302/322 shaft removal

[Tally Ho]

Greg, Thank you for the great video work you are doing. It certainly will help others. Since you are making what should be the definitive how-to for shaft removal for the 322, I thought I would add a bit since there are many alternative methods.
This is not intended as a "you should have done that" post because your logic is was fine and many would have done the same. First off I would never be afraid of dropping the rudder. People have dug holes , raised the boat using boat stands, not always necessary to use a lift. Getting familiar with the steering gear while the boat is on the hard is much better than a stormy day. Making the decision to replace the shaft before work starts (bend shaft, too much wear around the stuffing box, adding a PSS shaft seal) can save you days of work but this sounds like my third grade teacher telling me to look up the spelling of a word that I don't know how to spell. Cutting the shaft will allow you to press the prop and the coupling flange out using a press at your local shop. The cutlass bearing can be cut and removed in minutes with the shaft removed. http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/replacing_a_cutlass
Don't use a slide hammer to separate the coupling flange from the shaft while it is attached to the transmission unless your next project is to replace the transmission.
Greg, Did you happen to notice the alignment of the two flanges when you unbolted the couplings? The cracks in the shaft might indicate big alignment issues possibly due to a bad engine mount.

I look forward to more posts.

Thanks Panta.
My concern over dropping the rudder is mainly due to the fact that 1) I am sitting on an asphalt drive parking lot (no hole digging) and 2) I am buried a few boats back in the yard, so the yard guys would not be able to get me into a lift until they start moving boats around in May. I also wanted to avoid having to do it because I have no idea what has to be disconnected to do it. I do agree that learning is important, and I will spend some time looking over the steering gear this spring to see what I can learn about it. The first year I had the boat, I could not even pull the prop. Now I pulled the prop, pressed out the cutlass bearing and removed the shaft anode in about 1/2 an hour. I am still learning, and certainly don't take offense to your suggestions ;-)

As far as noticing the alignment between the flanges...no, not really. They looked pretty much in alignment, but as I noted in the video, 1 of the 4 flange bolts was completely out of the flange and laying in the bilge. How much "flex" that could have put on the shaft or how long it had been like that, I hate to say I do not know.

I don't get much vibration in the engine mounts when the engine is running, and I have not noticed much movement in the shaft when I inspected it while underway last year. I have owned Tally Ho for a few years, and don't know how well the PO's took care of her systems.

Greg

 

[the_alpine]

I got the cutless replaced without pulling the shaft.

Also spent an hour or two realigning the shaft/coupling after replacing the forward motor mounts. I never thought my boat had vibrations before, but DAMN she is really smooth now. I can instantly feel the power with every rpm change.