[C38] parting a shaft coupling

[phil]

> Your best bet is to hacksaw the shaft, unless your time is worth nothing to you and your existing shaft is perfect.   I spent 20 man hours over six days getting the shaft out of mine.  After the first couple of days it became a matter of principle!  If you're still reading, procede as follows-Set the four fine-treaded bolts aside and buy five or six coarse threaded bolts about an inch longer than the ones you removed. They need to be grade 5 minimum.  Buy a box of washers as well. It took me two days to brake the setscrews out.  Heat - tap -spray every hour or so then go back to something else.  Eight-point sockets can be bought from Mac, Proton, or Snapon. To get the shaft to back out, you have to insert a spacer such as a socket into the space between the coupling parts and install the new bolts (using as many washers as reguired) so that about two threads poke out. start the nuts. tighten each a quarter turn. Turn the shaft, tighten a bolt, turn the shaft, tighten a bolt. IMPORTANT reverse shaft rotation often as you tighten. The bolts will bind in the holes and ruin the threads if you don't.  After about 40 minutes, you will have bottommed the bolts out against the tranny and won't be able to turn the shaft any more.  Hopefully, something has moved by this point!(it took me three tries) Undo everything, add about five washers to each bolt,  and repeat.  You gain about 1/8 inch each time.  Be carefull to chose a spacer that has a large flat area against the propshaft, the last thing you want is to mushroom the shaft. I also rigged a strap to my propshaft (outside the boat)and put about 500 pounds tension on it each time, figuring every little bit helped. By the time I was through, I must have had 200 different tools laying in the quarterberth. With only one hand available to work with, ratchets aren't very useful (and often there isnt enough clearance around the bolthead). I used open end wrenches on the bolt heads backed by box wrenches on the nuts. I rigged a peice of bent metal and a heavy pipe wrench to prevent the box wrench from slipping off the nut. Hopefully, I've convinced you to go buy a good hacksaw.


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> 
> Message:  2
> Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:36:43 -0400
> From: "bob gouley"  <r.gouley at sympatico.ca>
> Subject: [C38] seperating the coupling
> To:  <listserve at catalina38.org>
> Message-ID:  <BLU0-SMTP6C01BB0783913F37467BCE0280 at phx.gbl>
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> 
> I would like to  sepaerate the coupling on my engine 5424 type, It is held 
> together by four  bolts that I removed but the coupler will not come apart. I am 
> worried about  damage if I force it apart.  The coupler has llarge bolts with 
> rubber  washers on the circumference, I don`t think these are to be removed?  
>  Currently I am soaking the shaft set screws with penetrating oil, as I can`t 
>  budge them, next is to seperate the coupler, any advice would be greatly  
> appreciated. bob
> 
> Zephyr # 142
> ST Joes Island 
> Ontario  Canada
> r.gouley at sympatico.ca 
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