Drive shaft corrosion

[JR]

A year ago I had to replace my driveshaft on my 15" mid/sportmaster due to corrosion eating away at the sealing surface to the top Gearcase seal. I just put my boat in for it's "Annual" and the new driveshaft is looking worse than the 5 year old one that it replaced. We are going to paint the shaft [instead of just greasing it] to try and get another year out of it. It seems a shame that Merc does not understand corrosion after all of these years in the Marine business.
The shafts and gearsets are too expensive to change every year....
JR

 

[Thomas H]

Check on the S & F site. I think there is something called "Speedy Sleeve" or similiar which will let you repair your drive shaft. Maybe the experts can chime in with the correct name and details like where to buy, how to use, etc.

 

[fishnfireman]

Yes you would think they could figure it out by now.. It seems the newer ones are worse.

Had the one you replaced started leaking ?

I have had several over the years that looked bad right down to the edge of the seal but as far as I know they never leaked..

I have a near new SS that came out of a busted gearcase (insurance deal) I have no use for anymore...Might could make you a good deal..

 

[JR]

My first one did leak, due to a pit under the top seal. I had a gearcase with water so I decided to change bearings/gearset. I had this one painted with zinc chromate to try and extend it's life. I might be interested in the 15" shaft that you have, if I decide to keep this motor. Please PM me with price and info.
Thanks,
JR

 

[jimmyb]

are you running in any salty water?

 

[chad202]

I had the bad area cut down and spray welded with alluminum-bronze, no more problem.

 

[JR]

My salt water voyages always end with many miles of fresh water. The old drive shaft did spend 2 nights in saltwater [followed by a flush]. The new one has very little salt exposure, mostly lakes and the Suwannee. It has spent several nights in the Suwannee, which is mostly spring fed [water]. I have changed the bracket anode already [it cracked].
JR

 

[fishnfireman]

None of mine have ever seen salt water.. Yet every time I have put a new impeller on a sprtsmaster and you see the amount of pitting above the seal. **It's kinda sad**

JR-- I am at the fire station tomorrow. I will try to get by the shop Friday and get the SS---Pull it out and ck it over..

 

[JR]

Thanks much.
JR

 

[Yellowallison]

JR!!!!!!!

YeP.. the HP DRIVESHAFTS these days are made with some kind of CHITTY metal that only last bout yr or so... and at $16,000 for a new motor and 20 yrs of building them - you think they figured out which metals pit. banghead

But JR if yu'll take tha driveshaft over to LINDY's machine shop and have it sprayed and turn back down.. Whatever kind of metal they spray'm with stops the corrision.. :razz

I done 4-5 that way....

Also.. the stock drive shafts don't pit like the HP do because thier made of different type metal.

 

[JR]

Scott,
that is what Curtis was telling me, that the stock ones don't rust. He of course defended Mercury, since in Curtis's eyes, Merc can do no wrong.

I will take mine on the next Spring annual and have have Liddy's plasma spray [clad] it. I was always afraid that the heat would weaken it.

We had some of the Trane 100 HP 8-cylinder [E-model] recip compressors that would shear the crankshafts off if we used the plasma spray on them to build up the journals.

Thanks for the Tip,
JR

 

[jimmyb]

the merc racing shafts are made from a high quality carbon steel. Will they corrode? yes. do they break? not often. Remember the 2.5L gearcases that you guys are running could have been ran on a 150 promax all the way to a drag motor... so that is why they were built with a carbon steel driveshaft.

Standard production uses a friction welded shaft. It has a stainless steel middle section, with carbon steel ends (cause the splined ends need to be carbon steel, otherwise they will shear).

 

[JR]

Jimmy, I understand that, but my old one was a '98 and lasted up until a little over a year ago and sat in salt water 4-5 times for a couple of nights at a time [at the Dunedin Yacht Club]. It did not break. The new one hasn't had a salt bath and is in as bad a shape as it. I think their metalurigist needs to go to "rehab" just like every one else nowadays...
JR

 

[froggy]

JR,

What metalurgist? (he,he,he).

The guy that throws empty beercans into the melted aluminum pot (*used to cast sportmasters) doesn't count.

froggy