1982 Marine Trader Europe drive shaft

[drinkenbuddie]

I used a pipe camera and found the hole. 28 inches in on the bottom of the shaft log.

 

[DHeckrotte]

Filling the keel full would take a lot of filler! A lot of money. And would produce a lot of heat as it exotherms/cures.

Replace the tube (with fiberglass: cheaper and easy) and forget about it. Add an access hatch (Beckson or similar) to the top of the keel so that you can check for water.

Bear in mind that epoxying the new tube in requires that the surfaces receiving the epoxy have to be clean and dry. A Dremel with a burr might do nicely for the inside surface of the bore.

You'll need enough area for the bond which is usually done with a fillet (like a weld). If your shaft log fitting won't accommodate one perhaps adding an annulus (shim) of, say, 1/2" thick fiberglass sheet would do for you. Glue it in as well, to a clean surface; bore the shaft tube hole oversize so that the epoxy has all the more surface to bond to.

Where are the nuts for the bolts holding the shaft tube? Gotta' install and glass in the bolts before the tube is installed?

 

[drinkenbuddie]

Filling the keel full would take a lot of filler! A lot of money. And would produce a lot of heat as it exotherms/cures.

Replace the tube (with fiberglass: cheaper and easy) and forget about it. Add an access hatch (Beckson or similar) to the top of the keel so that you can check for water.

Bear in mind that epoxying the new tube in requires that the surfaces receiving the epoxy have to be clean and dry. A Dremel with a burr might do nicely for the inside surface of the bore.

You'll need enough area for the bond which is usually done with a fillet (like a weld). If your shaft log fitting won't accommodate one perhaps adding an annulus (shim) of, say, 1/2" thick fiberglass sheet would do for you. Glue it in as well, to a clean surface; bore the shaft tube hole oversize so that the epoxy has all the more surface to bond to.

Where are the nuts for the bolts holding the shaft tube? Gotta' install and glass in the bolts before the tube is installed?

So break the keel bolts off to try to get it to unscrew from the front housing? Is it going to fill in with rocks when I pull it out?

 

[drinkenbuddie]

Wish someone has done this? Pretty sure the keel is full of rocks.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

So have you done this and know what's in the keel?

 

[SeaMoose]

I have done this. The shaft tube is metal it is threaded into the fitting where the shaft comes out, it does fit through the hole in the rudder.

The most common failure point is the aft coupling, because of either poor shaft alignment or bolt failure. The only proper way to fit it back together is to drill two holes in the keel so you can get behind it.

The keel is filed with river gravel and concrete for ballast. What's under the engine is thin, layer. Expoxying this will do you no good. If you live where it freezes you must drain the water out of the keel, drill a few holes...

If you want to talk to me about this project send me a pm.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

I have done this. The shaft tube is metal it is threaded into the fitting where the shaft comes out, it does fit through the hole in the rudder.

The most common failure point is the aft coupling, because of either poor shaft alignment or bolt failure. The only proper way to fit it back together is to drill two holes in the keel so you can get behind it.

The keel is filed with river gravel and concrete for ballast. What's under the engine is thin, layer. Expoxying this will do you no good. If you live where it freezes you must drain the water out of the keel, drill a few holes...

If you want to talk to me about this project send me a pm.

There's no way the tube fits though the hole in the rudder. I measured it. 2 1/8 inside diameter.

 

[SeaMoose]

Mine did, but there are a lot of variations on these boats. My guy cut the aft coupling bolts and unscrewed that, then unscrewed the tube from the stuffing box assembly, fabricating a pipe cap/ring on the aft end, and then used a come along to slowly work the tube out.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

Mine did, but there are a lot of variations on these boats. My guy cut the aft coupling bolts and unscrewed that, then unscrewed the tube from the stuffing box assembly, fabricating a pipe cap/ring on the aft end, and then used a come along to slowly work the tube out.

I'm thinking I might just patch the hole and then paint the pipe with epoxy paint. Bond it well and put it back in the water.

 

[SeaMoose]

The shaft log is cheap compared to the cost of getting it all put back together without leaks and properly aligned...

 

[drinkenbuddie]

Not getting it out and fixing all the issues involved.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

Right now I'm more worried about the hurricane that might take my boat and my other boat and houses.

 

[drinkenbuddie]

I’m back and the boat is behind my house and doesn’t take on a drop. Success.