Cutlass Bearing Replacement

[sailorboy1]

I have a new cutlass bearing and am hauling out next week. Who has pressed one out/in with the shaft installed and how did it go (please vote on poll and comment if you wish)?

I don't know if mine needs replacement and I got to learn the dimensions to see if I removed would I be able to get the shaft out past the rudder. Since I have a new one part of me says to replace the current one. But another part of me says that if the old one is good to not open a bag of worms, have the removal go wrong, and now need to drop the rudder.

[MicHughV]

It depends if you can get to the cutlass bearing. I've always installed mine with about 3/8" or so sticking out. This enables me to get a big wrench around it and wiggle it free.
Some cutlass bearings are held in place by a small set screw....usually two of them. You'll have to locate these and remove them, if yours has these.
Getting the new one in, is made easier by placing it in your freezer overnight. This will make the diameter incrementally smaller. I make a practice of putting some lube on the new one, to help getting the new one in.

If you have a prop strut, where you can get to the cutlass bearing from the front, you might be able to bang it out from that direction

[Pete7]

Never managed to get it out with the saft in place, so I take the shaft out and then hacksaw two cuts and chisel out the strip before bashing out the old bearing.

If you can feel a couple of mm of movement either side to side or up and down its time for replacement.

Pete

[sailorboy1]

Can not get the shaft out without dropping the rudder.

[Jebtrois]

Two weeks ago, used the press at the yard. Took about 20 minutes total to remove and reinstall. Lucky break as I did not have to remove the shaft. Catalina 36.
JEB

[MicHughV]

I don't know if Hunter does this, but many manufacturers put a slight offset in their shaft alignment, so that if the shaft does need to be pulled, it can be done without removing the rudder. The offset is usually sufficient to slide the shaft right next to the rudder.
If no other options exist for you, I would explore this. Once a good length of the shaft is out, it may give you enough wriggle room to remove it.

[GordMay]

Apparently, the Hunter 410 has a prop’ strut, in which the cutlass bearing is fitted.
➥ https://www.marlow-hunter.com/wp-con...%20&%20420.pdf

[wrwakefield]

We replaced our cutlass bearing without removing the shaft using tooling from Strut Pro. We purchased the manual [non-hydraulic] version.


Pressing out old cutlass on our 1.75" prop shaft. [Note: the new cutlass on right is just being used as a shim to register tooling in this photo; it is not being pressed in yet.]

It works very well and is an efficient method.

If interested, there are details with links to annotated photos on this blog post.

Cheers! Bill

[AKA-None]

Yeah I have one of those and works a charm
Unfortunately it and I are upon Wisconsin

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I have a new cutlass bearing and am hauling out next week. Who has pressed one out/in with the shaft installed and how did it go (please vote on poll and comment if you wish)?



I don't know if mine needs replacement and I got to learn the dimensions to see if I removed would I be able to get the shaft out past the rudder. Since I have a new one part of me says to replace the current one. But another part of me says that if the old one is good to not open a bag of worms, have the removal go wrong, and now need to drop the rudder.

If I recall correctly the vendor posts spec’s on wear

[sailorboy1]

Well it took an hydraulic press for the yard to get it out. Took same to press new one in and it got half way and then jamed and crushed the end of the bearing. So had to press back out and cut off the tip and then press in again.

[Tetepare]

For the record:


Our old Catalina 30 cutlass bearing could be done without removing the shaft, with a press, total time maybe 30 minutes.

The yard did our Hunter 37.5 last week. I’ve not discussed it with them yet, but I can see they had to back the shaft out. Did not remove rudder; the rudder got scratched up, but whether they pulled the prop or not I don’t know yet. They billed for just under 3 hours, so presume two guys working for 1.5 hours. Seems about right.

It could have gone another year, there was only 3mm or so of play, but we figured might as well get it done.

[bensolomon]

I had my cutlass done on my legend 37.5 this past year. Did it the same time I replaced my shaft seal since the shaft was coming out anyway.