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need help on how to remove the propeller shaft


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I beached my boat at the end of season last year. Destroyed the propeller, had it rebuilt and now alot of vibration and when you let go steering wheel the boat darts to the right. I am trying to get the drive shaft out to install the new one I have but man oh man I don't have a clue on how to get it out ...I don't want to pull the motor but I am stuck

thanks

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Sorry, but I think your going to have a tough time finding boat owners who have done this. As I understand it, you have to pull the coupler apart between the prop packing & the transmission, then use a puller to get the coupler off the prop shaft. And you may need to pull the engine &/or trans to make enough room to do that. And I just don't think there just aren't a lot of boat owners who have taken that project on.

Good luck. Maybe someone will chime in here soon.

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There are instructions on here somewhere...

These are the steps for most boats here. Not sure about the earlier model Euros.

Typically you'll have to drop the rudder for the shaft to clear it & remove from the boat.. If you don't have to drop your rudder, then other things (strut) are out of alignment & probably need to be looked at too.

Typically you'll need to loosen the 4 bolts holding the shaft coupler to the transmission.

Then you'll have to find a short enough wrench & right size socket to remove a larger nut that is securing the shaft to the coupler.

Then you put a smaller socket between the transmission & the unbolted driveshaft.

Use longer bolts in the coupler to transmission & slowly tighten the screws around in order to press the shaft out.

Slide the shaft out of the boat.

Put the new shaft in.

Loosen the packing & nut.

Attach the coupler & nut.

Slide it up against the transmission & align the motor. You should not be able to fit a .003 feeler gauge between the coupler & the transmission flange on any side.

This is somewhat of a black magic art to getting it right, but not as bad with a DD.

Bolt the coupler to the transmission, put the rudder back in & enjoy.

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I beached my boat at the end of season last year. Destroyed the propeller, had it rebuilt and now alot of vibration and when you let go steering wheel the boat darts to the right. I am trying to get the drive shaft out to install the new one I have but man oh man I don't have a clue on how to get it out ...I don't want to pull the motor but I am stuck

thanks

Maybe your rudder is the problem, not the prop shaft. Do you feel the vibration in the steering wheel?

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It is not that difficult. First, make sure your current shaft is actually bent, do that with a dial indicator at several points along the shaft and particularly at the prop end.

To remove the shaft:

- drop the rudder as it will be in the way for shaft removal

- remove the 4 bolts on the shaft coupler and separate coupler from trans

- remove shaft attachement nut from inner center of coupling

- re-attach coupling to trans flange to facilitate using a puller at the rear to separate shaft from coupling

- the tapered shaft and the coupling are most likely not going to just slip apart, that is why you need the puller

- remove shaft and reverse process to assemble, remember the key way in the shaft/coupler joint

- I would recommend a strut bushing replacement while the shaft is out

- grease & clean the rudder while it is out

Do a little web surfing here and other places, there are many drawings of the shaft assembly around. "Marine Hardware" has a very good site for all the running gear with a lot of detail.

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We had a summer at the shop when people were tearing out props and shafts like nobody's business, I could do a shaft replacement and alignment in under two hours that summer.

The advise given so far is spot on. Usually you need a custom fitting/socket to remove the bolt on the end of the shaft at the transmission end. Skidim sells this part I believe.

The only thing no one mentioned is you will have to repalce the strut, if the shaft is bent so is the strut.

-Chris

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I was able to use a standard socket. Good point on the strut, you can actually use the shaft as a checking fixture to determine strut alignment. When you remove the coupler, watch to see if there is tension or pressure that wants to force the coupler off to the side, up or down. It will drop a bit due to the weight of the componentry. If you do this on a trailer, make sure you put the boat on the trailer offset to one side as much as possible, this will allow the rudder to drop out and not hit the trailer rudder guard that will keep it from coming out. Alignment is a critical step of the process to have a smooth running boat.

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In a similar project myself. Replacing the shaft log at the packing nut on my dd. After you take the 4 bolts out of the coupler, How do you get the coupler to pull away from the tranny?

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mike,

i've done the shaft removal on 4 different dd's. bring it over to my place here in ann arbor and i'll help ya change it.

the last one was a mastercraft and the shaft was bent .007, you won't believe the vibration with that little of a bend.

steve

Edited by sgt1970-442
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