We are having problems with our drive shaft getting hot and killing the engine. It starts with a squeal after the engine is in gear for 5-10 minutes. We ran the boat all winter without a problem, but since the water got warmer in May, it started again (it did it at Lake Texoma before we bought the boat). We have adjusted the engine mounts to see if the shaft was out of alignment, but that did not work. Also, the prop will not spin easily in neutral. We have checked the packing gland and plan to replace the packing to see if it will fix the problem. Has anyone had any experiences like this? Will I need to pull the boat and replace the drive shaft? Any information would be appreciated.
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Stuffing Box
Check your stuffing box. It may be too tight and not be letting in enough drips to keep the shaft cool. If this is the case, your shaft will be OK unless it has become scored from the friction.
Check your stuffing box. It may be too tight and not be letting in enough drips to keep the shaft cool. If this is the case, your shaft will be OK unless it has become scored from the friction.
You must inspect.
If your packing is so tight that it stopped the engine, you're stuck. I would do a haulout ASAP. New packing can't work on a scored shaft. And you have a good chance of that. As far as packing, your yard will know.
If your packing is so tight that it stopped the engine, you're stuck. I would do a haulout ASAP. New packing can't work on a scored shaft. And you have a good chance of that. As far as packing, your yard will know.
Stern tube
I had a similar problem on my previous boat. The shaft was rubbing inside the stern tube (shaft log)after "repairs". To correct it we had to first align the shaft in the tube by adjusting the prop shaft strut. Then the engine could be aligned to the shaft. The whole thing started after the yard replaced my shaft, cutlass bearing, motor mounts and engine coupler. When they were finished, I could hardly rotate the shaft by hand in neutral. They didn't think anything was wrong and had to get an independent engineering survey before they would correct the problem.
I had a similar problem on my previous boat. The shaft was rubbing inside the stern tube (shaft log)after "repairs". To correct it we had to first align the shaft in the tube by adjusting the prop shaft strut. Then the engine could be aligned to the shaft. The whole thing started after the yard replaced my shaft, cutlass bearing, motor mounts and engine coupler. When they were finished, I could hardly rotate the shaft by hand in neutral. They didn't think anything was wrong and had to get an independent engineering survey before they would correct the problem.
Where exactly is it getting hot?
That should give you a clue. You can also look and listen while under way under power. Mine was out of alignment and the vibration was amazing to see.
That should give you a clue. You can also look and listen while under way under power. Mine was out of alignment and the vibration was amazing to see.
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