Stuck Prop Shaft Coupling

[CPSullivan]

Remvoing an Atomic 4 from my Bristol 29.9. Everything is disconnected and all mounting/securing nuts and bolts have been removed, including the three 9/16ths on the prop coupler.

All the videos I've seen online make it seem like the bottom half of the coupler and the prop shaft should just easily slide away from the engine but they do not do this.

We tried pulling the proppeller away from the boat and moving the engine away from the shaft but in both casese the shaft and enginer are basically acting like they are one piece. We even tried some gentle motivation with a hammer but it is being extremely stubborn.

Am I missing some securing hardware somewhere? I can't get a screw driver between the two halves of the coupler to try prying it open, the coupler is too tightly secured. Is there any tricks or steps I am missing?

As always, I appreciate the input.

[edwardc]

Try soaking the gap between the coupler halves with PBBlaster repeatedly for a day or two. It takes time to penetrate, but if corrosion is the problem, it will get it. It is vastly superior to WD40 for this purpose.

[Easy Rider]

Usually there is a set screw on the shaft side of the coupler that gets tightened into a dimple on the shaft to stop it from spinning. It's possible that if you had one on your coupler that it has rusted or broken off and is not easily visible. Try wire brushing or sanding the coupler and see if you can find evidence of one. Just a thought.

[ndutton]

A few years back I made a tool for this exact purpose. It's available for loan for the cost of round trip shipping if you're interested, if nothing else works and if I can find it. Consider that you can probably make your own for less than the shipping costs.

https://www.moyermarineforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=129274&postcount=3