Removing the engine

Several weeks ago I made the decision to remove the engine so, as I had time, I began removing bits and pieces here and there in preparation. I began with the shaft coupling bolts, expecting them to be not just difficult to reach but firmly stuck. It turns out they were barely tight, and although a tad difficult to reach, they came out easily.

I also figured that the prop would be tough to get off the shaft, so I started drenching it in PB Blaster. I also removed the castle nut and about a 1/2" stack of clear plastic shims that had been cut out of sour cream containers (or something similar) to fill the gap between the aft end of the prop hub and the castle nut. A slipshod installation, to be sure.

I whacked the prop with a piece of wood a few days later, and it slid right off the shaft. It was clear that it was a poor fit: the key didn't fit tightly in the slot and had slightly rounded the edges of the keyway. That'll have to be taken care of upon reassembly.

With all the connections to the engine removed, the engine was ready to come out. My cousin has moved to the area for college, so he gave me a hand with that today. We rigged up a 2x4 with some chain and a come-along above the companionway and lifted the engine clear of its mounts, setting it on the cabin floor. From there it was, of course, up to the bridge deck and then over the side. I reinforced the boat shed bows and used them as lifting points for the come-along. Once over the side, the engine was lowered into a wheel barrow and deposited in the garage. Ryan was kind enough to take a few photos of the process - at least part of it.