Flex Coupling Installation

[ken003]

I plan on installing a Federal Flexible Shaft Coupling.  They say to align the engine with the old solid coupling first and then install the flex coupling.  My boat is not in the water.  I planned on launching with the old coupling and then waiting a couple days to do the engine alignment and then installing the new flange.  My problem is how do I install the new flange with the boat in the water.  I cannot push it on by hand and there is no room to pound it on.  I believe I can install it now by pounding the end of the shaft and forcing it into the flange up against the transmission, but that does not help me when in the water.  I must be missing something!  Is there some easy gear puller/pusher available?  Should I simply install it now and align it the best I can?

Also, do other people using this coupling have anykind of bonding strap installed across it? 

Ken

[Ron Hill]

Ken : I know that the space is tight between the M35 and the packing gland.  Here's what I'd suggest:

If your engine alignment was OK from the last time in the water - do nothing but install the flexable coupling and you should be OK.
If you need to reinstall the hard coupling (poor alignment last year), you can get as best as you can a "on the hard" alignment which should be close.  Put the boat in the water and remove the old hard coupling.  Pull the shaft all the way forward so the prop hub hits the back of the strut and stops.  Then measure 1 inch on the shaft from the packing gland and make an indelible mark on the shaft.  Push the shaft back and install the new flex coupling on the Xmission.  Then pull up the shaft into the flex coupling till the shaft mark is just in front of the packing gland.   Hope this helps   

[ken003]

Thanks for the help Ron.  Fastening the new flange to the trans and pulling the shaft into it is a much better idea than what I was doing, but I still do not think I can get it all the way in by hand.  I will try tomorrow.  How would you pull it in?

I may go ahead and do as good an alignment as possible on the hard and then install the flex flange now and do the alignment with it in the water.  It has a good flat surface to measure off of, the only bad thing (other than being flexible) is that its diameter is larger than the transmission flange diameter. 

My alignment last year was extremely off.  We hit a rock (Georgian Bay Lake Huron) hard enough to break a motor mount. 

Ken

[Ron Hill]

Ken : "How would I pull it in?"  After removing the hard coupling "gently" put a vice grips on the shaft - turn and pull toward the xmission.  You could also get someone in the water and push the prop from the back.  Good Luck.