Shaft too long in coupling ?

[Surcouf]

Good afternoon,

Trying to install my A4 back in the Catalina where it belongs, removed 6 months ago and partially overhauled.

After a first rough alignement with shaft mid-position, I tried to «*stick*» the coupling to the flange, but they stay around 0.050 of an inch appart.

So 2 things to know:
- I discovered while trying to understand the issue that I install the nut reversed... shame on me, see picture below. But when pushing my fingers inside the coupling, I do not believe that this is actually preventing the coupling to come in proper contact with the flange.
- the coupling is «*frozen*» on the shaft, the square screw that fixed it is completely rounded by the PO and by me when we tried to back the coupling to remove the engine last fall ((We finally pushed the shaft back a little)).

I suspect that the prop shaft is in fact not recessed enough in the coupling and touches the engine threaded shaft before the coupling touches the flange. This would mean that I re-installed the output coupling 0.05 inch deeper... possible?
My plan of Memorial Day sailing are in the drain...
Only solution I see for now is to pull the engine from engine bay (f*%##%)), and either try to pull the coupling a little with heat and an extractor, or worst case, to cut it and install a new one.

Any advice / idea??
Thank you

Nothing will have been easy with that whole work... I like to learn, but I would like things to go my way for once!!

[Al Schober]

Well, you can work on loosening the coupling from the shaft. But that could easily become an 'infinite' job.
To define the job better, I would plan on cutting off the old coupling and replacing it. I think I'd go with Moyers split coupling.

https://moyermarine.com/product/direct-drive-prop-shaft-coupling-with-split-hub-78-inch-orev_14-1_542-2/

[Marian Claire]

I may be missing something but what would be wrong with placing a "spacer" between the couplings? A thin washer on each bolt??? I know it is not perfect but maybe usable.
Dan
S/V Marian Claire

[Ando]

As for the stripped bolt, there are special socketS made to remove rounded bolt heads.

I know that the block still has room to move if the engine mounts are loose enough. Maybe you could push the motor back a bit to give you room to grip and pull the shaft towards the motor a bit?

Almost there...literally 0.05 to go!?!?

[Surcouf]

So... I went the ugly way... the cheap way? The lazy way? I took my metal file and ate those 0.05 on the engine shaft side. And slowly I was able to «*close the gap*» between the couplings (prop shaft coupling (the frozen one), and engine coupling flange). I also «*plied back*» just in case the 2 tabs of the nut locking washers that I had not used.

And it seems to work. We will see tomorrow again if alignement is good.

Next question for you guys: out of the 4 engine mount, I have 8 screws fixing them into the boat structure. One of those 8 screws (bolts?) seems to be «*freely turning*», without biting into the wood beam below the fiberglas. What is the solution here? Fill the hole with small pieces of wood and try to screw same size bolt again?

[ronstory]

Remove the bolt and carefully fill with thicken resin or epoxy and let set and dry. Then drill out a hole so it is sized for the bolt minus the threads and then install the bolt.

If it is too tight, just drill it a touch bigger but you want it on the tighter side.

[Surcouf]

Remove the bolt and carefully fill with thicken resin or epoxy and let set and dry. Then drill out a hole so it is sized for the bolt minus the threads and then install the bolt.

If it is too tight, just drill it a touch bigger but you want it on the tighter side.

Thank you ! This will be my next step. For now I when with a 1 inch longer bolt, after drilling one inch more (this is in the very thick part of the support, so no chance to get into sea water .

[ronstory]

Happy to help. If you can find a long q-tip it work really to just coat the sides and you don't need to fully fill it. This allows it dry faster.

I'm sure there are some used nasal swabs in your area that would work well.

Just make sure it's cured before you put the bolt in... or the epoxy will bond to the screw and good luck removing it. Not to mention you it's not yet at full strength and you might pull the new threads out. Yes, I've done that before.

Also, if you are in a hurry, you can put the thinnest coating for synthetic grease on the bolt and you be able to remove it. Just don't use a petroleum based grease, it can interact with the epoxy/resin.