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Shaft Coupler


boomerman83

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Can anyone tell me if water passes through the shaft coupler? I have water leaking from it. And if so is there a seal or how hard it is to replace and where I can find replacement parts. Thanks.

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martinarcher

Can anyone tell me if water passes through the shaft coupler? I have water leaking from it. And if so is there a seal or how hard it is to replace and where I can find replacement parts. Thanks.

I think you might be talking about the packing nut, not the coupler. The drive shaft coupling is the black pieces (right side of pic) in the pic below that connects the driveshaft that goes through the bottom of the boat to the coupling on the tranny or v-drive unit. The packing nut (left side of the pic) is the bronze colored nut. Inside it is wax rope that is compressed by the nut to create a water lubricated seal around the driveshaft as it rotates in the housing.

If you packing nut is dripping excessively tighten the packing nut a little at a time while on the water until you get about a drop every 5-10 seconds. You do want a drop every 5-10 seconds to lubricate and cool the packing.

Good luck and let us know if you need any more help.

Welcome to the Crew.

DSC02283.jpg

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I think you might be talking about the packing nut, not the coupler. The drive shaft coupling is the black pieces (right side of pic) in the pic below that connects the driveshaft that goes through the bottom of the boat to the coupling on the tranny or v-drive unit. The packing nut (left side of the pic) is the bronze colored nut. Inside it is wax rope that is compressed by the nut to create a water lubricated seal around the driveshaft as it rotates in the housing.

If you packing nut is dripping excessively tighten the packing nut a little at a time while on the water until you get about a drop every 5-10 seconds. You do want a drop every 5-10 seconds to lubricate and cool the packing.

Good luck and let us know if you need any more help.

Welcome to the Crew.

DSC02283.jpg

I have water leaking where the drive shaft goes into the coupler not out of the packing nut.

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martinarcher

I have water leaking where the drive shaft goes into the coupler not out of the packing nut.

Someone else might have to help on this one. I'm at a loss because there's no water in my coupling at all. The driveshaft is a solid piece of steel so there's no water inside the shaft. Could it be water running off the tranny, down the shaft and off the coupling from a leak on the rear of the engine somehow?

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martinarcher

martin clean your bilge for crying out loud!

Haha - that was during the tranny rear seal replacement. The blower hose got caught in the coupling and reeled in about 20 feet of the stainless wire coiled inside. It tore the seal open and tranny fluid went into the bilge (that's what you see there). I replaced the seal and it's been sweet ever since. I can tell you the blower hose is much better managed now. LOL.gif

Oh yeah....the bilge is much cleaner now too. LOL.gif

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  • 5 weeks later...

Haha - that was during the tranny rear seal replacement. The blower hose got caught in the coupling and reeled in about 20 feet of the stainless wire coiled inside. It tore the seal open and tranny fluid went into the bilge (that's what you see there). I replaced the seal and it's been sweet ever since. I can tell you the blower hose is much better managed now. LOL.gif

Oh yeah....the bilge is much cleaner now too. LOL.gif

Martin, That very thing just happened to my boat. How much trouble was the fix and what is the procedure, if you don't mind. Any other advice is welcome also.

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Martin, That very thing just happened to my boat. How much trouble was the fix and what is the procedure, if you don't mind. Any other advice is welcome also.

Not too bad, but you'll have to rock the motor forward on the front mounts.

1. Cut all that stupid wire out from around the shaft. Grr.

2. Separate the coupling (4 bolts).

3. Take the top nuts off the rear motor mounts, and loosed the front mounts. Do not touch the bottom nuts that the motor is resting on.

4. Disconnect the exhaust tubes at the exhaust manifold (couple pipe clamps per tube and some pulling).

5. Disconnect the tranny hydraulic line that is right above the shaft exit point.

6. Jack up the rear of the engine until you can remove the tranny seal/ shaft plate. I used an 8 foot 6X6 and spanned 4 rafters in the garage. I then used a couple nylon tow straps and a come-a-long to make a sling that I wrapped around the bottom of the tranny.

7. Remove the tranny drive shaft coupling. I made a tool (previously used for removing cam shaft gears) out of steel stock and a few bolts that allowed be to hold the tranny coupling still while I removed the nut that hold it on.

