How to Remove 1994 SN SJ Drive Shaft?

I actually might have a sample bearing you could just have laying in the tool box yet

Hey guys, I have heated the driveshaft to red hot and then iced it.
I have also heated the oem aluminum impeller.

I have a 1 1/16" or 27mm open end wrench and put the spline end of the driveshaft in the shaft holder in a vise and I STILL CAN'T BREAK THE DRIVE SHAFT LOOSE !!!

I have a 36 inch pipe wrench. In addition to the open end wrench, I also have some adjustable Crescent wrenches which I can put side by side and slide a 3 foot section of mild steel 2" square tube over those wrench handles to really get some leverage on this thing.

But I can see that I will likely not only destroy the driveshaft but also will and likely destroy the aluminum impeller too.

So, is there something I should try first?

E350 said:

Hey guys, I have heated the driveshaft to red hot and then iced it.
I have also heated the oem aluminum impeller.

I have a 1 1/16" or 27mm open end wrench and put the spline end of the driveshaft in the shaft holder in a vise and I STILL CAN'T BREAK THE DRIVE SHAFT LOOSE !!!

I have a 36 inch pipe wrench. In addition to the open end wrench, I also have some adjustable Crescent wrenches which I can put side by side and slide a 3 foot section of mild steel 2" square tube over those wrench handles to really get some leverage on this thing.

But I can see that I will likely not only destroy the driveshaft but also will and likely destroy the aluminum impeller too.

So, is there something I should try first?

Click to expand...

Are you turning it the right way? It's reverse thread.

Thanks @Roseand, yes I should have said that. I have the service manual and searched and read here and watched youtube videos and have been turning it clockwise to remove which is reverse thread.

I just am at the point of frustration and with me my frustration leads to use of a BFH . . .

If your shaft is already trash just find another good stator and set what you have aside. Buy a low pitched large hub impeller, they work very well in an OEM stator.

^^^ @kevbo implementing method discussed in post #22 now . . .

@E350 if you haven't already destroyed it... It's pretty crazy what a longer lever can do. Sometimes I can't break things free with a 3 foot breaker bar so I have a 9 foot steel pipe that I use to put over the end of it. I know, 9 feet sounds ridiculous but just the other day I couldn't get a brake caliper off my truck by heaving down on it with all of my 230 lbs. Pulled out the big pipe and the bolt broke free effortlessly... From across the driveway haha. You probably don't need one so comically large but I would try something at least twice as long as your 3 footer. Just my 2 cents

Last one I popped off needed lots of heat and a 6ft breaker, crazy since I'd only installed it the year before using anti sieze.

Stand that pump up vertical and fill the gap between the impeller and shaft with PB Blaster or equivalent penetrating oil and let it sit overnight. If the gap is still full of oil after sitting overnight, dump it out , heat the HUB with a torch, not the nose where the wrench flats are, and while it’s smoking hot fill that gap with Blaster again, just be prepared for possible ignition. Heat , quench a few cycles, let sit full, then try a ridiculously long lever like BennyB suggested, that prop will come off. Be sure you have that pump anchored good when using a long lever on it, as in thru bolted to a pallet with cinder blocks on it.

OK, I am mystified.
Happy, but mystified.

This worked. Pipe wrench on the already destroyed splines (see first photo in this thread) and 1 1/16" wrench on the oem aluminum impeller and standing with one foot on the driveshaft and the other foot on the 1 1/16" wrench and using a ladder to hold onto to balance and . . . it just gave way. (Note: If your splines are not already destroyed, just put the spline holder in the 36" pipe wrench.)

I did what @mikesx recommended above yesterday and gave up and went to bed frustrated, leaving it alone over night, which must have had an effect, because it just gave way easily today.

Go figure.



Thank you @Roseand, @kevbo, @holygoat, @BennyB and @mikesx

And then after spinning the impeller off, I followed @TheBuzzard advice and held the stator and just hit the end of the long end of the driveshaft on the concrete and the stator slid down the driveshaft and was easily removed from its bearing.

I have the new driveshaft in the chest freezer and will be heating up the housing shortly to install the seals per the advice of @High Speed Industries here: