Best way to remove volvo penta thrust washer behind prop

[Feneris]

Hello, I've having problems removing a thrust washer, behind the prop on a 40yr Volvo 280 stern drive. Spot welded to the thrust washer is the thin stainless rope cutter. I can't grip the thrust washer to pull it off, and I need if off to replace the anode. I've attached a pic, unfortunately it's quite a low definition one. I chipped away some of the anode to expose the bolts behind it, I was hoping to get something bigger to grip, I think what's behind is is best left alone for now.

What's the best way to get this thing off?? Cheers, Simon

 

[Feneris]

It's definately not moving. I cut the rope cutter off with an angle grinder and removed the anode. I tried carefully removing material down one side of the washer, and using a nut splitter to crack what's left. I don't want too grind any further incase I touch the shaft, or have heat affect the shaft from the grinding. I still cannot shift it at all. There's a small amount of pitted corosion on the surface, I imagine this is what's holding it on.

Next step is to buy a long bearing puller (or modify my one to make it longer), cut 3 notches on the washer and then try to pull it off. With hindsight, I think I should have gone for this originally.

I had a look at a friends 280 drive, his washer slides on and off by hand. I also drained the oil from the leg, it's a brown/milky. More work.....

I'll update this when I've finished, to help anyone searching on this topic later.

 

[Feneris]

In the end I modified a gear puller that I use on car stuff. I had to make longer arms for it as the prop shaft is reasonably long. I used an angle grinder to cut 3 notches in the thrust washer, which the puller could grip on. The puller kept slipping off my notches in the washer, so I slid an old car brake disk, who's internal hole was the right size, over the arms of the puller to stop them jumping outwards and off.

The thrust washer was very tight all the way off. When I originally tried removing it, I rotated it with some big grips. A small amount of pitted corrosion dragged and caused damage to the prop shaft and washer. Initially rotating it made things worse. I should have tried heating it, but didn't have a blowlamp. Pulling it straight off would have done less damage, but it still cost £24 for the new part.