TRS drive install
 

Please help, what is the trick? I have fought and fought this for hours. Alignment tool goes in perfect. It's like since the shaft is tapered it sits just low enough that it won't start.
I have slammed on alphas bravos omcs etc with no issue ever but this is brutal. Tried tape, string to pull up shaft, everything and now I am completely spent.

Sometimes they go right on, sometimes they fight. I've had the same drive go right in first time, then the next time I spend an hour fiddling with it. Best to use something to hold the drive in the air while you fiddle with the shaft until it finally goes in, like a cherry picker engine hoist or drive jack.

Ok, I have an engine hoist so I could use that. Also the seal for the lube resovoir is so easy to damage I put a temporary steel plate over it in case it does go in all at once.

I'm thinking of drilling a couple small holes just behind the coupler to put in a screwdriver to lift the shaft a bit so it can start in. This is totally ridiculous.

twisted splines?

No splines are all good. What I don't get is that they look and work like an alpha/bravo but I've never had this issue with those drives when the alignment tool slides in no problem. There is just a slight spline mark in the grease 360 degrees around it with zero resistance going in and out

then, twisted / slightly bent aligment tool? i had that problem one time!!!

Ahh, nope keep the suggestions coming though!! I recently set a 454 in a bravo boat and used it without issue as well as checking an alpha boat. That tool is thick and would take some serious abuse to bend it.

Where is the boat?

I have 1 drive that fights me all the time. It appears that at one time the tailstock bearing seized and spun on the input shaft. It is a few thousandths smaller in that area. I take 1 or 2 wraps of electrical tape and put it on the input shaft so as the electrical tape is centering the shaft right before it engages. You might have to trial and error where the tape need to be. I believe when mine stops dead I can see the location on the shaft where it is in the bearing.

Bath, maine. 502s I met you at the sandbar on sebago 2 years ago

Man I tried building up electric tape where the taper was but no luck. I am brutally stubborn an will get it

MASOMAN, thanks for the pm, your inbox was full. I can try that as well.

I remember. I thought the boat was up here near Sebago. I am up for the weekend and was going to offer you a hand!

My starboard drive used to give me trouble. I used to put a chain on the transmission and put just a little tension on it. This would help significantly. Keeping working it and be gentle I found trying to force it just makes it want to bind even more. The tape trick also helps!

Thanks
Jim

I know what you mean. It took me 4 hrs once and then out of nowhere it slipped in like it was buttered.

Have you tried having someone move the prop back and forth as you are putting it on?

I feel your pain, been there many times. Sometimes they fall right in and other times they fight. I have wrapped the u-joint yoke with masking tape to keep the yoke straight. That does work and never seen issues with the tape remnants, (just flings off and stays in the bellow) Konrad used to make a tapered cone adapter that slid over the TRS shaft. This worked really well as it guided the yoke past the tail shaft bearing and into the spline.

Yes we were wiggling/turning the prop as we went

Ok thanks for the input and offer. Have fun this weekend.

Well it's good to know I'm not alone haha. I sent you a pm on a related note

Tried everything. In the end masking tape worked and it went very easy. Now I'll just be thinking about the masked up u joints spinning at 5k haha

Thanks for the help

Glad you got it to go together! The first time you trim the drive that tape will snap right off! Then it will just sit there!

Make sure you have the washer in front of the spring on the shaft