removing prop shaft on a cat 27

[m.schwinn]

I have become a first-time boat owner of a 1986 Catalina 27. I am the third owner of the boat. The original owner replaced the original inboard engine with a Briggs & Stratten 18 horse, two cylinder engine - I'ld never heard of such a thing. Supposedly, it was raced and the exchange was meant to reduce the weight. Two questions:1. Can anyone tell me what the original inboard engine was for my boat, and;2. How do I pull the prop shaft. Problem: I need to replace the packing gland in the stuffing box. However, I cannot completely back-off the stuffing nut from the stuffing box because the nut backs against the engine before it completely clears the stuffing box. So, I either have to move the engine to get the required room, or pull the shaft. mike

 

[John]

Universal A4, M18 or M3-20

My guess is that the original was an Atomic 4 or one of the A4 replacements - the M18 or M3-20. It's not going to matter much, given your description of where the snowblower engine is sitting, it's not on the original mounts - well aft, I suspect. It's a little scary that a diesel might have been replaced by non-marine gas engine.