8. After the coupling is free, set it aside and then remove the rear tranny plate/drive shaft seal.

9. Press the old seal out and press a new seal in. I used a block of wood and the drill press to make sure everything was pressed in nice and square.

10. Assembly is reverse of disassembly. Just be sure after you are done, and are routing the new blower hose to secure the stupid thing well. LOL.gif Also make sure when re-assembling the coupling that the motor is still aligned properly. If you don't touch the mount perches and only loosen the top nets when rocking the engine forward you should be good to go, but just double check it as it goes back together.

Here's some pics....

What a mess....

DSC02279.jpg

Blower tubing wire after I cut it all off the shaft Mad.gif....

DSC02290.jpg

Coupling separated....

DSC02292.jpg

Coupling off with pic of homemade removal tool.

DSC02294.jpg

Seal/tranny plate off....

DSC02293.jpg

Poorman's/Redneck engine hoist...

DSC02297.jpg

Old seal....

DSC02295.jpg

Edited by martinarcher
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Wow, man. Thanks for all that. I thought I was gonna have to pull the shaft out a little. So no oil is going to come out when I take that final plate off? Can I get a seal from Autozone or somewhere or is there a particular type of marine one I need to order?

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Wow, man. Thanks for all that. I thought I was gonna have to pull the shaft out a little. So no oil is going to come out when I take that final plate off? Can I get a seal from Autozone or somewhere or is there a particular type of marine one I need to order?

No problem. I took those pics when i did the job hoping they might help someone else out. Glad the will! That's what the crew is all about.

I actually changed the tranny fluid at the same time. I drained it with a vacuum fluid pump and then pulled the plate. I doubt much fluid would come out if you left the tranny full, but while your at it it's a good time to change the fluid.

The seal isn't available locally unless you have a marina that could order it for you. It is for a Borg Warner 71C tranny.

Here's where I got mine. Hard to beat the price. LOL.gif

http://bpi.ebasicpow...ode=eBasicPower

Just make sure the seal diameter matches your seal. I think there are two styles, one that is 3 1/4" for late models trannies and one that's 2 11/16" for early models.

Edited by martinarcher
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OK, Martin, I can't get the coupler apart. I noticed your rear coupler piece has a set screw or two with bolt heads on it. Mine has an allen head recessed set screw and I'm wondering does it need to be removed first.

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OK, Martin, I can't get the coupler apart. I noticed your rear coupler piece has a set screw or two with bolt heads on it. Mine has an allen head recessed set screw and I'm wondering does it need to be removed first.

Nope, those should have stayed in on mine. I took those bolts out and started trying to pull the coupling off the actual drive shaft and then realized that thankfully I didn't need to do that, but instead just separate the couplings. If I remember right mine was a bit stubborn and took a couple whacks with a rubber mallet/wood block and hammer from the side. Rust seems to form on the mating surfaces that keeps them together. I know I hit mine with some penetrating fluid too to help get them separated.

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Thanks again. Left the set screw in and tugged and tapped on the coupling... Nothing!! Then my son went around the back and pulled and twisted the prop and shaft...Voila... it easily separated. Had a bit of trouble with the big locking nut, even after making a tool like yours, but eventually with brute force she loosened for me. Now waiting on new gore packing and a new rear seal. Changing the tranny fluid and hope to be on the lake or river this weekend.

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Thanks again. Left the set screw in and tugged and tapped on the coupling... Nothing!! Then my son went around the back and pulled and twisted the prop and shaft...Voila... it easily separated. Had a bit of trouble with the big locking nut, even after making a tool like yours, but eventually with brute force she loosened for me. Now waiting on new gore packing and a new rear seal. Changing the tranny fluid and hope to be on the lake or river this weekend.

Sweet. Glad to hear you got it all torn down. I always hate waiting for parts to show up after you get that far. LOL.gif

That nut is a tough one to get loose, but I'm glad it all went well. Sounds like you'll be back otu this weekend as long as the seal makes it in time. Clap.gif

Good man changing the tranny fluid. After doing this much work on it it just makes sense!

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