's prop savers
