Mud-Skipper Shaft Maintenance

This is my first video in a series documenting my journey Down the River. I will be traveling the Cape Fear river from Fayetteville to Wilmington in a 12 foot Jon boat and a Mud-Skipper longtail mud motor. I am documenting from preparation to completion hoping to build a fan base and encourage others to adventure safely.
This video is about the Mud-Skipper 85" longtail. I will be taking off the prop and shaft to replace the bushing and oil the shaft housing. This is something I do each year. Next video will be the PTO housing.
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[@heycatmon]

What holds the shaft from sliding back and out of the housing? Also is that bushing the only seal for the housing to keep water out?

[@Down_the_River]

I honestly don't know how to get the inner shaft out. I have tried without success a couple different times. There are other bushings inside of the shaft and the internal shaft is pieced together. Personally I have the idea that the internal shaft was placed in the shaft housing through the internal bushings and the end of it was welded on. So in order to remove the internal shaft you have to cut the end off. Or similar construction where the outer shaft was placed over the inner shaft and then welded. The nylon bushing on the end of the shaft does not keep water out. Water will get into your internal shaft and that's why the maintenance is important. The bushing keeps the internal shaft from bouncing around at the end.

[@DLaing898]

If ya take a flathead and smack it one time in between where the tbolts go on the pto housing you don't have to beat the shaft into the pto it will slide right in.

[@Down_the_River]

I will keep that in mind next time. Thanks!