frozen bearings

[Deacon]

how do I get the driveshaft out with frozen bearings???

[pkstv]

Tourch , heat always helps !

[WaterZebra]

how do I get the driveshaft out with frozen bearings???

Try giving the bearings and shaft a good soak with AeroKroil.

[David - WI]

Mini-ductor is magic if you can get close to the bearing with the coil.

https://www.theinductor.com/induction-heater-tools-store/mini-ductor/mini-ductor-venom

[rock]

Cool link David. If I was younger, I would acquire this little jewel.

Rock

[FUJIMO]

how do I get the driveshaft out with frozen bearings???
...just wear gloves so you don't get frostbite... (i know, that was cold, right?)

[Deacon]

got it guys, thanks, just a lot of prying and wiggling and shaking....

[rgsauger]

Nobody said microwave on defrost? :D

[wolfgangb]

Clamp driveshaft hard in vise, lower unit hanging down. Put foam or softwood under skeg. At the front of the LU`s upper flange, you find a standard Mercury steel dowel, dome 8 or 9 mm diameter. standing proud of the Alumimum flange. Take 5 lbs hammer and give top of dowel a "deadblow". Put your feet into a safe position before striking the blow!!!
BTW it may not be frozen bearings, but often the culprit is the pinion,which does not want to separate from the splines where it sits on the driveshaft. Had that recently with a small bearing Torquemaster LU,which had never been opened since new 17 years ago.
Good luck, from Wolfgang (South Africa)

[wolfgangb]

Clamp driveshaft hard in vise, lower unit hanging down. Put foam or softwood under skeg. At the front of the LU`s upper flange, you find a standard Mercury steel dowel, some 8 or 9 mm diameter. standing proud of the Alumimum flange. Take 5 lbs hammer and give top of dowel a "deadblow". Put your feet into a safe position before striking the blow!!!
BTW it may not be frozen bearings, but often the culprit is the pinion,which does not want to separate from the splines where it sits on the driveshaft. Had that recently with a small bearing Torquemaster LU,which had never been opened since new 17 years ago.
Good luck, from Wolfgang (South Africa)

[CI STV]

I’m also having trouble getting the driveshaft out of an XR6 lower unit that’s hasn’t been pulled down for over 22 years. As wolfgangb described, it’s the pinion gear stuck on the splines of the driveshaft, not the bearing.
IMHO, if that lower open-faced roller bearing is seized onto the driveshaft, you might as well chuck the whole thing in the garbage…

[wolfgangb]

This sounds rough, but works: take large wooden mallet and knock the side of the driveshaft (where water pump normally sits), after removal of upper driveshaft bearing retainer. This normally also loosens a recalcitrant pinion.
Regards, Wolfgang (South Africa)

[CI STV]

I had a serious challenge getting the pinion off the driveshaft in an old XR6 gear case this weekend. The case was put together over 20 years ago. After trying everything else, we had to use an oxygen/acetylene torch (with a brazing tip) to heat the pinion gear up until it was red hot, then strike the pinion several times with a long chisel in the grooves between the teeth to shock it, then with the driveshaft clamped firmly in a bench vice, I had someone strike a wooden 2x4 block placed across the top of the gear case (mounting surface) with a 10lb sledge, while I held the case with a strain on the pinion, and that broke it loose after a few good strikes. I had no idea those pinions could be stuck so badly.

[rgsauger]

Damn!

[pcrussell50]

I’m with Saugs… "Damn!" Is right.

Why would these things be on so hard? Corrosion from water intrusion? Or is it “impacted” on maybe from torsional harmonics from a surfacing prop? :shrugs:

-Peter

[CI STV]

I’m with Saugs… "Damn!" Is right.

Why would these things be on so hard? Corrosion from water intrusion? Or is it “impacted” on maybe from torsional harmonics from a surfacing prop? :shrugs:

-Peter

Nope, no sign of water intrusion or rust at all, which is surprising, since the unit was reportedly never disassembled since it was put together over 20 years ago, and had the original seals in it from back then I bought it in 2017 and it had been sitting in a friends storeroom since around 2003. I changed the water pump and the oil (which looked like tar) when installed it on my boat just over a year ago.
I thought that it has been assembled with red locktite or something, but the pinion gear was just stuck like hell on the driveshaft. We tried heating it with a propane torch and then a MAP torch, but had to use the Oxycetylene one in the end.
It had been turned 10K plenty of times though, both on the triad it came off off and more recently on my boat. Not sure if that’s what helped stick it on there, lol.

[wolfgangb]

If you look at the pinion washer, I at least get the impression that there are some harmonics taking place, which in effect may "cold solder" the pinion to the driveshaft splines. Always use red Loctite on the pinion nut!

Surfacing props: divide engine rpm by gearbox ratio, multiply by number of prop blades = number of whacks which go into the gearbox (per minute).
While we are at it, harmonics may be the reason why 4-bladed ET props show more leading edge breakages than do 3-bladed ETs. Amazing things happening there. I am also very suspicious of the heat treatment/annealing process the ETs are subjected to.
Wolfgang (South Africa)