Prop shaft removal.

[wingnut]

Thanks Viper. I'll be sure to take the coupler along with the shaft, and I'll get a new nut for the coupler. Yes, the coupler nut is a nylock. Ah, lapping the parts, good idea.

Bud37 - The prop was very hard to get off, used a puller and it took a LOT of force till it went PING. Thanks for the questions and suggestions.

[wingnut]

Viper - I will be sure to bring the coupler along to the shop, and yes the nut was a nylock, and I will get a new nut to install. Thanks for calling that out. Lapping the parts? Great idea, I had not thought of that. Thanks again.

bud37 - The prop was very hard to get off. I did use a puller, and it took a lot of force and it rang like a bell when it PING'd.
I am expecting I will have to get a new shaft. I hate to go to all this work and keep chasing the problem with an shaft that I know was repaired once.

Thanks guys.

[CptnCrunch44]

WOW!!!

I can back to this forum looking for answers on the strut for my 2807. I hit a log, now have a noticeable slight vibration/wobble...plus getting water in the aft around the strut area. pulled the boat out saw no obvious bend/damage. However one of the bolts for the strut was rusted through enough that it broke off when I touched it with the shop vac. Im thinking all of the bolts are rusted/rotted and was looking for this very advice!!

[Viper]

Welcome aboard.

[km1125]

QR_BBPOST WOW!!!

I can back to this forum looking for answers on the strut for my 2807. I hit a log, now have a noticeable slight vibration/wobble...plus getting water in the aft around the strut area. pulled the boat out saw no obvious bend/damage. However one of the bolts for the strut was rusted through enough that it broke off when I touched it with the shop vac. Im thinking all of the bolts are rusted/rotted and was looking for this very advice!!

Might want to start a new thread with your issue if you need to pursue questions and answers, so that it doesn't get confused with the OP's issue.

It would scare me if I found those bolts corroded to the point of failure. I'd certainly remove them all and inspect, and also check the bonding system and zincs

[wingnut]

An update and question, but not to assume others are interested...but just in case this is helpful to you or me, here you go:

I was able to remove the prop shaft strut. Man, that was hard to do. This is what finally worked. I struggled with several different scrapers or anything that might work to force between the base of the strut and the bottom of the boat. What worked best is a pointed trowel, pie shaped, heat it up with a heat gun as hot as I could. Slowly I was able to break or cut the sealer that attached the strut to the bottom, it was very hard, and the damage to the gel-coat layer was minimal. The bolts were also hard to get out as the bore/hole thru the strut base and the boat bottom were also filled with sealant making them really a bear to back out. They are brass bolts, and in the process all of them ended up either bent or with damaged threads. I have already purchased new hardware.

All of this as I am pursuing a mid-shaft wobble. When I brought the prop-shaft-strut-coupling to the machine shop that does marine work, they suggested I pull the coupling off the back of the transmission too They want to make sure there is nothing out of alignment with that side of the coupling. I don't have a socket large enough to fit that nut. Does anyone know what size socket I need for that nut?

[bud37]

QR_BBPOST They are brass bolts, and in the process all of them ended up either bent or with damaged threads. I have already purchased new hardware

Are you sure those were brass....... I am given to believe the best is bronze hardware specifically for that ap.

[wingnut]

I guess I am not sure they are brass, perhaps bronze. Either way, with hardware in hand, i was not able to find exact replacement. I showed them to a marine mechanic I know, and he said they use stainless steel when them replace them. With his recommendation, I bought stainless replacement hardware.

[km1125]

You definitely do not want brass. Brass is pretty shiny and lighter than bronze, and what you really want is more like silicon bronze, which is stronger yet.

Thanks for posting the update. Always good to hear folks are making progress. Someone probably used 3M 5200 on that which is some pretty tough stuff and overkill for that kind of work.

[Viper]

QR_BBPOST......they suggested I pull the coupling off the back of the transmission too They want to make sure there is nothing out of alignment with that side of the coupling.....

While most are a simple removal, you have to watch out on some makes/models as some flanges are pressed on and play an integral part of proper gear lash which is something you don't want to get into unless you know exactly what you're doing. In such cases, you'll need new shims and seals. In your case, the flange is likely an independent component that does not affect lash and can be removed without worrying about anything else. Ensure you torque the flange back on to the proper spec in all cases.

There is a way to check whether the flange is true or not without removing it. This should have been done before you take the coupler away but it can be done right before you bolt the coupler back to the flange. In the same manner that you check the engine alignment with a feeler gauge between the flange and the coupler, bring the coupler up against the flange and take a measurement in one spot and mark that spot with a line through the top edges of the flange and coupler. This method requires that you keep the coupler stationary and ensure it doesn't turn. You then turn the flange to a different spot and take another measurement without moving the coupler. I like measuring at every 60 degrees or 12, 2, 4, 6, etc. o'clock. It's easier to mark up the flange's face then transfer those increments onto the flange's edge before you put the coupler up against it. If the measurement remains the same throughout the full rotation of the flange, the flange is true. If the measurement changes at one or more of these increments, then it's warped, or something else is going on like a bad/worn bearing in the transmission, excessive lash, etc.

A warped flange isn't very common. It usually takes a really bad impact resulting in major running gear damage. In such a case though, it's always recommended that the transmission involved be dismantled and examined for possible internal damage that may not be evident from the outside or while underway. A small defect here will get exponentially worse over time.