Shaft removal

B

Brandon Latif

New Member
Nov 17, 2020
11
Boat Info
2003 searay 340 Sundancer
Engines
8.1 horizon
Hi guys, I recently purchased a 95 330 v-drives 7.4 carbs. I have to pull it out of the water and replace the starboard shaft. I have never done this job before but I have done just about everything else on them. Any help on actually removing the shaft from the flange would be greatly appreciated.
 
Brandon Latif said:
Hi guys, I recently purchased a 95 330 v-drives 7.4 carbs. I have to pull it out of the water and replace the starboard shaft. I have never done this job before but I have done just about everything else on them. Any help on actually removing the shaft from the flange would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

how much room between the vdrive coupler and the forward engine room bulkhead? Best case you can get a puller on the flange and get some harmonics going to break it loose.

I had to borrow a slide hammer from autozone and one slide released the shaft on my 410 this fall. I didn’t love having to take the one hit against the transmission flange, but it was the only remaining option. It didn’t take much force and came right out after that. I attached it to the prop end of the shaft
 
We could not get shaft out of flange and did not want to chance damaging transmission so slid flange and shaft forward and cut shaft behind flange with sawzall. Don’t buy the cheap blades! Had to replace shaft anyway.
 
+1 for cutting the shaft if you are replacing it anyway.

Do you know if you have a tapered end for the coupler (easier to remove) or if yours is straight (interference fit). There are a few removal tools out there, if you have the room to fit them in place.

374917B3-74FD-4A23-A18D-DCB1332F011F.jpeg

https://propshopinc.com/amp/coupler-flange-puller-removal-tool/
 
I posted a pic of the shaft. How does that shaft not fall out?
 

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It should be an interference fit, where you cannot easily remove (or assemble) the coupler onto the shaft. Depending on the fit (and what you read), it requires tapping the coupler onto the shaft, or heating the coupler (and/or perhaps cooling the shaft), to allow the pieces to fit. In all of these cases, the shaft is just a tad larger than the opening in the coupler -- which prevents the two from simply fitting together - or falling apart. Search interference fit and you'll see lots of information. The process for prepping these two parts is called - fitting and facing -- which makes sure that each piece is sized properly to ensure sufficient holding power, and the resulting coupler face is square with the shaft. If you have a solid coupler, most recommend replacing, rather than reusing. They make split couplers now, which make it easier to install/remove in the future.

As a point of reference, to remove mine (non v-drive, but generally the same), I made a tool (similar to what I posted above), and it took significant force (and time) to press the coupler off.

Guessing that you were able to very easily remove the coupler? I was going to say that most of the time your in FWD, which pushes the prop/shaft into the coupler, which would worst case bottom out against the trans flange - however - given you have a v-drive, does your coupler have a closed end -- or would the shaft continue moving forward? I've only seen pics of tapered shafts on v-drives. Seems like the set screws would be the only thing holding it in place, unless the key would start to bind up between the shaft/coupler. Whats the coupler look like?

Given you are getting a new shaft, you should get a new coupler, and have them fitted and faced. Also a great time to check the cutlass bearing, and your stuffing box (packing, dripless, etc).
 
markrsimon said:
It should be an interference fit, where you cannot easily remove (or assemble) the coupler onto the shaft. Depending on the fit (and what you read), it requires tapping the coupler onto the shaft, or heating the coupler (and/or perhaps cooling the shaft), to allow the pieces to fit. In all of these cases, the shaft is just a tad larger than the opening in the coupler -- which prevents the two from simply fitting together - or falling apart. Search interference fit and you'll see lots of information. The process for prepping these two parts is called - fitting and facing -- which makes sure that each piece is sized properly to ensure sufficient holding power, and the resulting coupler face is square with the shaft. If you have a solid coupler, most recommend replacing, rather than reusing. They make split couplers now, which make it easier to install/remove in the future.

As a point of reference, to remove mine (non v-drive, but generally the same), I made a tool (similar to what I posted above), and it took significant force (and time) to press the coupler off.

Guessing that you were able to very easily remove the coupler? I was going to say that most of the time your in FWD, which pushes the prop/shaft into the coupler, which would worst case bottom out against the trans flange - however - given you have a v-drive, does your coupler have a closed end -- or would the shaft continue moving forward? I've only seen pics of tapered shafts on v-drives. Seems like the set screws would be the only thing holding it in place, unless the key would start to bind up between the shaft/coupler. Whats the coupler look like?

Given you are getting a new shaft, you should get a new coupler, and have them fitted and faced. Also a great time to check the cutlass bearing, and your stuffing box (packing, dripless, etc).
Click to expand...


So after doing some thinking, I am just going to cut it and get a new coupler. As far as the seals go i have dripless seals but of course they leak. so I am going to try to track the stuffing box ones down. The hardest thing is to have all these parts in hand before I pull it out of the water.
 
Brandon Latif said:
So after doing some thinking, I am just going to cut it and get a new coupler. As far as the seals go i have dripless seals but of course they leak. so I am going to try to track the stuffing box ones down. The hardest thing is to have all these parts in hand before I pull it out of the water.
Click to expand...

Don't bother with stuffing boxes. Replace the dripless seals and check your cutlass bearings for play.
 
Brandon Latif said:
Hi guys, I recently purchased a 95 330 v-drives 7.4 carbs. I have to pull it out of the water and replace the starboard shaft. I have never done this job before but I have done just about everything else on them. Any help on actually removing the shaft from the flange would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
U will have 2 remove your rudders 2 get your prop shafts out.
 
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