Stator Removal

[fowlerrudi]

Hello folks, this is my first post! I bought a 2001 utopia 185 with 200 Opti this week, for a song. However, it was cheap because the impeller shaft was seized. Turns out it is seized in the stator. I opened up the fill and check plugs on the stator and sure enough, dry as a popcorn fart, just some green corrosion in there. I put some “ultimate penetrant” in there and it’s soaking now. The engine will not spin this shaft in the stator at all. When I hit the starter it tries to spin the entire stator housing. Anyway, I can’t get this stator off, I’ve read all the forums of guys having the same problems, but I don’t think anyone actually had the engine not spin over. It was in salt a few times, so I imagine it has welded itself to the bushing in there. The previous owner said it failed while in use, he thought the engine seized. With no oil in there it most likely got hot. I built a bracket with angle iron and been trying to smash it backward with a slide hammer, while being hooked to my brothers cummins, and almost pulling the boat off the trailer.... we are thinking of making a puller that runs a bolt through the center plug into the end of the shaft as to push on the shaft. What has worked for you? Thanks! Standby for video!

 

[fowlerrudi]

 

[Dr Honda]

Welcome... and WOW !!!! That's one stuck pump. Unfortunately, with the story... It's well beyond the normal "Stuck" pump. What you are doing is right... keep tension on it, and use a hammer. I would continue to spray the entire housing with penetrating oil. (I like PB blaster) But if it locked up during use... the bearings and shaft may have physically welded together. If it doesn't come apart... you may want to consider removing the motor, and then remove the pump as a unit. That way you can get a good look at all of it.

 

[fowlerrudi]

Oh that doesn’t sound like fun, removing the engine! The housing isn’t stuck together at all actually, it twists a few degrees left and right and rotates with the shaft, so that’s good. I’m tempted to heat up the stator end of the impeller shaft since it’s getting all new parts anyway.

 

[Tim75]

How about the super power of hydraulics? Make up a grease fitting that will screw into the center oil hole.Fill the case with cheap oil (any kind). Install the top plug. Use a grease gun to apply uniform hydraulic pressure on the end of the shaft (becomes a piston).

CAUTION-- a hand pump grease gun (not the tiny ones) can develop 3000-5000 psi. Plenty to crack a stator housing.

Stupid question-- Are all 4 outer bolts removed? I had my stator corrode onto the bolts so tightly that I had to use a slide hammer on EACH bolt!

 

[fowlerrudi]

Excellent idea! This crossed my mind as well. All the bolts are removed, the outer housing actually is free of the rest of the pump. I also removed the bolts on the lower plate. It’s just hanging onto the shaft. I put 1/2 a can of PB Blaster in the stator housing today and it is soaking as we speak. I noticed the fluid leaking out of the front side of the housing though. I’m assuming something came through the jet and smashed the seal protector and seal, causing it to drain it’s fluid. Just a guess.

 

[Dr Honda]

If the housing is rotating back and forth... it's loose. So my thoughts of "Physical Weld" is coming more to mind. Also... with as much pressure as you are putting on it... it should just pull the bushings, and seals out of the stator at this point.

I do like the idea of making a plug with a grease nipple on it. That very well could push the shaft out.

If the grease trick doesn't work... I would go back to my original thought... remove the engine and pump. I know it sounds like a pain... but right now, with how much pressure you have on everything... and that it's loose in the center.... all that pulling pressure is being held by the drive gears in the back. Also... you are putting a HUGE lateral load on the top driveshaft... and those bearings weren't meant to take that kind of pressure. If you remove the pump... you can get to the rear cover... remove the nut behind the bottom gear... and the entire driveshaft should come out. Then you can have the shaft, and stator on a work bench.

 

[fowlerrudi]

I hope it doesn’t come to that, I’m not at that point yet but can handle it if it comes to that. What would the disadvantage of heating up that stator housing? It should expand much quicker than the shaft and release the bushings from the housing.

 

[Dr Honda]

I don't think you can get the heat where it needs to be while assembled. But it's worth a try.

Use a heat gun, opposed to a flame. It can get the metal scalding hot with even heat... and no chance of setting oil, or fiberglass on fire.


***EDIT****


As far as "Hoping it doesn't come to that", on pulling the pump........ at this point it is already a necessity. You have put so much pressure, and impact on the drive, that it needs to be inspected.

 

[fowlerrudi]

Look what I scored. Will try tomorrow night.

 

[Dr Honda]

inductive heater? Nice.

 

[fowlerrudi]

BOO YA!!!!

 

[fowlerrudi]

Alrighty, here is some info for the next guy in my shoes. I bought some PB blaster and sprayed 1/2 a can into the stator and let it sit for a few days. Using angle iron I made a puller that would use the existing bolts so I could pull from the center. I hooked a come-along to a chain, then to a tree and applied pressure. I initially used a strap but sound it was too springy, plus with a chain there is less chance of getting slingshoted in the face with the stator. I didn’t put crazy pressure on it as my standard transmission truck with cruddy parking brake couldn’t hold it back much. With pressure applied I hooked up a slide hammer to the angle iron and started hammering away. No dice. The induction heater didn’t work for me, I think it was just too large of a part to heat - or I didn’t know what I was doing. On small bolts and such it worked awesome on the bench. I used a propane torch to heat the center of the stator, while using the slide hammer. I also would try the starter on the boat as well to ‘snap’ it and hope for progress. Since it was seized to the bushings. I’m not sure when it happened but I gained an inch gap between the pump and the stator housing. I added more heat and with the help of my father we put a pry bar on either side on the stator housing, along with heat and constant pressure from the come-along, it popped off. Slam dunked into the waiting oil pan. The seal and bushings were very salty and crusty. I’ll be replacing everything in the stator. I assume that big nut on the stator housing has to come off in order to get the bushings and seal in? Thanks for help guys!

 

[Djs]

In general I often find a mix of kerosene and diesel with a huge dolop of patience works wonders as a release agent!

 

[Dr Honda]

Congrats on getting that one apart. I've really never seen one that tight. But.... if this is something you want to keep for a while... I would still REALLY recommend removing the entire pump. If the front seal is bad... the rear seal is probably also bad. AND, you put a lot of stress on the gears. They really need inspected.


Anyway... the "Big Nut" you are looking at is actually just cast into the housing. It's not a separate part. The 2 seals, and 2 bushings just press in from that end.

 

[fowlerrudi]

Can I remove the pump without removing the engine?

 

[Dr Honda]

Nope. The pump bolts to the hull... and the engine is bolted to the pump.

 

[fowlerrudi]

She is all back together and holding together. I did not take the powerhead off as recommended. Summer is too short here in Canada to be pulling motors! But it does appear that it comes out easier than I thought.