General Information

^ Tool Required:
- J 23498-A Driveshaft Inclinometer

The first step is to inspect the propeller shaft for correct phasing. This means to check the front and rear universal joints to see if they are directly in or parallel to each other, so that the proper cancellation can take place. It is very unusual for a one-piece propeller shaft to be out of phase. If the shaft is visibly out of phase, either the end yokes were welded on wrong or the propeller shaft was damaged due to extreme twisting either way the propeller shaft should be replaced before proceeding. If the two-piece propeller shaft is out of phase, the propeller shaft may have been assembled a few teeth off at the spline shaft. Some propeller shafts have a bridged tooth or keyway inside the splines to guarantee proper shaft alignment.

Inspect
1. Rotate the propeller shaft so that the rear universal joint bearing cap is straight up and down.
2. Place J 23498-A on the bearing cap. J 23498-A should be positioned 90° to the propeller shaft.
3. Set indicator line above the sight glass to 15 and rotate the propeller shaft until the bubble is centered in the sight glass. This should bring the rear universal joint to a vertical position.
4. Remove J 23498-A from rear universal joint without changing the setting.
5. With J 23498-A still on 15 install it on the front universal joint. The bubble should remain centered in the sight glass within approximately 3° if the shaft is properly phased.