Removing Prop Shaft

[kingpub]

I have been unable to get the shaft loose from the flange. I removed the bolt holding the flange and loosened the collar holding the keyway. I have removed the 3 bolts holding the prop shaft flange to the transmission flange. NO amount of pounding on the prop hub freed the shaft. The boat has been laid uo for 10 years. I tried blaster, dry ice on the shaft and heat on the coupling.

[hanleyclifford]

Several members have experienced the same issue. The key will be patience. This could take several days of soaking with PB blaster or other similar products. Some have used sharpened putty knives as wedges between flanges.

[sastanley]

shaft out!

kingpub..it is a tedious, but not difficult task. I had to press my shaft out every millimeter of the flange. Once I got the coupler halves apart, I found a socket with the same O.D. as the shaft and slowly pressed the shaft out of the aft coupler. Then I had to find a longer socket! In my case with a 1" shaft, a spark plug socket worked.

Check out my thread from this summer...I think you probably want to start about page 9 where the shaft pressing starts, but feel free to read the entire saga..it is enlightening for all!

As they did with me, all the forum members here will help you with your personal dilemma.

Good Luck.

[tenders]

This is a horrible job, for me probably the worst thing I've done on my boat. My engine has a V-drive and all of this has to take place underneath the engine where there is no room to fit or swing a ratchet. I ended up carefully placing a stack of dimes on the end of the shaft, and pressing the shaft by squeezing the engine and coupling flanges together using a set of bolts and nuts that was one size smaller than the holes in the flanges. This avoids stripping the threads in the holes of the flange. Once the flanges were together I'd take the whole thing apart, add another dime or two to the stack, and do it again--a millimeter at a time. But it can be done.

Alternatively you can just take a sawzall and cut the shaft, and press the coupling out in the comfort of your local machine shop. I did this once; my 3/4" shaft is pretty short and was not that expensive to fabricate. (Plus, the shaft was bent that time, which is what I wanted to be the other two times I did this.)

[sastanley]

tenders, good point..I ended up replacing everything from (and including) the rear main seal aft, so in hindsight, pressing each piece apart in the boat was a pain. I should have cut the shaft and yanked out the aft half of the coupler and then pressed off only the engine side of the coupler.

Good experience though!

[rigspelt]

Took me a few days of finesse and strategic pressure, millimeters at a time, using sucessively longer bolts and a nut then a socket between end of propshaft and end of driveshaft to press the coupling off the shaft. Patience, committment to a long process, resting my back and knees periodically, protecting my knuckles, ensuring nothing was damaged from undue forces from engine to propellor ... success at last. Getting that coupling off ranks as among the top ten achievements in life -- much satisfaction that I still savour as I remember it. Cleaned and checked everything after I got all the parts out of the boat intact, had the shaft inspected, and everthing is back together again.

[ArtJ]

Guys I am wondering if it is possible to safely use one of those newer
type gas torches blue can I think (hotter than propane) to heat the coupling
SAFELY making sure there is no presence of gas fumes for removal?

[ArtJ]

Guys I am wondering if it is possible to safely use one of those newer
type gas torches blue can I think (hotter than propane) to heat the coupling
SAFELY making sure there is no presence of gas fumes for removal?

On second thought, probably not a good (read safety) option!!!!

[sastanley]

Art, If all systems are working perfectly, than it should be no problem. However, an enclosed space such as a boat does introduce other limiting factors, like the inability for fumes to go anywhere. I personally shy away from using heat because things like the fuel filter & fuel lines and carb & everything is right there.

[tenders]

In addition to the incendiary risk, I've always been concerned that heating the coupling up to the point at which it would do any good would end up damaging the seal on the transmission side of the coupling as well as the shaft seal.

[hanleyclifford]

Thinking ahead (beyond the joy of separarting those coupler pieces), it is a good idea to take the time before reassembly to clean and paint (thin light spray type) the pieces including the mating surfaces. This will not materially affect the alignment and will bring earlier and easier joy in the future.

[lat 64]

Not the shaft!

Noooooo
Cut the coupling, not the shaft.

Here's a link to the thread where I have a photo of cutting the coupling.

http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3110

If you set up the sawzall to cut right down on the keyway, it will just hit the brass key. You can replace this easy. You can see there is no spare shaft length on my boat. The couplings are made of much softer material than the shaft. It cuts relatively quick.
Sorry for the drama, I'm sure you have good reasons for cutting the shaft, but I could not afford the length.

Russ

[Blue_Peter]

Hi!

I everyone. I'm new to the forum and will be posting my questions
in a few days.

But for now I have a question about this situation. Is the stuffing box still tight on the shaft?

I remember the time when I tried to take the shaft out and did not loosen it.

Michel.

[tenders]

On my boat, finding and machining a replacement 3-bolt coupling is more expensive and much more hassle than finding and replacing a straightforward 3/4" relatively short stainless shaft. There isn't room to fit a Sawzall fore-and-aft on top of the shaft/underneath the engine.

Moyer was talking about finding a source for split couplings several years ago. What happened to that idea?

http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2038

http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?p=27052

http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2041

[marthur]

I will second Russ. Zap the coupling and save the shaft (if the shaft is in good shape).

Here are a couple of ideas:

If there is no room to saw the coupling, drill a series of holes along the coupling. Drill above the key way but do not drill into it (just in case) and make the holes as close as you can. The end goal is to support the end of the shaft and split it open with a cold chisel. You might also try cutting along the holes with a dremel or making a cut with a small grinder (with a metal cutting disc).

If you split the coupling and spread it open it should come right off.

Moyer Marine sells replacement couplings. Scroll along this page:http://www.moyermarine.com/cgi-bin/s...rebuilder.html