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Remove/Install Drive Shaft, 1996 Challenger--via pump opening, without moving engine?

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Steve762us

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Took the Challenger out for summer test drive yesterday, and all went well, till it didn't.

Loud ruckus from engine compartment/no thrust...broken drive shaft!

I've got pump housing etc removed from transom, along with 2/3 of drive
shaft. Remaining drive shaft is still in engine...carbon ring, gone. Impeller
& pump assy look & feel ok.

I took the motor out about seven years ago, to do an engine swap,
but I can't remember how the drive shaft comes out.

Can I get the old shaft out, and new one in, just working with the
pump removed--or do I have to break engine loose from mounts?
 
No need to move the engine. Remove the c-clip from under the stainless ring , remove the clamp from the rubber boot at the pto, and it should just slide right out through the pump opening. Unless in 96 they used the carrier bearing style driveshaft seals?
 
That's good to hear!

I finally pushed the stainless ring towards the transom, and popped the o-ring (no metal clip in evidence on mine),
then slid the stainless ring back to the pto--which gave me enough rearward travel to get the splines out of
the flywheel.

Hopefully assembly will be straightforward and uneventful. ;-)

How common is it for a stock 787 to snap a drive shaft? This one separated about where the
rubber bellows joins the hull.
 
I'm not sure how common that is. I think it's a good idea that you try and find out why it happened. Jammed up impeller or something?
When you remove the shaft, make sure the rubber bumpers on the end of the shaft come out with it, and install new ones on each end on the new shaft.
Installation is pretty easy. You'll have to slide the new shaft in, through the new seals/rings, and into the pto. Then install the pump before you try and get the clip back on under the stainless ring. The pump will keep the shaft from moving for you. I'd recommend replacing the O-ring with the metal c-clip. If you're reusing you're old stainless ring I'd also suggest replacing the o-rings that are inside of it. But, given the damage, you may want a whole new one anyway.
 
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Oh, and grease the splines on the new shaft, replace the clamp on the pto dust boot, etc, etc.
 
Roger that...only thing that will be 'different' will be the metal clip. The broken shaft seems to only
have a rubber o-ring, under the stainless ring.

Are there any tricks to getting metal C-clip onto drive shaft? I guess the stainless ring is pressed up against
the carbon ring, and c-clip snaps into shaft groove, and retains stainless ring against the carbon ring?

Here's a pic of the longer, aft section of shaft. I'd guess it corroded somewhere in region of the rubber
bellows, and just gave way in use...maybe water was retained in there, and it allowed corrosion to
occur?

I'm pretty good at breaking stuff, without trying. :willy_nilly:

Snapped Shaft.jpg
 
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Got a new drive shaft, and complete internal shaft seal kit from SBT.

The new drive shaft has a different style (two O-ring slots) from my original shaft.

The kit came with three O-rings (two 'larger', one 'smaller' O-ring). I'm guessing
the smaller O-ring is used to seal the aft-end of the PTO-shaft rubber boot,
which leaves the two larger O-rings for the two slots on the driveshaft.

I've pressed the shaft into PTO, with everything pre-assembled on the shaft,
and re-mounted the pump.

The SS floating ring doesn't seem to 'lock' onto the shaft, with the O-rings.

The two larger O-rings are dangly-loose on the drive shaft, even the thicker part
of the shaft. They don't grip the shaft slots, and slide down the driveshaft when
I push the floating SS ring towards the carbon ring. The O-rings just slip into the
carbon ring, and the floating ring will not lock against the carbon ring.

What am I doing wrong here?
 
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The two o-rings go inside the grooves on the inside of the stainless ring. Then you push the stainless ring towards the back of the boat until one of the driveshaft grooves appear, and clip on the c-clip to lock it in place. Perhaps the third O-ring is to be used I place of the c-clip, but they are much less reliable.
 
I finally figured it out..just like you said--put the o-rings into the stainless
ring, then push the assembly onto the seating area of the shaft.

I have both o-rings seated in the aft two shaft slots, and with a lot of effort
(and I haven't injected grease into the PTO yet), can push the floating ring
aft enough to barely reveal the third shaft slot...so that's where the metal
clip would make sense. Oddly, the SBT inner shaft seal kit didn't come with
any clip...and they do list an o-ring for sealing the 'shaft side of PTO/shaft
boot', so I'm still thinking that's what the third (smaller diameter) o-ring is for.
Hmmm...maybe I'll put a ziptie on there, just for backup...
 
I think more slots just gives you more options for how tight you can get that stainless ring to compress the carbon ring and bellows.

The link you sent has a pic of your seals, that third and thickest of the O-rings in that pic is what locks your stainless ring from sliding forward. It's supposed to fit into one of the slots on the driveshaft once you slide the ring back. That's the o-ring that most people swap out for a c-clip. If it were my boat I'd order some clips and run it with the o-ring while waiting for them to come in. Then just cut off the oring and put the clip in. No need to pull it all apart again.
 
I'll probably use the smallest/thickest o-ring for what you suggest...seems like a better use than
what I'm guessing is it's intended purpose--to seal the shaft end of PTO-shaft boot. I'm
assuming that's what it's for, based on this--again, assuming that this is the small/thick O-ring
in the kit:

http://www.shopsbt.com/jet-ski-jetp...oo-rearwood-boot-o-ring-sp-gt-xp-gts-gtx.html

I sent an email off to SBT a couple of days ago, no response yet.

I reckon if a ziptie is ok for PTO end, a ziptie should be ok for shaft end, yah?
 
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