I can't remove the prop shaft from my 1994, 29.5. I have removed the two set screws in the coupling but can't get the shaft to break free from the coupling. I have even unbolted the coupling so I could put WD40 on both sides of the coupling around the shaft and let it set a while. After that I used a hammer and wood block to pound on the coupling but it just won't break free. Any good ideas?
Need help changing cutlass bearing
- Thread starter Emery
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Try a Pulley Puller
It is a tight fitting. So keep it in mind that itt will also be tight to get it back on.
It is a tight fitting. So keep it in mind that itt will also be tight to get it back on.
Use longer bolts and a dowel
You have already separated the 2 parts of the coupling. Assuming you have a 1" shaft, take a metal dowel or use a socket from your socket set as a spacer. It has to be a bit smaller than the shaft. Position it against the shaft. Bring the 2 parts of the coupling together. Now install 4 long bolts with nuts instead of the regular ones through the coupling holes. Douse the shaft with loose nut or PB Blaster and let it sit for a while. Now slowly tighten the bolts one after the other, working an opposite pattern like you would for a 4-stud car wheel. The spacer will do the same as a press and should slowly drive the shaft out of the coupling. Be careful of the tranny. Suggest you replace that coupling with one made to open up. good luck
You have already separated the 2 parts of the coupling. Assuming you have a 1" shaft, take a metal dowel or use a socket from your socket set as a spacer. It has to be a bit smaller than the shaft. Position it against the shaft. Bring the 2 parts of the coupling together. Now install 4 long bolts with nuts instead of the regular ones through the coupling holes. Douse the shaft with loose nut or PB Blaster and let it sit for a while. Now slowly tighten the bolts one after the other, working an opposite pattern like you would for a 4-stud car wheel. The spacer will do the same as a press and should slowly drive the shaft out of the coupling. Be careful of the tranny. Suggest you replace that coupling with one made to open up. good luck
Thanks
Paul I don't know if there is enough room to get a puller in between the two coupling halves. Claude, I like your suggestion and will try that tomorrow.
Paul I don't know if there is enough room to get a puller in between the two coupling halves. Claude, I like your suggestion and will try that tomorrow.
Still no luck
After a couple more hours of agony I have only been able to get the shaft to move about 1/8". I picked up some fine thread bolts tonight to try tomorrow.
After a couple more hours of agony I have only been able to get the shaft to move about 1/8". I picked up some fine thread bolts tonight to try tomorrow.
Have you consider heat ?
When I was young, I used to work at a motorcycle and snowmobile shop (I am from Canada what else do you expect: a Seadoo shop (-;= ). We often used to heat shaft bearings with torch while leaving bearing’s housing or shaft in freezer for an hour prior to assembling them together without hitting them. We would drop the hot bearing in frozen receptacle or shaft without any pressure. After cooling, nothing could pull that bearing out except a hydraulic press. I know the opposite works well too. You could put a couple of bags of ice ($3.00) on the SS shaft and try heating the flange with a torch (even a regular $20 plumber torch). The WD40 will work its way in and the dilatation and refraction (very powerful laws of physics) of the 2 metals should free the flange by hitting it with a 5 pounds hammer at a regular beat while heating... or maybe not. I do not know for sure. But it is worth the try. Watch for diesel and WD40 residues fire and have extinguisher near by of course… I am afraid you are going to break the flange eventually by trying to hard or with hydraulic. I was thinking of going to PSS on my 29.5 like you but now I will reconsider… Good Luck Mario Canada
When I was young, I used to work at a motorcycle and snowmobile shop (I am from Canada what else do you expect: a Seadoo shop (-;= ). We often used to heat shaft bearings with torch while leaving bearing’s housing or shaft in freezer for an hour prior to assembling them together without hitting them. We would drop the hot bearing in frozen receptacle or shaft without any pressure. After cooling, nothing could pull that bearing out except a hydraulic press. I know the opposite works well too. You could put a couple of bags of ice ($3.00) on the SS shaft and try heating the flange with a torch (even a regular $20 plumber torch). The WD40 will work its way in and the dilatation and refraction (very powerful laws of physics) of the 2 metals should free the flange by hitting it with a 5 pounds hammer at a regular beat while heating... or maybe not. I do not know for sure. But it is worth the try. Watch for diesel and WD40 residues fire and have extinguisher near by of course… I am afraid you are going to break the flange eventually by trying to hard or with hydraulic. I was thinking of going to PSS on my 29.5 like you but now I will reconsider… Good Luck Mario Canada
Have you considered having the yard do it?
Sometimes it is cheaper and easier to have the yard to these chores. They have the equipment to do this in short order too.
Sometimes it is cheaper and easier to have the yard to these chores. They have the equipment to do this in short order too.
Cutlass Bearing Removal
I have a the specs on the tool that is needed to easily replace the cutlass bearing. I made one and replaced my bearing on my Hunter 33 (1" shaft)in about half a day. Once the old bearing was out, I split it with a dremel and blade. Worked like a charm. Let me know if you want a copy of the specs.....either mail, fax or email ......Dick
I have a the specs on the tool that is needed to easily replace the cutlass bearing. I made one and replaced my bearing on my Hunter 33 (1" shaft)in about half a day. Once the old bearing was out, I split it with a dremel and blade. Worked like a charm. Let me know if you want a copy of the specs.....either mail, fax or email ......Dick
Larry, is your shaft stainless or brass ?
