I broke two gear pullers trying to remove my three bladed prop that's been on the shaft since new. Heat from a torch did nothing to loosen it and neither did various penetrating fluids, or sharp hammer taps. After 13 years and a thousand engine hours, the prop was firmly attached and the cutlass bearing needed replacement. I suppose a real prop removing tool (based on a "C clamp" design) would have been smarter than gear pullers, but their was a line cutter on the shaft between the prop and strut limiting the placement for such a tool. My solution was to hire an expert boat mechanic. He too struggled but had a more effective vocabulary than I. Now that the prop is off (and bearing replaced), what suggestions are there to better facilitate future propellor removal? I thought about teflon tape on the tapered shaft but then thought again. I have a tube of Mercury prop shaft grease from my outboard. I've pulled that prop twice over it's 15 year life- but its a spline fit, not tapered fit, so I question if the grease helped at all. Anyone have thoughts or should I just hope the mechanic is available 5-10 years from now? Also, I'm thinking of leaving the line cutter off- it was just a 4-5 inch razor disk that seemed like it would be no match for a lobster trap. That way, a good prop tool could be used in the future. Any thoughts on line cutters?