Replacing Propeller Shaft

[P69]

When replacing the propeller shaft, how do you stick it back into the boat when the coupling to the V drive is installed/faced on the shaft at the machine shop? 

Maybe I'm missing something, but aren't you supposed to take shaft to machine shop to have the coupling installed and machined to be square to the shaft?  If so, do you take it off when you put it back in the boat, then reinstall the coupling?  If you take coupling off, stick shaft in boat, the put coupling back on, won't it be out-of-square to the shaft?


Thanks
Craig

[Della and Dave]

We had ours faced at the machine shop before, but you have to take the coupler off the shaft to get it in the boat.  It's keyed to a tapered shaft, so it goes back where it was once you put it back together.  I would recommend self locking nuts or safety wire on the nuts tying it to the vee drive.  The new shaft will probably need to be lapped to the prop as well. 

Also if you haven't already done it, fresh cutlas bearings are a good thing to do "while you are there". If you want a line cutter or shaft brake, this is a good time to do it.  A stop of some kind inside the boat in case you loose the coupler is good.   

Ours had to be adjusted for alignment once it was back in.  We used the Pete method.  We final adjusted it once it was in the water. 

[PeteW]

A prop shop taught me how to fit a prop to the shaft. The key (pun intended) when fitting the prop to the shaft is to fit the woodruff key so that you can see daylight through the top of the key slot with the nut(s) removed. If you can't see clearance the key is too tall and the tapers will not seat. Also remove the sharp edges from the key and keyway (debur). These knife edges if not removed can cut the key in half or worse split the shaft along its grain.

Pete

[P69]

Thanks for those tips. We'll see how things go in a couple of weeks. Always a couple of weeks away.

I'm on my 2nd warped damper plate. I wonder if some places are reselling seconds or rejected parts as new parts.

Anyone know where to get a Sachs damper plate (10 spline, 151.5mm max dia) that is perfectly flat and not warped? Just  1mm over the 151mm dia causes problems.

[Della and Dave]

I can't help with the damper plate question, but there are a couple of older posts that might be of some use.  http://www.pearson365.com/forum/index.php?topic=1258.msg6847#msg6847

And: 

http://www.pearson365.com/forum/index.php?topic=1263.msg6853#msg6853