Shaft and strut issue

I don't know if this is an issue or not. I've been keeping the boat at the house lately and I noticed that there is a out a 1/4in or so polished part on the shaft just behind the strut. I don't usually see this part so I don't know how long it's been there.

I've pulled the floor and checked the coupling, it looks good. It is a bit different, 8 bolts and the 2 that run across the shaft. It kinda looks like it's clamped in instead of the usual zero clearance fit. I cant pull the prop to the rudder or push it away, and the prop clearance to the rudder looks fine. There isnt anything on the coupling end of the shaft that looks like it is moving there. The bushing in the strut looks good and with almost 900hrs I'm thinking it's been replaced before. If I look at it from behind the boat, I don't notice it so it could have been there from the beginning, 300 hrs ago. Looking at it from behind the boat it's not noticeable.   

I can't think of anything else I should check, but I certainly don't want tear up most of the underwater gear because I missed something, anybody got any other ideas?

I'll see if I can get some pics, remember it's a Vdrive, so it's kinda hard to see. I used a mirror to look at it.   There isn't anything between the coupling halves, and I guessed at 8 bolts, but there's a lot, no space left for anymore.

If you see a polished area aft of the strut, then the prop shaft has slipped aft out of the coupling! The polished area is from the cutlass bearing. Guy's, it's a PITA to get to the coupling in a V drive but you need to check it out.

Don.
Post a picture of the polished spot aft of the strut. So far, everything looks good and it does not appear the shaft has slipped in the coupling.

OK, I figured it out talking to a neighbor tonight.   He looked at it and knew what it was right away. The non stretch ropes are stinger than the motor so when they get wraped in the prop they don't break and the weakest point is that coupling so the shaft gets pulled out. I can't remember the last time I caught a rope, not even positive that we've hit one with this boat, so it's been that way at least a couple of years. He did the same thing last year and it actualy pulled the shaft completely out of the coupling which is why he recognized it right away.   I'll put it on the todo list since it now has at least 200 hrs on it I'm guessing its not causing an issue. I'll keep an eye on it though just to make sure it's not moving any further.

I am curious though if that coupling requires the usual treatment with the heat, or is it just a mater of loosening the 2 bolts and slipping everything forward a little.   

That's good news, if it's hard to get out then I don't have to worry about it moving. You'll need to look up the socket trick to remove the shaft from the coupling. I guess it also means it has to be heated to reinstall and that's gonna be a beotch to put on underneath everything.

I think think the Borg trannys just sound different from the PCM's and the Hurth's, I think they're quieter, might be the gutless Chevys they're attached to though.