Removing Shafts - Help Please!

[Medskipper]

Decided to bite the bullet and change my cutlass bearings as they are showing signs of wear. Got the props off today. Then started looking at the engine end!

The boat is a Birchwood 37, with TAMD 40B engines. Circa 1984/5. I know that this installation was used quite a bit by Birchwood and the Fairline turbo 36, so I'm hoping someone out there has done this job already and can help!

On the end of the shafts there is a collared flange which is keyed and it bolts to another flange on the engine with four bolts. There is also what looks like a sprung steel pin through the flange and shaft. This type of pin crimps together as it is pushed through the flange and shaft. It is situated on one side of the shaft, so I assume that it either goes straight through a hole in the shaft or runs against a flat on the shaft. My problem is that I cannot get it out! The pin also looks as if it has a smaller pin inside of it! Now do I drill this pin out or knock it out? anyone know? If I can't get this pin out, I can't take the flange off and I will not be able to slide the shaft out! Tried heating it with a blowlamp, but no good! If I drill out this double looking pin, will I be able to get a replacement?

I have tried to knock it out, but I am concerned about the amount of vibration this sets up and what damage it could do to the gearbox or the shaft.

Anybody done this job before on a boat with this set up? any advice gratefull received.

Regards Barry

 

[david_bagshaw]

Just a thought

Take gear box off and slide shaft in to engine so cutlasss can be changed

2
the pin you discribe sounds like a roll pin could you post a picture?

 

[stuartw]

Another method

Barry,
I had a similar problem on my TS37. Although the coupling is not as you describe (got bigger engines), I too couldn't extract the shaft. In the end, I resorted to removing the "A" bracket. Six bolts, 10 mins later, the bracket, complete with cutlass bearing was off. And how glad I was I did it that way. I discovered that the bracket was mis-aligned, with the bearing wearing on the top. The other huge advantage of doing it that way, I just carried the bracket to a workshop and they pressed out the old bearing, and pressed the new one in minutes (cost me £10).

I was then able to slide the bracket back, and find a new position for it, which didn't put any downward pressure on the shaft. The holes were about 6mm out of allignment, so I just drilled some new ones, then resealed it. It was perfect. The vibration which I had before dissappeared.
I have to say it was a bit unconventional, but it was so easy, I will do it again next time.
Good luck
Stuart

 

[kimhollamby]

Do the job with shaft in situ?

Often this job is done without pulling the shaft...have you got a friendly boatyard that could lend you the right size drifts and puller?

http://www.strutpro.com/ is an example of the kind of thing...

 

[Medskipper]

Re: Do the job with shaft in situ?

I don't think I can replace the hull bearing this way can I?

By removing the shafts I can replace the ones in the A brackets and the bearings in the hull, I have quite an extended tube from the hull which the shaft runs in, its about a foot long which also has a bearing in it!

Barry

 

[Medskipper]

Yes I think it is a roll pin, it looks like sprung steel with a split down the side of it. I havn't worked out how to post a piccy here yet!

Barry

 

[omega2]

Generally the cutlass bearing in P brackets is held by two allen screws. It is about 1/8th to a 1/4 inch greater in diameter than the shaft, so if you get a piece of tube the diameter of the shaft and about the thickness of the bearing and not as great as the hole through the P bracket, after removing the allen keys and placing said drift on the shaft in contact with the bearing a goodly hit with a lump hammer will remove the offending encumberance. Make the drift long enough and you be able to remove even the apparently hidden ones as well

 

[omega2]

One other method, which we had to do, because the shafts were so badly worn they would not accept a new bearing, so we had to remove the shafts as well, ours were attached to the gearboxes with R&D couplings which we unbolted but were unable to extract the shafts from the flange. Our only way was to cut the shaft, leaving enough on the flange to remove it when we got it into the garage, all to no avail and we had to buy new flanges to refit. I wish you luck and every success, but take note of the shaft wear, it will be a waste of time if they are worn only to replace the bearings. you may be able to turn the shafts around i.e. engine end to the props this will put new metal in the bearing areas.

 

[omega2]

Sorry forgot to mention cut the piece of tube in half length wise to allow it to sit on your shaft (steady now)