Where to drill casing to access driveshaft/crank? OX66 250HP

[pstephens46]

folks it is called preventative maint. Yamaha outlines the basic procedure. from there folks like me with 40+ years of dealing with machines takes over.
you owned it 3 years and did NOTHING.
I call it.
FIRST thing you do when you buy a machine ,actually BEFORE you buy it, is have a PROFFESIONAL look at it.
not a cousin,not an aunt, not a brother-in-law who had a sister who's ex huspand fixed a tractor on a farm once.
PM is way cheaper than repairs.
that drive shaft is about 600 bucks on the counter.

I bet Yamaha sells more than a few of them every year too.

[DennisG01]

Wait a minute, Rodbolt. I appreciate all the advice you offer to the forum - I really do. I've learned things about this engine just by reading old posts of yours (and others) and therefore didn't have the need to post a question about... ie, Research. But to make it sound like I've done nothing and am just out there using the engine without any thoughts of maintenance is a huge exaggeration and assumption. Huge. In fact, just plain wrong. I openly said that it's my fault for not knowing it was so important to grease the shaft - granted I wasn't aware that it was a big issue, but not being aware is only the reason, not an excuse. But that mistake does not mean that I don't do maintenance. I feel like we're beating a dead horse in regards to this "not greasing thing". For what it's worth, it was really 2 years of ownership till I started trying to pull the lower unit - I just didn't post/ask about it right away.

And, I think it's safe to say that we all, at some point, didn't know the shaft needed to be greased so often. But there was a point when ALL OF US did not know. We don't know, till we know... you now? Some of us just found the answer earlier in life than others.

Although the initial question was only regards to where the driveshaft/crankshaft union was physically located, I do appreciate the extra information that has been gained from the discussion. For example (and there are other examples), learning that the driveshaft is accessible to be cut off without doing any cutting or damage to anything else.

[DennisG01]

Dennis, If you've had it for 3 years (no re-grease), and who knows when it's been serviced (for real), sounds like you may be in the same boat as Panasonic...

I think I'd try the previous run / vibrate procedure and if it comes off, great. If not, button it up until you HAVE TO CUT if off and hope the crank splines are salvageable..

Yeah, I think that is the plan. I'm still planning on cutting an access hole, though, as I think that "could" help. Unless when I look at it closer I see that cutting a hole would cause a bigger issue.

[99yam40]

I still do not think gravity will allow the penetrating fluid from going up hill much at all.

But keep us informed on how things go

[boscoe99]

I still do not think gravity will allow the penetrating fluid from going up hill much at all.

But keep us informed on how things go

Stuff has been known to wick up metal. If a plastic tube can be bent such that a penetrating fluid can be sprayed on the drive shaft where it fits into the crank shaft then the hope is that the fluid will wick up into the splined bore of the crank shaft. We are speculating that this might happen of course. When you got few good options, then desperation time sets in. I can think of many possibilities I would try before I got to the point of cutting the drive shaft.

[TownsendsFJR1300]

There's absolutely nothing to loose trying it...

I would, WAY before hacking up anything.

**RB's on a time schedule, time is $, (and customer satisfaction) your not... Your time, your machine, your pocket book..

As noted, it happens all the time, your not the first and certainly not the last.

**If you spend a half a day screwing with it and succeed, GREAT. If it doesn't work, ok cut it. Nothing lost..

[DennisG01]

I've had good luck with the penetrating fluid wicking it's way uphill on other things. Sort of the same way water will wick upwards if you put a string or a strip of paper towel into a glass of water, yet keep part of the string/towel above the water. Of course, whether this is going to be enough to do the trick will remain to be seen.

I've yet to 100% confirm this, but it's starting to seem like my idea of building a "dam" around the driveshaft/crankshaft union may not work as easy as I had thought. I had originally thought that the crankshaft female "socket" extended BELOW the base of the powerhead. But (similar to what I said above), in all of the pictures I can find of a powerhead (loose/not mounted), it appears they are always sitting flat on something... which means the socket may actually be flush with the bottom of the powerhead. If that's the case, I'll just need to keep spraying it over the course of a few days or a week before running it. I'm thinking, though, that something like Rydlyme might be better... or maybe just use a little bit of everything! Anyone have any seriously slated up components that are junk? Wanna send them to me so I can play around with formulations ahead of time?

