Shaft Flange problem

[Dandy]

The PO removed the transmission, I have since purchased a new one. In order to remove the transmission, a shaft flange located about mid-shaft and accessible through the deck access port in the aft cabin, must be unbolted. That was done by removing the four bolts holding it to the bulkhead aft of the fuel tank. I am trying to secure the bolts again but can't seem to find a nut or threaded plate on the other side. Can anyone help with this issue?

[Beta Don]

A27 or A25?

Don

[DesertAlbin736]

Must be a 27. Sure doesn't look anything like the A25 prop shaft arrangement I'm familiar with.

[Dandy]

1986 A -27 with Nissan LD 28

[JT48348]

I have the same configuration. In a previous post for your previous owner (I think?) I believe I posted several photos of the shaft flange set up. My fuel tank and aft cabin are removed and I have access to everything so I may be able to answer what you're looking for.

I believe this is the thread here. Look through all the pages and you will see my photos. I have since taken mine apart and can advise further--although I haven't reinstalled since I have no engine yet.

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=8573

[Beta Don]

I had a stuffing box bolted on that bulkhead in my early ('84) 27 with the 4 cylinder. I wanted to remove it but was unsure of what the bolts were threaded into, so I stuck a camera in the keel through the port in the aft cabin floor and took a few pictures. The backside of mine was similar to the photos JT posted, except I had two nuts welded to a short stainless bar on each side, rather than all 4 welded to one piece like JT has

It looked like if I had taken the bolts out, the bar with the nuts would probably have fallen and not been there when it came time to put the bolts back in and since I had no access at all to the backside of that bulkhead, I elected not to take the bolts out

If your bolts are not finding anything to screw into, perhaps the plate with the nuts welded to it has moved and is no longer where it belongs? Maybe it slid down the shaft a ways? Hope this isn't the case and you find a simple solution, otherwise you're going to have to cut a hole to gain access to the back of that bulkhead

Don

[Dandy]

JT, thanks for the information. Yes that is my PO. My question now is, in line with what Don is suggesting as a possible problem, is the plate on which the nuts are welded secured somehow to the bulkhead? Not sure you can tell from what you have done so far. I cannot seem to locate the nuts. I poked a screwdriver into one of the holes and appeared to hit a metal plate of some sort; possibly the plate with the nuts turned in a way that the nuts are not aligned with the holes. If it is not secured, as Don noted on his boat, then I will need to figure out how to get ahold of the plate to position it in a way to get a bolt started into one of the nuts, if I can get that, then I can get the others. I am thinking that if the plate is loose, I may be able to grab it with a magnet and work it little by little until I find a nut. I am open to suggestions.

Thanks guys.

[WillieC]

My wild guess is like others'. The plate or plates (with welded nuts) have shifted and may even have dropped, or slid down the shaft. Can you get the bearing out of the way, move it toward the engine? Then reach through with wire, knitting needles, coat hangers with small hooks, anything to definitely snag that plate(s). Then using precut pieces of threaded rod (make 'em long enough, don't skimp) try to thread one each in two diagonal corners. Hopefully it is a one piece holder as shown in one of the threads above. Slide the bearing back down over your temp threaded rods, snug it up with rods, and with any luck you can put the correct bolts in the other two corners. Heck, you might just use threaded rod in all 4 corners and leave them long. Patience, or whack a big hole in the glass and get 'er dun.

[JT48348]

I climbed on the boat this am to take measurements and get u more photos. My flange bearing was unbolted by me to allow the shaft to move aft slightly when I removed the engine. The backing plate is on the engine side and my nuts are welded to the plate.

It's approximately 31" from the coupler to the backing plate and bulkhead. The bilge is approx 18" deep at the engine pan running aft to approximately 20" deep at the backing plate & bulkhead.

I would try this. Get the longest bolt u can that fits in the backing plate. Duct tape it to a 3' stick and try and thread it into one of the nuts from the engine side. Use the stick to rotate the plate to align with the holes and reattach the flange.

My backing plate & nuts are all stainless so a magnet won't work to fish it out of bilge if it dropped down there. Use a 36" pair of senior citizen grabbers--like one of those grabber claw things to fish it out of bilge. Hope that helps

I also believe if u had a small child or you were thin enough you could lay down and reach aft. If you're thin enough a person could get up under the fiberglass "box" that makes up the aft bulkhead of the engine compartment. You could then align the backing plate by hand and reassemble the flange bearing to the bulkhead

[Dandy]

The pictures are great JT, thanks. I think I have a different situation in my engine compartment. below are two pictures of the aft bulkhead of my engine compartment and a hole where the shaft comes through.

IMG_0627.JPG

IMG_0627.JPG

The last picture shows the transmission. The hole to the left is where the shaft comes through from the stern. I suppose that if I can get something like you describe through that hole, I may be able to reach the plate. Not sure I can get to a good enough vantage point to actually see through the hole though. Your pictures seem to suggest that I can cut that bulkhead out of a portion of it to get more room. I will have another look tomorrow.... or maybe Friday or Saturday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[tego]

Dandy, What dia is your shaft? My '87 is 1 1/2" and has no intermediate flange bearing between the tranny coupling and the stuffing box. Most of the early vessels had 1 1/4" shafts and must have run into a problem with the Nissan. Maybe shaft vibration or too much torque? I know Albin made some significant mold changes with the '87 and went to the twin 50 gal tanks under the settees instead of the single 72 gal center mount tank. It appears your flange bearing would be almost inaccessible under the center tank. You might have to remove the tank and cut an access to get to the bearing. Lordy, I hope not! Good luck! Ben