Prop Shaft Splitting

After removing the diff I tried to fit the prop from the rear but there was no way it was going in without splitting it in half. 

I have no experience with prop shafts and I have never split one. Read all over the internet but couldn't find anything in detail. I stumbled on a thread on locostbuilders of someone removing a 17mm nut to get it in two. 

On further investigation on the prop shaft I found the nut.

Heres the 17mm nut, the washer is bent up to stop it coming undone.

I made sure I marked a few areas, I wasn't really sure what was coming apart so I made a few references. The props are pre balanced and if it's taken apart and not put together back the way was it won't be balanced. I've heard if unbalanced it can shake the car to bits.

I knocked the washer down so I could undo the nut.

Once undone a little way the retaining clip could be removed. I didn't take the nut all the way out.

I used a 1/2 drive bar to put pressure on the bolt to push the bearing off the spline.

The final part I had to do in a vice, by this time I had pretty much unwound the nut and I had no more leverage to press on. I used a couple of loose nuts to help push the remaining spline out.

Finally it came off..  :)

The prop shaft now fits in perfectly, the part with bearing goes in from the front, the other from the rear.

I had to tighten up the nut on the sprocket adapter, I used my bar (previously made to hold it in place when I replaced the clutch plates) as before to hold it in place I could then tighten the nut. High strength threadlock on the nut to hold it in place. There is a small mount of play on the prop adapter, apparently this is normal, its called end float play. Apparently the later CBR models require some play to stop the nut coming undone.

Fitted some temporary bolts, need to get some cap head ones I believe.