Robin2
Well-Known Member
Has anyone had the experience of dismantling a stubborn Aquadrive coupling? One of mine came apart easily, but the other one is refusing to release itself from the shaft.
Dismantling Aquadrive coupling
- Thread starter Robin2
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boatbuilder
Well-Known Member
One of the best things that I have found for corroded and stubborn fittings is brake fluid.
Use it like penetrating oil, ie let it soak and give it a try.
Use it like penetrating oil, ie let it soak and give it a try.
misterg
Well-Known Member
No direct experience, but if I understand these correctly, the intermediate shaft needs to float in one of the CV joints, but be retained in the other, which would suggest a circlip, or similar on one of the joints (this would be on the "outside" of the joints, so you would probably need to un-bolt the CV joint itself from the drive flange, and clean off the grease to find it. I expect there will also be a belleville washer, or similar to take up any end play against the circlip - this would need to be pre-loaded to get the circlip back on.
As said, I don't have direct experience of the Aquadrive, so this may be BS.
If you do get the shaft out of the CV joints, be careful not to rotate the CV joint inner race too far, or the balls drop out, and it's a bugger to get them back in again.
Why do you want to take it apart?
Andy
As said, I don't have direct experience of the Aquadrive, so this may be BS.
If you do get the shaft out of the CV joints, be careful not to rotate the CV joint inner race too far, or the balls drop out, and it's a bugger to get them back in again.
Why do you want to take it apart?
Andy
Robin2
Well-Known Member
Thanks Andy. However its not the CV joints that I want to dismantle. I just want to disconnect the thrust bearing unit from the propeller shaft so I can remove the shaft.
For the benefit of other readers, the smallest aquadrive coupling is fixed to the propeller shaft using a pair of cones to squeeze onto the shaft. One cone is part of the thrust bearing and the other mating part is in a heavy circular metal piece that looks like a mini flywheel. (It's the part you see when the unit is installed). The removable part is fixed to the other part with 6 machine screws. There are 6 other threaded holes (for fixing the CV joint) and in my unit two of them are tapped right through so that you can screw in bolts to jack the outer unit off the inner part.
One of mine came apart easily. The other is refusing to, and, to complicate matters the head came off one of the bolts was using to separate the parts. It's unlikely that the problem is rust. The unit that came apart is perfectly clean.
According to Halyard Marine the newer aquadrive units have 4 through holes for jacking off with 4 bolts, so I will get mine drilled out while they are out of the boat.
An engineering shop is making up a puller plate so, hopefully, it will come apart this morning.
For the benefit of other readers, the smallest aquadrive coupling is fixed to the propeller shaft using a pair of cones to squeeze onto the shaft. One cone is part of the thrust bearing and the other mating part is in a heavy circular metal piece that looks like a mini flywheel. (It's the part you see when the unit is installed). The removable part is fixed to the other part with 6 machine screws. There are 6 other threaded holes (for fixing the CV joint) and in my unit two of them are tapped right through so that you can screw in bolts to jack the outer unit off the inner part.
One of mine came apart easily. The other is refusing to, and, to complicate matters the head came off one of the bolts was using to separate the parts. It's unlikely that the problem is rust. The unit that came apart is perfectly clean.
According to Halyard Marine the newer aquadrive units have 4 through holes for jacking off with 4 bolts, so I will get mine drilled out while they are out of the boat.
An engineering shop is making up a puller plate so, hopefully, it will come apart this morning.
Robin2
Well-Known Member
Good news - it came apart easily with a proper puller.
For the benefit of anyone else installing an aquadrive unit :-
The problem was that I had accidentally assembled the unit the wrong way so that the jacking screws lined up with the split in the cone. In effect the jacking screws were holding the cone fully open.
With 6 bolts there are three possible ways to install the outer part - two of them right, one of them wrong. There was no warning of this in the instructions.
For the benefit of anyone else installing an aquadrive unit :-
The problem was that I had accidentally assembled the unit the wrong way so that the jacking screws lined up with the split in the cone. In effect the jacking screws were holding the cone fully open.
With 6 bolts there are three possible ways to install the outer part - two of them right, one of them wrong. There was no warning of this in the instructions.