Trojan Boat Forum

I am installing dripless shaft logs. Had a hard time getting the couplers off the shafts. I cleaned up the shafts and the couplers. Got the starboard one back on the shaft. The problem is the port side will not go back on. I am going to try the idea I found in some old posts of putting the coupler in the oven and heating it to 400 degrees. My question is should I also try cooling the shaft with ice or dry ice? If I use dry ice, will it cause any problem by getting the shaft so cold?

You won't be able to get it cold enough to damage anything in the boat. What you plan should work well, heat oneside cool the other.

I just went the route of using GFO dripless packing a straight swap while in the water...
This for other's info.....
http://gfopacking.com/

ready123 wrote:You won't be able to get it cold enough to damage anything in the boat. What you plan should work well, heat oneside cool the other.

I just went the route of using GFO dripless packing a straight swap while in the water...
This for other's info.....
http://gfopacking.com/

Exactly what he said , but I would just try heat the coupler first and if you cool the shaft be careful with the dry ice , not sure how the dripless seals would react to extreme cold .

Also, if you use dry ice make sure you have plenty of ventilation. Dry ice is carbon dioxide and the carbon dioxide gas can asphyxiate a person in an enclosed space.

I put couplers on shaft using heat only, I used 350 degree and it worked, used a brass hammer to tap it on until the set screw dimples lined up. I did not cool shaft as I figured it would heat up pretty quick anyway and did not want it pulling the heat any faster from coupler. (Bob at Beacon calls these couplers as lightly pressed on, NOT)


Just a tip when installing pressed on bearings the heat deal works well there as well but use 250 degree so you don't fry the seal and cool the assembly in freezer if you can get your wife to let you. They will drop right on.

I tried heating the coupler and cooling the shaft. Had the coupler to 378 degrees and the shaft to 19 degrees. It still would not go on. Had a friend put it on his lathe and check it out. He found that the forward end was quite a bit smaller than the aft end. He turned it to the same size. It went on with some moderate tapping with a hammer. I had looked at several videos on UTube about installing couplers. After turning the coupler, it appeared to go on about the same as the videos.

It came off it should have gone back on . Could you have mixed up the couplers side to side and one side had a tapered shaft ?

No, I did them one at a time. Yes, I thought that since it came off, it should have gone back on, but it would not.