Stern drive won't come off

jph190 · **Posted:** Sun Apr 24, 2016 8:49 pm

So I'm trying to remove my stern drive for some maintenance. It's a 2000 h190 with Volvo Penta SX-M.

I've got the six bolts off as well as the shift cable. I can get the drive separated by as much as 1/2 inch or 3/4 by hammering in a thick screwdriver but no further. Am I missing something? Or is there some tool that can be used to pry this thing off?

230 Mike · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:48 am

When was it off last? The drive shaft may be corroded to the engine coupler.

LouC · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 2:17 am

A number of people have had this problem and they can get stuck on in a few different ways. One is corrosion between the driveshaft and the gimble bearing (due to water leaking into the bellows and laying there for a long time) or the driveshaft splines corrode into the splines in the coupler.
Another way the Volvos get stuck on is corrosion between the mating surface of the drive and the transom mount (pivot housing). There is no gasket between them like on the OMC Cobra so if this area isn't greased they can get stuck on. Some people have used a wedge of wood between the transom mount and the upper gear housing to try to use the trim Rams to push the drive off. I think using wood wedges between the drive and the transom mount to keep pressure on it is the safest way. Make up a set so you can tap them in carefully and maintain pressure on it without breaking things. Outdrives should come off for yearly maintenance. If you do that they usually come right off. Mine does after sitting in salt water all season.

Graham R · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 2:45 am

As well as the 6 nuts/ shift cable you have removed the shaft that connects the trim rams to the outdrive, haven't you ?

jph190 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 6:15 am

Yep, trim pins are removed. They were a horrendous pain to remove as well.

The boat was sitting around for several years before I got it. The sterndrive is pretty corroded in several areas.

I can't do the trim method because I had to cut off one side of the hoses to remove a leaking trim hose (it was corroded to the cylinder so I cut the line to get a socket to slide on). I can't seem to get at the top end of that trim hose without removing the sterndrive, so if I can't remove the sterndrive without trim then I'm really stuck! :shock:

Guess I'll try hammering in some wooden wedges tonight. Fingers crossed.

Graham R · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 6:35 am

Yes, wooden wedges are your safest bet. At least you've managed to open up a gap to drive them into. Good luck !

Before reassembly, I'd recommend you check the engine alignment. My previous (2004) boat was a long way out as it came from the factory in that respect; until I realised that, it was always a struggle to remove/ refit the outdrive.

LouC · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:35 am

You have my sympathy; that is one pain in the neck job. A neglected sterndrive boat can be nightmarish because of things like that. For more ideas go over to:
Iboats fourms; there are sections for Merc, Volvo and OMC; read through them all because they are all (except the old style Volvo AQ) prone to this problem if the bellows leaks or the drive is never serviced.
And of course Graham is right about the alignment. On mine I take off the 6 nuts, trim ram rod give it 2 tugs and it slides off. Getting it on can still be a pain because the U joints hang up on the bellows...bit o grease helps.

jph190 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2016 8:06 am

Welp hammering in wooden wedges was a big fail. They pretty much just broke.

Rigged up a makeshift trim system with two car jacks and progress is underway...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9y1jX ... cslist_api

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9y1jX ... cslist_api

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9y1jX ... cslist_api

LouC · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2016 4:18 pm

Looks like you're making progress. When the wood wedges won't work, that's about the only way you can get it to move. I used a similar method to separate the upper and lower gear housings to clean out the water intake area (barnacles growing causing higher than normal operating temps). I used a piece of all thread thru the trim ram rod hole in the upper gear housing with a scissors jack under each side. Then put 2 half in bolts through the lower mounting holes in the front end of the lower unit, one jack under those. Gradually jack each one and it just popped off.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uddmy0ske6lyg ... +upper.JPG

You may eventually have to do this because on the Volvos the lower grommet for the water transfer tube deteriorates and then you get low raw water intake flow.

jph190 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 27, 2016 6:18 am

Man, that picture almost makes mine look clean!

Thinking about picking up something like this. The spreader attachment in particular looks helpful...

http://m.harborfreight.com/4-ton-heavy- ... 20provided

tymorrissette · **Joined:** Tue May 31, 2011 10:03 am **Posts:** 225

I have seen others do something similar by attaching a come-along to the drive leg and then to something sturdy (tree, back of a truck). Then slowly apply tension. Corrosion is what is killing you here...taking it over every year after this and lubing everything will make it almost "falloff" going forward.

Good luck!

LouC · **Posted:** Wed Apr 27, 2016 9:22 am

Someone on iboats did it that way, but you have to be careful, have a spotter watching for you. Believe it or not this also happens with outboards, the driveshaft splines can rust into the powerhead and if you can't get it off, you wind up drilling a hole through the mid section, and cutting the driveshaft with a sawzall. Then you have to replace the midsection, driveshaft and remove the power head to get the stub of cut off driveshaft out.
If you R+R this thing every year, and grease the driveshaft splines with OMC/Bombardier/Evinrude triple guard grease, you will not ever have that problem again. On the Volvo, the other place where they can get corroded on is right where the mounting studs come out of the pivot housing. You put a nice coat of the same grease all round that area to prevent the drive from corroding to the pivot housing. The OMC design (that Volvo copied) has a gasket there so it does not corrode.

One thing Merc has that OMC/Volvo does not, is a grease fitting on the coupler, that would at least allow you to grease the coupler splines if you could not get to pulling it off one year. If you can even reach it back there lol.

I can say that after one season, the grease I put on the driveshaft, is almost gone. This is why you need to do it each season. The constant sliding in and out, just uses up the grease and then (probably at the end of 2 seasons worth) there is no more lubrication.

I mention this, because even you fresh water trailer guys, are tempting fate if you never take it off. Keep in mind that grease on the splines, gets used up. Then you have moisture and condensation (just from the air) and corrosion follows. Because unlike the clutch pressure plate/input shaft on a stick shift car that you drive often, this driveshaft splines/coupler does not move for months on end when the boat is stored, so the corrosion can really take hold.

PS here's what it looks like re-painted. Yeah one day I will get ambitious and strip it all down. 15+ years of being moored in salt water. If you do all the maintenance they do last.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/f6777spyd01u8 ... +Cobra.JPG

jph190 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 29, 2016 9:15 am

So this kit is pretty awesome...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9y1jX ... cslist_api

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9y1jX ... cslist_api

And this is the result...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9y1jX ... cslist_api

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9y1jX ... cslist_api

$#|++++++++++!

GottWhat · **Posted:** Fri Apr 29, 2016 10:00 am

Well, that sucks.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Fri Apr 29, 2016 10:11 am

ok so this tells us that the shaft splines are bound. so you need to get to the back of the engine and get some penetrating oil into the splin joint.

the luck thing is that aluminum end cap that secures the shaft and gear is not expensive to replace.

so now work on the drive shaft and get it freed. penetration oil is your new friend. This may take a few days and multiple treatments to soak

www.iFourWinns.com

Stern drive won't come off

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