Squeaky shaft

[Terrel]

I have a loud squeaky noise when the engine is in gear. How can I determine if it is the transmission, PSS shaft seal, or the cutlass bearing, without hauling the Catalina 320 out of the water?

[DougR]

Did you burp the shaft seal? They do squeel if run dry....
DougR

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by DougR

Did you burp the shaft seal? They do squeel if run dry....
DougR

I may have same issue. How do you burp the shaft seal?

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by malbert73

I may have same issue. How do you burp the shaft seal?

If you have an unvented PSS, or a traditional stuffing box it is quite easy to get air trapped in the stern tube after launch. For the PSS, you just pull back slightly on the belows setup, water will pour in, at which point you let go of the bellows and let the seat sit against the collar. Best to turn over the engine/prop afterwards so everything lines itself up again.

For a stuffing box, loosen until you get water, then tighten back up again.

For a vented PSS it shouldn't be necessary, the venting takes care of that.

On our boat, we have on a couple of occasions had the cutlass (cutless? never can decide who is right about this one) bearing break loose (it is only press fit), it then squeals quite a bit.

[Mark Zarley]

Most cutless bearings are held in place by set screws that are threaded into the strut. Trying to decide where the noise is coming from can be done with a wooden dowel. Hold one end against the suspect noise maker and hold the other end against your ear flap while covering the ear canal with said flap. The ear flap is on the nose side of the ear and can easly be held to cover the ear canal. The noise is transmited to the ear via the stick. This trick can also be used to determine which cylinder is knocking. Where it is the loudest is likely where the problem be.