HELP! Broken Driveshaft Stuck in Powerhead

[ERock82]

I broke my driveshaft on my 1995 40hp Force outboard. It broke in half right on the top at the splines. About 2 inches of it is stuck inside the powerhead. I have removed the powerhead and tried several things. I sprayed a ton of WD 40 in it, tried magnets and JB Welding a screw on to pull out. Also tried drilling holes to pull out all with NO LUCK. It may be seized in there or it is possible some metal bent enough to make it stick in there tight.

It looks like I may have to separate the case and remove the crank shaft to do this. If I were to do this, how would I get it out? Can I just remove the lower main crankshaft bearing or is this actually stuck in the main crank shaft itself? I could then just buy a new bearing and not worry about removing it from there. I am not going to buy a new shaft. If that's the case, I'll part the motor.

If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know. Also, what would a machine shop charge to do this and how would they do this? I can try drilling further in but with my 18volt drill it would take hours and break several bits. Thanks.

 

[racerone]

It is stuck in the crankshaft.-----Lack of maintenance results in rust jamming this up.-------Welding a nut on there and using a hefty slide hammer may work.

 

[ERock82]

Hey racerone, It just got stuck a week ago when the driveshaft broke. It is not from lack of maintenance or rust. Do you think it is possible the metal moved during the break and is causing it from releasing off the spines in the crank shaft? Welding is not an option.....I would have to scrap the motor if I need a new crankshaft. Crankshaft, driveshaft, and pinion gear on a Force doesn't make sense to fix.

By any chance, do you know how much time it might take on ebay to part out that motor? (Only main parts...i.e. powerhead, gears, lower unit housing, mid section, etc.) If I could make 3-400 in 3-4 months just listing and waiting on ebay I would probably take that route if I can't get this piece out.

 

[pckeen]

Hi ERock - it takes me about 2-3 hours to strip down an outboard, then another 1-3 hours to get everything that is usable listed. Some parts sell quickly, others sit and never sell, others might take a year or more to sell. There is a relatively small market of people who are looking for used parts for old used outboards - fewer stills for motors like Force engines that didn't have the greatest reputation to begin with. Smaller motor parts seem to sell quicker than larger motors. Don't bother listing anything that has a defect, as people are much less inclined to buy. Having said all this - it's worth doing, but it can be a long wait.

 

[byacey]

Center drill it and tap it for a grease nipple. When you pump grease in with a grease gun, the hydraulic pressure should drive the broken piece out. If it's stubborn, tap it deeper so you can thread in a bolt to pull on.

 

[Jiggz]

I'll say do a close inspection of the splines to make sure they are all straight and still aligned. If they are not aligned or are twisted it will be close to impossible to pull the remaining part of the drive shaft without ruining all the splines. If the splines are still aligned and straight, I'll do the following:
1. Drill the center deep enough to at least have three full threads (more is better) for a 3/8 threaded stock or at least 5/16 thread stock.
2. Use a horizontal bar from a gear puller with the appropriate hole for the threaded stock.
3. Use couple of nuts to pull the remaining part, i.e like a jack screw. Two screws on top of the threaded stock threaded against each other to keep the stock from turning while another nut is used against a collar (or the horizontal bar) to lift the stock which will be threaded into the now tapped remain of the drive shaft.

Oh btw, make sure you are using Cobalt drill bits for drilling the hole.

 

[rivermouse]

How do you know that that is the only thing that will need to be fixed? It did break for some reason right? You are messing with some very hard metal too which makes it worse.