How to remove/install propeller shaft with ease ?

[Uncle-Pekka]

Folks,

When I pulled the transmission for OD installation, pulling of the propeller shaft made me uneasy thinking of installation.

 

The shaft was REALLY tight to pull backwards enough to get the flange past the bolts ends.

Taking it out must be easier because I could pry the flanges apart by lever in between them...

How do I compress the shaft to be able to slide it back on the flange bolts?

[TodFitch]

I don't recall ever having a problem compressing the U-joints to install or remove. On my car there are studs on the parking brake that you have to get by but the flange on the rear end is simply drilled. If yours is like that too then just remove the rear axle end first and on install do it last.

[Ulu]

Mine came out easily. Put jack stands under the rear frame and let the axle all the way down. That unloads the springs and it'll be much easier.

[desoto1939]

I think he has a combination of the Pin and Trunion on the front and the cross style on the rear  I know the 46 had this type of setup.  So he would need to still pull the rear and then do the fron because of the four bolts that hold the housing in place.

 

Rich Hartung

[Adam H P15 D30]

Maybe the grease in the trunion is hard as a rock. Since you have it out pull the tin covers off the ends, clean all the old stuff out and put new grease in the joints. I used cv joint grease on mine.

[Uncle-Pekka]

Mine came out easily. Put jack stands under the rear frame and let the axle all the way down. That unloads the springs and it'll be much easier.

 

Stupid me! Should have thought this. I put the car on stands on the rear axle. Just thought there would be more room underneath, but missed that propeller will be on thrust...

Thanks for pointing this out. I'll change the support for mounting.

/unkka

 

p.s.

Adam,

I will check the grease, thanks for reminder.

Rick,

Mine is late 1948, trunion on both ends, however, does not seem to compress much, may be the grease as Adam suggested.

[Ulu]

I had a feeling this was the issue.

 

BTW, I could not keep my trunion-type shaft in balance. I ended up having a custom spicer-style driveshaft made for it, and suddenly a car that was always vibrating above 45 MPH was smooth at 80 MPH.

[desoto1939]

I had a feeling this was the issue.

 

BTW, I could not keep my trunion-type shaft in balance. I ended up having a custom spicer-style driveshaft made for it, and suddenly a car that was always vibrating above 45 MPH was smooth at 80 MPH.

Did you use a local shop or did you go to the internet to get this made.  WHo made it for you and approx cost if you want to state the cost.

 

I have been thinking to get a modern DS for my 39 Desoto.  I have several complete kits and housings that I am looking to sell to help with the cost of getting the new DS.

 

Rich HArtung  Desoto1939@aol.com

[TodFitch]

I had a feeling this was the issue.

 

BTW, I could not keep my trunion-type shaft in balance. I ended up having a custom spicer-style driveshaft made for it, and suddenly a car that was always vibrating above 45 MPH was smooth at 80 MPH.

I had a semi-reverse experience.

 

Back in the late 70s the housings on my ball and trunnion type u-joints wore out and it was cheaper for me to have a local driveline shop make up a new propeller shaft. Worked fine at the time. By the way, the reason the housing wore was because the boots had failed. The original style u-joints are basically primitive CV joints and just like CV joints will wear out in a hurry if the a failed boot is not fixed immediately.

 

Shortly after I put the custom driveshaft in (maybe 3,000 miles driving with it) I took the car a part and did not manage to get it all back together for a lot of years. I put the 1970s "modern style" propeller shaft on when reassembling everything. Once back together I had a vibration around 50 MPH that was always there. Eventually I rebuilt the original driveshafts with new housings, etc. and installed it. The vibration went away.

 

So I don't think it is the design of the propeller shaft that causes an imbalance but rather the condition of the actual unit.

[Ulu]

@ Desoto:

 

I had it made by a small driveline shop in Visalia Calif about 1987, and it cost $300 then.

 

I designed it for 200 HP on a moderate duty cycle, from info in an old catalog at work.

 

They worked from my drawing but they made it a bit short. I put an aluminum spacer on each end to make the shaft 1/2" longer. It will need to be re-done now that the stance of the car is changing.

 

@ Tod:

 

I had worn joints & rotten boots so I bought all new housings, joints and boots, for about $240 in 1986. Probably from Bernbaum.

I set the shaft up and balanced it myself, and it was beautiful and smooth, until I smoked the tires over good one time.

 

That would jamb the pin off center 1/16" and the thing would wobble noisily over 45 MPH again.

 

I peened that pin at the middle and stuffed it back together. It went off again in a couple days.

I put a flat on it and stuck a set screw (eventually two!) in the knob to keep that pin centered. No way.

 

I decided it wasn't a suitable driveshaft for honking around and built the new one. (The rear joint never went crooked BTW)

 

Since I had all new balls, needles...everything, I went in search of a good shaft to put them on, but as luck would have it my shop buddy mistakenly scrapped the shaft out along with a '57 Chrysler shaft (strong!) that I'd bought with hopes of conversion. :-( 

 

As an aside, I balanced that original Detroit shaft about 7 times. After the 2nd time I would just cut the boot off with a razor, wash it in solvent, and glue it back on with crazy glue. You can only stretch them on and off about 3 time before they rip. (At least the ones I bought.)

 

When I ripped a new boot on the 2nd or 3rd attempt I was desperate to get the car going so I glued it with Crazy Glue and it held. When I attempted to rip loose my seam, when I had to re-balance, I could not, so I just cut it again. That boot looked like Frankenstein's monster after it had about 5 or 6 seams glued in it.

 

My shaft was center-drilled on each end, so it was easy to set it up on some points and spin it on my bench, without a lathe. That's how I re-centered the pin. Wack it with a mallet, set it on the points (centers), run the pin over my dial indicator. Repeat until true.

 

(I shoulda welded that sucker! & would have if I knew then what I know now.)

Edited April 15, 2014 by Ulu