nwboater
Senior Member
I've been living (and cruising!) with a shaft misalignment problem going back to when my Willard was repowered in 2007. Presently, the aft end of the engine oil pan is touching the concrete ballast below. I need to raise the engine at least an inch but this will only increase the misalignment between gear flange and shaft. Has anyone installed a flexible coupling that can handle prop trust and correct for misalignment? I started with Aquadrive, but too expensive. I have also considered swapping the velvet drive gear for a down-angle ZF tranny with a dropped output shaft...also expensive and labor intensive.
At the moment I'm considering the Marine Joint (an actual CV joint) made by Powertrain Industries based in the Netherlands. Here is a blurb about the Marine Joint: "A super flexible coupling for use between marine transmissions and propeller shafts. The technology is based on the standard front wheel drive joint on cars. Very simple and quick installation with a significant reduction of noise. Takes up to 8°." Is anyone using one of these...or a CV joint between gear and shaft WITHOUT a trust bearing a la Aquadrive?
At the moment I'm considering the Marine Joint (an actual CV joint) made by Powertrain Industries based in the Netherlands. Here is a blurb about the Marine Joint: "A super flexible coupling for use between marine transmissions and propeller shafts. The technology is based on the standard front wheel drive joint on cars. Very simple and quick installation with a significant reduction of noise. Takes up to 8°." Is anyone using one of these...or a CV joint between gear and shaft WITHOUT a trust bearing a la Aquadrive?