Monte Carlo 770 drive shaft removal

[pat7]

I need some advice on best way to remove the drive shaft on 1996 Monte Carlo 770. I need to replace the floating shaft seals and bearing. Have already removed the impeller and stator (came off as one assembly) and can see the splined rear end of driveshaft sticking out the back. The front end of the driveshaft goes into a 3" diameter coupling on the engine, but doesn't want to come out. I have tried to pull it directly out - no luck. I have tried to unscrew the shaft CCW - but won't budge.
How does this remove???? What tools needed?
Is a grease fitting needed to lube this bearing?

Also, my original problem was boat filling with water (from bad shaft seal). I couldn't get speed up above a crawl even with engine racing. Is this to be expected with a hull full of water?

[Bryan Glynn]

Remove all the clamps on the shaft, and pull hard - it comes out.

Yes, that's expected with a few hundred pounds (8 lbs./gallon of water in the hull.

[pat7]

Thanks for quick reply. I've tried everything to pull the shaft out, bar but it's locked in too tight to the coupling. There are two flats on the shaft about half inch behind the coupling, which made me think it should screw out. But I tried using the flats with a wrench and pry bar to pry the shaft straight out but no movement at all. What next? I'm not the type to give up....

[Bryan Glynn]

No, the shaft doesn't screw out - I don't know what to tell you execpt find some way to grip it better and pull it out...maybe someone else has a tip...

[skirider]

I just removed the driveshaft on my 97 Daytona and like Bryan says just pull. It took me several times and finally I put my feet on the trailer and pulled like hell and out it came. No special tricks just brute force. [img]graemlins/angryfire.gif[/img]

[pat7]

Thanks for the tips, but still no luck. I clamped a heavy rope to the shaft in front of the splines using a hose clamp and using a car scissor jack jacked the shaft backward. It moved back about 2" - thought I had it, but it was just pulling the engine back on its mounts. Used penetrating oil and pounded on the coupling also, but there's no way this shaft is budging. I suspect dealer will have same problem if I take it in. I am now thinking of unbolting the engine mounts and sliding the engine forward. Hopefully the shaft will come completely out of the hole in the hull. This will allow me to slide on a new seal/bearing assembly from the back end. Any reason this won't work? Anything to watch out for?

[stylin99]

I think there is some confusion here. My 96 Montego sounds to be the same setup. The coupling is SCREWED onto the driveshaft for mine. You have to unscrew the coupling first to get the entire draft shaft out. You'll need a 17mm wrench on the "2 flats" on the driveshaft you speak of. Get yourself a pry bar of some sort and lodge it into the coupling. Twist the coupling off counter clockwise with some serious force. Don't bust any knuckles in the process. You may need those later. :D The wrench should lock into place against the hull to hold it steady for you. Again this is assuming it is like mine. Good luck.

[Bryan Glynn]

You have your terms confused.

The driveshaft is splined and simply slides into the coupler. The coupler is threaded and screws onto the crankshaft. When you remove the rear pump nozzles, the driveshaft is supposed to slide right out.

[stylin99]

I must have a different housing then. They arctic cat guys said I had a '95 housing in a 96 ski since it was one of the earlier models. I had taken the entire housing out to work on it before removing the impeller or driveshaft. Once the impeller was off, I had to get the coupling off the driveshaft end. It definitely screwed on. I put it in a vise and used a bar to twist the coupling off counter clockwise. It was stuck on there pretty good but it finally gave way and I unscrewed the rest of the way. I must have the oddball setup. :D

[skirider]

Bryan,
Is it possible that he has had the replacement kit installed? If so this would account for the threaded end to the coupler as this is exactly how they changed it on my 97 Daytona (was splined now is threaded)?

[Bryan Glynn]

It's possible - although Pat7 never mentioned a dampener. Pat7 - do you have a rubber dampener between two fingered couplers? Or does the shaft go straight into the engine coupler?

[stylin99]

I know mine has a rubber dampener between the two couplers. What does that mean? Is that not factory?

[Bryan Glynn]

It means it has a factory updated part. If a ski had to go in for any pump work, they were required to replace the driveshaft and coupler system with the new dampened system. I don't know exactly why, all I know is it's a pain in the butt IDing tigershark couplers now. There are 6 combinations.

[ September 25, 2001: Message edited by: Bryan Glynn ]</p>

[titanic]

The reason is the original shafts were snapping (tearing) right in half. Later they tried sharing common componets on the Montego with the 770 series skis to cut down on different parts. It made 95-96 models hard to get parts right when ordering. [img]graemlins/cwm3.gif[/img]

[stylin99]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Bryan Glynn:
It means it has a factory updated part. If a ski had to go in for any pump work, they were required to replace the driveshaft and coupler system with the new dampened system. I don't know exactly why, all I know is it's a pain in the butt IDing tigershark couplers now. There are 6 combinations.

[ September 25, 2001: Message edited by: Bryan Glynn ]<hr></blockquote>

Thanx brian. That explains it. Nice to know that my ski's been thru major repairs before.
:(