Need Help Removing Elgin Impeller

[stxray]

Hey Guys,
I wonder if someone could give me some tips on how to remove the impeller from a 1950, 5hp, Elgin (571.58551). This is my first attempt at replacing an impeller and I’m stuck.

I’ve got the lower assembly removed from the motor leg. I also removed the propeller unit from the gear housing. I was able to remove the drive shaft and I have loosened (but not separated) the gear housing from the lower assembly. It would appear to me that separating the gear housing from the lower unit should give me access to the impeller. Is that correct?

However, I can’t seem to get the gear housing to separate from the lower unit more than about an inch or so. I can see the end of the impeller sticking out and it’s in bad shape but, but how does one get to it? 😕

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
rs

[dave-bernard]

does it have shift???

[stxray]

No, there’s no shift.

[frankr]

Thinking back and trying to remember. I’m thinking it is a splined shaft through the impeller, going into a coupling above the pump housing. I suspect the shaft is rusted into the coupling. Perhaps you can pull it out the top if you pull the powerhead (???) You don’t want to break that sintered bronze pump housing. It’s been many moons since I’ve worked on one.

[stxray]

quote FrankR:

I suspect the shaft is rusted into the coupling. Perhaps you can pull it out the top if you pull the powerhead (???) You don’t want to break that sintered bronze pump housing.

Frank, thanks for your comments. The top part of the shaft came out fairly easily when I disconnected the lower unit from the leg assembly. I was able to get the gear housing and the lower unit separated by removing the little ring that holds the gear to the bottom of the shaft within the gear housing and then sliding the shaft out of the gear assembly. Probably not the best approach but at least I now have the gear assembly off.

However, I’m left with a shaft coming out of the lower unit that has the impeller attached. The impeller won’t slide down and off the shaft. It will only slide as far as the splines. The shaft, with impeller attached, appears to go out the top of the bronze pump housing and into a coupling inside the lower unit. I currently have the lower unit sitting upright soaking in a penetrating oil.

How aggressive can I/should I be in trying to separate the bottom shaft from the coupling?

Any suggestions on how best to do it would be greatly appreciated.

[Mumbles]

This diagram might help but it’s for a ’54 six horse motor.

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Attachments:

[nali]

Can you remove the lower gear ?
Is there no pin through it, hidden by the grease ?

[rpsiii]

I had the same issue with a 1951 model and I finally had to resort to slicing the lower shaft through the splined section below the waterpump, sliding off the water pump and then the shaft comes out the top of the leg.

This, of course destroyed the lower shaft but the pump is off and the shaft is out so you can work to separate the upper and lower shaft sections. Replacement lower shafts are available, I got one from Doug Penn, but Elgin’s are everywhere.

You really don’t want to be using a lot of force trying to separate the two shafts while the pump is still in place and the shafts are in the leg as damaging the water pump housing is not a good thing!

I did it this way and it worked perfectly.

Regards,
Bob S

[frankr]

OK, let me begin this with a minor comment. stxray, you referred to the 25133 "Motor Leg" as the "lower unit" several times. That confused me as I read it. To my thinking, that part is an "exhaust housing". To Elgin’s thinking, and many others, it is a "motor leg". It really doesn’t make any difference what we call it, just as long as we all understand and are all on the same page.

So, what we have here is the 136060-1 water pump housing’s upper end is trapped between the 25125 coupling, and the 25065-1 impeller. The shaft can’t come down because the coupling bangs against the pump housing. And you can’t pull it out the top because the impeller can’t slide off the bottom of the lower shaft. I guess this is described as between a rock and a hard place.

If the lower shaft splines refuse to release from the coupling as they are supposed to, then it seems to me that RPSIII has the only solution, which is cut it off below the impeller, then pull the powerhead and retrieve the shaft from the top. Obviously, you will need a replacement lower shaft.

Thanks mumbles for the diagram. I searched through all my stuff and couldn’t find a picture.

[stxray]

Thanks, Mumbles for posting the diagram. Its very helpful. I have one for my model but, as you said, they are very similar.
Thanks, RPSIII. Sounds like you and FrankR are in agreement. Not what I was hoping to hear but at least I have a plan of action to follow.
FrankR, Thanks for the post. I’ve added some comments below…

quote FrankR:

OK, let me begin this with a minor comment. stxray, you referred to the 25133 "Motor Leg" as the "lower unit" several times. That confused me as I read it. To my thinking, that part is an "exhaust housing". To Elgin’s thinking, and many others, it is a "motor leg". It really doesn’t make any difference what we call it, just as long as we all understand and are all on the same page.

Yes, what I was referring to was the "Motor Leg". Sorry for the confusion. 😳

quote FrankR:

…So, what we have here is the 136060-1 water pump housing’s upper end is trapped between the 25125 coupling, and the 25065-1 impeller.

On my diagram, the "Water pump body is shown as PN 25060. Not sure what the difference is 😕

quote FrankR:

… The shaft can’t come down because the coupling bangs against the pump housing. And you can’t pull it out the top because the impeller can’t slide off the bottom of the lower shaft. I guess this is described as between a rock and a hard place.

Yes! that’s exactly the situation.

quote FrankR:

If the lower shaft splines refuse to release from the coupling as they are supposed to, then it seems to me that RPSIII has the only solution, which is cut it off below the impeller, then pull the powerhead and retrieve the shaft from the top. Obviously, you will need a replacement lower shaft.

I was able to retrieve the Drive Shaft (19128) from the top of the Motor Leg.

I will see if I can locate a Water Pump Shaft (25138).

Thanks to all who posted.

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