[TownsendsFJR1300]

The PB Blaster you posted about earlier is about the best stuff I've used for badly rusted parts...

[rodbolt17]

you really think the laws of gravity can be suspended in this case?
that fluid is gonna have to wick up about 2 inches.
aint gonna happen.
but I digress.
having only done 50 or more I can tell you the drilling of a hole is not the best plan.
I have been certified in chysler,force,mercruiser,Volvo penta,Honda,Yamaha,mariner,Tohatsu,Suzuki, and mercury over the years. all of them suffered stuck shafts here and there.

[DennisG01]

you really think the laws of gravity can be suspended in this case?
that fluid is gonna have to wick up about 2 inches.
aint gonna happen.
but I digress.
having only done 50 or more I can tell you the drilling of a hole is not the best plan.
I have been certified in chysler,force,mercruiser,Volvo penta,Honda,Yamaha,mariner,Tohatsu,Suzuki, and mercury over the years. all of them suffered stuck shafts here and there.

Believe me, I'm so no naive to think that a penetrating fluid is magic-in-a-can. If it was, peole smarter than me would have already been doing this. However, I do think there's a possiblity that the fluid can soften, to at least some degree, the salt build up. It will soak into the corrosion and stick around for a bit. If I keep at it for a period of time, the only thing that "could" happen is that it helps the situation so when I run the boat, there's a better possibility that things loosen up. I know, fully well, going into this that nothing is guaranteed. And, regardless, of the outcome, I will be sure to post back.

I totally understand your position. You're being paid to get results... not for "maybe's". And I'm sure most customers would frown on a hole being cut into the side of the casing. I'm in a different boat right now - I'm not under a time constraint to get this done, nor does it "have" to get done in order to use the boat. I also don't have an issue with a hole in the side of the casing. I can coat the cut edges with epoxy to keep corrosion away, then I can affix a patch plate over the hole. From a functional standpoint, unless I'm missing something (until I look at things closer, anyways), there shouldn't be any ill-effects from this.

[DennisG01]

Quick question... if one can reach the driveshaft from the front of the engine with a sawzall (from the front... that is the way it's done, right?), then I should be able to reach it by extending the "straw" on the fluid can? And if I put a small, 90* bend in the end of this extended straw, that should allow me to do the same thing as cutting a hole in the case? Am I thinking of that correctly?

[boscoe99]

Quick question... if one can reach the driveshaft from the front of the engine with a sawzall (from the front... that is the way it's done, right?), then I should be able to reach it by extending the "straw" on the fluid can? And if I put a small, 90* bend in the end of this extended straw, that should allow me to do the same thing as cutting a hole in the case? Am I thinking of that correctly?

I thought you were wanting to cut a hole so you could get a saw on the drive shaft? Were you talking about a hole for some other purpose? Say to spray penetrating oil up in the crank shaft bore?

[pstephens46]

Quick question... if one can reach the driveshaft from the front of the engine with a sawzall (from the front... that is the way it's done, right?), then I should be able to reach it by extending the "straw" on the fluid can? And if I put a small, 90* bend in the end of this extended straw, that should allow me to do the same thing as cutting a hole in the case? Am I thinking of that correctly?

Not sure if I am reading this correctly. The only cutting I have seen is between the lower and midsection. You at least have to have a gap between the two wide enough to slide the blade. Are you asking if it is to be cut at the top next to engine pan? Did you look at the Instagram site I posted. Google "strictlyyamaha" You can see some pics there.

[DennisG01]

I thought you were wanting to cut a hole so you could get a saw on the drive shaft? Were you talking about a hole for some other purpose? Say to spray penetrating oil up in the crank shaft bore?

Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough, previously. Yes, that is correct. The initial thought for the reasoning behind cutting a hole in the casing is to get good access to the crankshaft bore. But I'm only imagining all this as I have yet to see an actual picture of where exactly the bore is (how far below, if at all, the bore is below the powerhead). From the pictures I have found on the net of loose powerheads, they all seem to be sitting flat on a workbench or some other surface... which leads me to believe that the bore is flush with the powerhead.

[99yam40]

yes the area that Rod talks about cutting the shaft on the top is close to the crankshaft, but I have no idea how close.
Maybe he will say how much of a stub is left sticking out of the crank that he drills and threads to use a puller on