My previous shaft was brass and the coupling was made out iron. Over the years, the 2 dissimilar metals had welded themselves together much like stainless and aluminum does. Problem is quicker in saltwater. I suspect a stainless shaft inside an iron coupling might do the same. Even Mario's hot & cold method (normally good) did not work in my case. If you try it be very careful as the fiberglass and rubber hoses in the vicinity are easy to accidentally ignite with the torch. Do have the extinguisher real close by. There are times when you are beaten! I finally had to cut the shaft with a Saws-All (brass is easy. I then brought the coupling to a shop and even with a 20-ton press we could not get it out. It had to be machined out! I replaced the coupling because the rust had damaged the inner wall enough that it allowed the new shaft (1") to have a little play and I did not trust it would provide a straight alignment. I got a 2-part coupling and stainless shaft now. No more problems. Good luck
My previous shaft was brass and the coupling was made out iron. Over the years, the 2 dissimilar metals had welded themselves together much like stainless and aluminum does. Problem is quicker in saltwater. I suspect a stainless shaft inside an iron coupling might do the same. Even Mario's hot & cold method (normally good) did not work in my case. If you try it be very careful as the fiberglass and rubber hoses in the vicinity are easy to accidentally ignite with the torch. Do have the extinguisher real close by. There are times when you are beaten! I finally had to cut the shaft with a Saws-All (brass is easy. I then brought the coupling to a shop and even with a 20-ton press we could not get it out. It had to be machined out! I replaced the coupling because the rust had damaged the inner wall enough that it allowed the new shaft (1") to have a little play and I did not trust it would provide a straight alignment. I got a 2-part coupling and stainless shaft now. No more problems. Good luck
The coupling costs forty bucks
I broke one trying to get it off and was very glad I didn't break the flange on the transmission. Cut it off with a sawzall since it is much cheaper than cutting the shaft
I broke one trying to get it off and was very glad I didn't break the flange on the transmission. Cut it off with a sawzall since it is much cheaper than cutting the shaft
It's finally free-but not out
The shaft finally broke free from the coupling today. Although it isn't all the way out yet, I have made progress. It is slow using a socket between the transmission and the coupling and tightening down bolts, like a press. Once I have it all the way out then I can work on removing the cutlass bearing.
The shaft finally broke free from the coupling today. Although it isn't all the way out yet, I have made progress. It is slow using a socket between the transmission and the coupling and tightening down bolts, like a press. Once I have it all the way out then I can work on removing the cutlass bearing.
cutlass bearing
I finally got the shaft free from the coupling and the prop and stuffing box are removed. Now I sure could use some advice on how to remove the cutlass. There were two tiny set screws at the rear of the strut and they are out. I would rather not have to remove the rudder to take the shaft out. Thanks.
I finally got the shaft free from the coupling and the prop and stuffing box are removed. Now I sure could use some advice on how to remove the cutlass. There were two tiny set screws at the rear of the strut and they are out. I would rather not have to remove the rudder to take the shaft out. Thanks.
Remove strut
As I said earlier I just went through all of this when the stearn tube broke. We removed the strut rather than the rudder. It worked very well and I believe this is easier than removing the heavy rudder. One of them has to be removed to get the shaft out. Likely you will have to take the strut in to a shop to have the bearing taken out and a new one pressed in anyway.
As I said earlier I just went through all of this when the stearn tube broke. We removed the strut rather than the rudder. It worked very well and I believe this is easier than removing the heavy rudder. One of them has to be removed to get the shaft out. Likely you will have to take the strut in to a shop to have the bearing taken out and a new one pressed in anyway.
buy,rent or borrow a bearing puller
i replaced mind last spring.I tried to make my own puller with no luck.Some one in the state of washington bought a puller and offered to rent it me.Worked like a charm took me an hour to remove old bearing and install new one.I did not have to remove shaft.I think most large boat yards in fla. have this tool.You may be able to find the guys name in the archives. good luck. right tool makes it a piece of cake.
i replaced mind last spring.I tried to make my own puller with no luck.Some one in the state of washington bought a puller and offered to rent it me.Worked like a charm took me an hour to remove old bearing and install new one.I did not have to remove shaft.I think most large boat yards in fla. have this tool.You may be able to find the guys name in the archives. good luck. right tool makes it a piece of cake.
cutlass
Paul F. The strut on my 29.5 is part of the hull. Unfortunately the yard I'm in is a storage facility where owners do their own repairs or bring in people to do their work. The length of the shaft is greater than the distance from the rudder to the strut exit.
Paul F. The strut on my 29.5 is part of the hull. Unfortunately the yard I'm in is a storage facility where owners do their own repairs or bring in people to do their work. The length of the shaft is greater than the distance from the rudder to the strut exit.
Emery, there was a guy made a tool for it !
I remember he posted a drawing about 4 years ago. It may still be in the archives. He had a hunter 33 and designed and made a tool to remove the cutlass without taking the shaft out. It works on the same principle that you just used to finally get the shaft out of the coupling. Check the archives. I might have copied it and could try to dig it up if you can't find it. Let me know.
I remember he posted a drawing about 4 years ago. It may still be in the archives. He had a hunter 33 and designed and made a tool to remove the cutlass without taking the shaft out. It works on the same principle that you just used to finally get the shaft out of the coupling. Check the archives. I might have copied it and could try to dig it up if you can't find it. Let me know.
Claude, one removal method
I did find, from 2001, a suggestion to take an old bearing, cut it longitudinaly, then put it over the shaft above the cutlass. Then tap on that to remove the bearing. That may work well but, #1, I don't have an old bearing, and, #2, there is not much room to put anything over the shaft where the old stuffing box was, to get down into the strut area where the cutlass lies. I do thank you and all the others for the advice I've gotten.
I did find, from 2001, a suggestion to take an old bearing, cut it longitudinaly, then put it over the shaft above the cutlass. Then tap on that to remove the bearing. That may work well but, #1, I don't have an old bearing, and, #2, there is not much room to put anything over the shaft where the old stuffing box was, to get down into the strut area where the cutlass lies. I do thank you and all the others for the advice I've gotten.
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