Home › Forum › Ask A Member › 1965 Fastwin gear case re-seal
- This topic has 6 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 2 months ago by
fleetwin.
-
AuthorPosts
-
February 5, 2021 at 9:59 am #229565
Good day, members and guests.
After reducing my fastwin to parts and nuts and bolts, I’m getting ready to reseal the lower unit .
…. only, I can’t get any of the seals out (rear propshaft carrier, shift shaft bushing, upper gearcase seal).
This motor sat for more than 10 years with its lower unit stuck in St. Lawrence mud. Lots of lime deposits on the outside of the motor, only mild pitting inside.
Shift shaft bushing: I’ve tapped it, inserted a long bolt from the top and tried to drive it out from the bottom with a long steel rod the diameter of the shift rod, and I’ve used a claw hammer and small crowbar to try to pry out the long bolt from the top. Added heat and PB Blaster and left it for a week and tried again… no luck . I could bolt it to my drill press and drill it out, but I don’t want to take the risk of going through the bottom of the bushing and destroying the housing. Not to mention the lack of having the correct size drill to do the job.
Propshaft seal: PB Blaster followed by creating 2 holes in the seal brass flange and use them to pry the seal out. Vice grips on the edge of the flange, using a steel flat bar to prevent damaging the housing. Heat and repeat PB blaster. No joy there either.
Driveshaft seal: PB Blaster followed by creating 2 holes in the seal brass flange. I won’t go any further until the other 2 issues are resolved.
Any thoughts?
February 5, 2021 at 12:10 pm #229571This tool is what I use for the shift shaft seal. Also works to install. I use a lever type seal puller for the other two.
February 6, 2021 at 5:44 am #229635The drive and prop shaft seals are just plain tough to get out. I have seal pullers, and small jaw pullers for my slide hammer, as well as a torch. These usually just break up the brass seal cases and leave a mangled mess left, in the hole. I put on my patience cap, grab a small, half round cold chisel and start picking carefully away at it. If you can fold in the sides of the shell enough, it will come out, eventually.
Long live American manufacturing!
February 6, 2021 at 9:47 am #229652If you’re doing a complete tear down of the lower unit, I’ve had
luck using a Dremel with a little stone to weaken the wall of the
seal (after the rubber top is ripped off), then cave in the seal wall
with a little chisel, etc. If you’re lucky, you won’t leave a scratch
on the housing the seal is in.Prepare to be boarded!
February 6, 2021 at 10:42 am #229656Since the shift shaft bushing is threaded now, a short piece of threaded rod can be screwed into it and a steel plate with a hole in the middle can be placed over the top of the housing followed by a nut which is then wound down the end of the rod sticking out of the plate. Tightening the nut against the plate should draw the bushing out. A replacement bushing may be needed after doing this. Another way is to jam two nuts together on a piece of 1/4″ threaded rod and grind them down to 5/16″ diameter and stick the rod thru the bushing from the bottom. A plate and another nut will then be used to try and draw it out from the top.
In all cases, heat might be needed to help loosen any corrosion or old sealer holding the seals in place. A small pin punch can be sharpened to a 45° angle to help get the seals loose once the main body of them has been removed or if they get torn.
February 7, 2021 at 8:23 pm #229839Thanks guys.
I have the appropriate tools… it’s just that they’re 100 miles away in another country. I already have too many tools, so I either have to borrow or make do without until Mr. Trudeau allows me to travel .
I have a new shift-shaft bushing and have already set up a threaded rod and steel plate to try to the old one out.I was hoping that there was some other magic the crowd has tried.
This is the same motor with the broken flywheel hub that was epoxied to the crankshaft taper…. uphill all the way.
I am using a small punch with a 1/16 end and dremel at the very top of the propshaft seal. I figure if I do (god forbid) bite too far into the seal casing and hit the carrier wall it won’t be catastrophic because the new seal is about 1/2 the height of the old.
February 8, 2021 at 1:09 pm #229912The drive and prop shaft seals are just plain tough to get out. I have seal pullers, and small jaw pullers for my slide hammer, as well as a torch. These usually just break up the brass seal cases and leave a mangled mess left, in the hole. I put on my patience cap, grab a small, half round cold chisel and start picking carefully away at it. If you can fold in the sides of the shell enough, it will come out, eventually.
Bill is sooo right, these seals are a pain on their best day, even with the factory seal puller tools. I recommend avoiding the pry bar methods, these aluminum castings are thin and will crumble before you get the seal out. Like Bill says, the slide hammer pullers usually just end up bending the metal seal lip upwards so nothing can grab on it. Yes, it is best to pull the rubber out of the seal before attempting to pull it out…Dave B made me a couple of pullers with expandable collets to help draw the seal up and out. But, the seal lips often bend up even with these tools, usually takes a few attempts. And, you need a different puller for each of the various seal inner diameters…
Another method I have had success with is bending an old screw driver at a 90 degree angle and coming at the seal from underneath. Remove the plastic screwdriver handle then tap against the seal lip from underneath. Again, you must be careful, the screwdriver shaft usually hits one side of the underside of the casting while tapping, you could bung up a bushing….But, even this method tends to bend the seal lip up.
Don’t feel alone, this procedure is a wrestling match on its best day…. -
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
