soggy_feet
Senior Chief Petty Officer
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2009
- Messages
- 713
Re: Replacing vertical drive shaft. As long as it's got a preload pin Im good?
Alright, pics are ready.
To get the coil off the shift dog so that the pin would release and allow the shift dog to come off the shaft, I used my skinny hand, and two o-ring picks. One was straight, the other was a J hook.
I slid my hand into the housing and got my pointer finger into the groove on the top side of the dog, and my middle finger into the groove on the underside.
Once I could feel the coiled spring with my pointer finger I rotated the shaft to find the end of the coil.
At that point, I pinched my fingers into the groove and started rotating the shaft again, keeping the end of the coil pushed against the end of my finger, and the middle finger pressed up against the coil from the under side to act as a brake so it wouldn't spin around the dog.
That forced the end of the coil to bulge out. Once it cleared the top of the groove, I held it tight and carefully inserted the straight o-ring pick under that raised coil.

At this point, the coil is captured, and you can let go of the dog and pull your hand out.
I then carefully inserted the J-hook under the coil being held up by the straight pick.
Slowly start rotating the shaft again, while gently pulling the pick towards you and that last coil of the spring will be derailed from the groove and follow the pick.
Three rotations later and you should have the shift dog retaining spring - in usable condition - sitting in front of the dog. Shake the pin out, pull the dog out, celebrate with beer.
Thanks again Bt Doctur for the tip. Maybe next time you need to pull a drive apart like this my technique speeds things up for you a bit. That took me 10 minutes working on the floor in a poorly lit basement.

End result: Prop shaft slides out, broken driveshaft stub falls out, pinion gear comes out, forward gear comes out.
Alright, pics are ready.
To get the coil off the shift dog so that the pin would release and allow the shift dog to come off the shaft, I used my skinny hand, and two o-ring picks. One was straight, the other was a J hook.
I slid my hand into the housing and got my pointer finger into the groove on the top side of the dog, and my middle finger into the groove on the underside.
Once I could feel the coiled spring with my pointer finger I rotated the shaft to find the end of the coil.
At that point, I pinched my fingers into the groove and started rotating the shaft again, keeping the end of the coil pushed against the end of my finger, and the middle finger pressed up against the coil from the under side to act as a brake so it wouldn't spin around the dog.
That forced the end of the coil to bulge out. Once it cleared the top of the groove, I held it tight and carefully inserted the straight o-ring pick under that raised coil.

At this point, the coil is captured, and you can let go of the dog and pull your hand out.
I then carefully inserted the J-hook under the coil being held up by the straight pick.
Slowly start rotating the shaft again, while gently pulling the pick towards you and that last coil of the spring will be derailed from the groove and follow the pick.
Three rotations later and you should have the shift dog retaining spring - in usable condition - sitting in front of the dog. Shake the pin out, pull the dog out, celebrate with beer.
Thanks again Bt Doctur for the tip. Maybe next time you need to pull a drive apart like this my technique speeds things up for you a bit. That took me 10 minutes working on the floor in a poorly lit basement.

End result: Prop shaft slides out, broken driveshaft stub falls out, pinion gear comes out, forward gear comes out.