remove woodruff from tapered shaft?

[iboaterlurker5]

I installed a new steering rack and helm from uflex that uses a tapered shaft. The wheel is secured with a woodruff half-moon key and a nut. I forgot to put the plastic cover over the helm part of the shaft. How do I remove the woodruff without damaging the new parts.

 

[matt167]

thread the nut on so the threads are flush. Get a brass hammer, hold the collar in your hand tight, and give it a couple light wacks. All the parts will be left in your hand with zero damage

 

[iboaterlurker5]

thread the nut on so the threads are flush. Get a brass hammer, hold the collar in your hand tight, and give it a couple light wacks. All the parts will be left in your hand with zero damage

So hold the silver piece in my hand and hit the shaft with a hammer? By threading the nut, you mean just barely to protect the threads from hammering the shaft straight on? Or would you hit the shaft from the top and use the nut to protect the threads from the top?

 

[matt167]

yup, just protect the threads with the nut. I forgot to mention to pull up slightly when you hit it

 

[iboaterlurker5]

yup, just protect the threads with the nut. I forgot to mention to pull up slightly when you hit it

Would rubber mallet work, and I hit shaft straight on while pulling out and up on silver piece?

 

[matt167]

probably work. It does not take much

 

[iboaterlurker5]

I still can't get it. I tried banging on it straight on, from top, and underneath. Tried to put outward leverage on the collar with wood. Thing won't move. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Grub54891]

You need a puller.https://www.google.com/search?q=Pullers&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiRsPGA2enwAhVMBs0KHYfECn4Q_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1234&bih=660

 

[iboaterlurker5]

sadly I had to drill it out, a brand new key and hub. What a terrible design honestly. Basically designed for single installation and full replacement only. I was hesitant to use a puller because I was afraid of damaging the steering shaft since it only held in place by a retaining clip or putting too mush pressure on the helm (older boat).

 

[Grub54891]

A puller would have been fine.

 

[Scott Danforth]

sadly I had to drill it out, a brand new key and hub. What a terrible design honestly. Basically designed for single installation and full replacement only. I was hesitant to use a puller because I was afraid of damaging the steering shaft since it only held in place by a retaining clip or putting too mush pressure on the helm (older boat).

a 2-jaw or 3-jaw puller is the right tool to use. doesnt take much pressure to pull the hub off the taper.

 

[iboaterlurker5]

The hub somehow froze on to the taper. Probably over torqued the steering wheel nut. It was a new hub but could have been slightly out of spec. I put pulling pressure on the hub with leverage and it almost pulled the entire steering shaft out of the steering assembly. I put a new hub on a new steering assembly and greased the hell out if this time, hopefully it doesn't stick again.

 

[dwco5051]

I would not recommend grease on the shaft as now you are relying mostly on the Woodruff key for steering control. Tapers like a Morse taper on lathe tools depend on a dry fit to stop rotation. Feedback from striking an underwater object could shear the key and cause lack of steering control. The last boating accident I investigated before retiring was caused by a improperly installed wheel where the wrong one was installed and the bolt holes did not line up so the shop that did the work just put a couple of spot welds to hold it in place. Not the same scenario but the welds failed and the result was a young girl with a broken clavicle and a badly damaged boat. At 30 mph you are traveling 44 feet per second and by the time you react and throttle back no telling where you may be

 

[iboaterlurker5]

I would not recommend grease on the shaft as now you are relying mostly on the Woodruff key for steering control. Tapers like a Morse taper on lathe tools depend on a dry fit to stop rotation. Feedback from striking an underwater object could shear the key and cause lack of steering control. The last boating accident I investigated before retiring was caused by a improperly installed wheel where the wrong one was installed and the bolt holes did not line up so the shop that did the work just put a couple of spot welds to hold it in place. Not the same scenario but the welds failed and the result was a young girl with a broken clavicle and a badly damaged boat. At 30 mph you are traveling 44 feet per second and by the time you react and throttle back no telling where you may be

Isn't that the point of the wood ruff key? To keep the hub from spinning on the shaft? The nut applies pressure also to the hub against the taper. I just don't want it frozen like last time. A little bit of grease will help with removal and corrosion control. It is a cable controlled steering setup in a fairly light boat, no hydraulics, so not really under intense pressure. It would take a lot of force to shear the key I would think.

 

[dingbat]

I put pulling pressure on the hub with leverage and it almost pulled the entire steering shaft out of the steering assembly. I put a new hub on a new steering assembly and greased the hell out if this time, hopefully it doesn't stick again.

By design you can’t over torque a taper fit. The nut simply keeps the hub from falling off the shaft.

Removing a hub from a taper fit typically requires the use of a “puller” of some sort.

As you have found you can go caveman and beat and pry the hub off at the risk of damaging other components.

Removing the hub would have been easy using the right tool for the job

 

[iboaterlurker5]

By design you can’t over torque a taper fit. The nut simply keeps the hub from falling off the shaft.

Removing a hub from a taper fit typically requires the use of a “puller” of some sort.

As you have found you can go caveman and beat and pry the hub off at the risk of damaging other components.

Removing the hub would have been easy using the right tool for the job

Using a puller would have pulled the thin fiberglass helm apart. Didn't want to take that risk. Ill remove the grease from the shaft but keeping some in the woodruff key hole. That is what I am mostly concerned about, corroding and freezing up.

 

[dwco5051]

A key on a tapered shaft is mostly for alignment purposes. The flywheel on an outboard must be aligned for timing purposes and it is assembeled dry and depends on the taper for resistance to turning. The exception is rotary lawn mower motors that use a straight flywheel shaft and a square aluminum key so if you hit that water curb box while mowing the key will shear and not bend the crankshaft. Many pulleys on a straight shaft applications do depend on a square key to transmit force and set screws to stop lateral motion on the shaft. It all depends on the application and I doubt if you will ever experience enough feedback on a cable system to shear the key. Since I was a mechanical engineering major I will admit I am a belt and suspenders type.

 

[dingbat]

Using a puller would have pulled the thin fiberglass helm apart.

How is that?
A puller pushes on the end of the shaft

 

[Grub54891]

How is that?
A puller pushes on the end of the shaft

Exactly. I don't think the op understands that.