So I found out last week that I have to remove the shaft from the coupling to replace the shaft seal before I can launch.
The shaft is such a bear to press out of the coupling that years ago, wanting never to do it again, I acquired a secondhand but unused split coupling from a guy on a different board who replaced his engine. I’d assumed it was a Moyer split coupling....but now after many years in storage I see that it isn’t. The necessary V-drive three-hole pattern is present, but the flange face is larger than the engine’s flange face, and the holes are too far out. Proximate, but no reward of a tobacco-laden vessel.
* Should I take this flange to a machine shop and have them redrill proper holes and remove some metal from the neck of the coupling to leave room for the installation of the necessary bolts? The holes can of course be drilled between the current holes.
* Or should I bite the bullet on the drop-in Moyer replacement? ($175).
Blue = one of my collection of old standard couplings (the current one is still installed on the shaft);
Universal orange-brown impostor = my carefully-hoarded intended replacement that now needs machining were I into install it
Backstory: A stupid self inflicted off-season fuel spill dissolved the bellows of my old and detested Lasdrop Shaft Seal, which I’ve never liked. It was installed in 1995, had to be removed and reinstalled in 2001 to replace the Cutless bearing, and was replaced in 2008 when a fuel leak from the rusting old tank got to it.
It has been no drier than a packing gland, but is WAY more work to service since the shaft must be pressed out of the engine coupler while working under the V-Drive. This is the worst and least-rewarding job to do on my boat.
So it’s back to the old-school packing gland plus new graphite/goretex/Teflon packing.
The shaft is such a bear to press out of the coupling that years ago, wanting never to do it again, I acquired a secondhand but unused split coupling from a guy on a different board who replaced his engine. I’d assumed it was a Moyer split coupling....but now after many years in storage I see that it isn’t. The necessary V-drive three-hole pattern is present, but the flange face is larger than the engine’s flange face, and the holes are too far out. Proximate, but no reward of a tobacco-laden vessel.
* Should I take this flange to a machine shop and have them redrill proper holes and remove some metal from the neck of the coupling to leave room for the installation of the necessary bolts? The holes can of course be drilled between the current holes.
* Or should I bite the bullet on the drop-in Moyer replacement? ($175).
Blue = one of my collection of old standard couplings (the current one is still installed on the shaft);
Universal orange-brown impostor = my carefully-hoarded intended replacement that now needs machining were I into install it
Backstory: A stupid self inflicted off-season fuel spill dissolved the bellows of my old and detested Lasdrop Shaft Seal, which I’ve never liked. It was installed in 1995, had to be removed and reinstalled in 2001 to replace the Cutless bearing, and was replaced in 2008 when a fuel leak from the rusting old tank got to it.
It has been no drier than a packing gland, but is WAY more work to service since the shaft must be pressed out of the engine coupler while working under the V-Drive. This is the worst and least-rewarding job to do on my boat.
So it’s back to the old-school packing gland plus new graphite/goretex/Teflon packing.
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