Cutlass Bearing and 3M 5200

[AKA-None]

If one size is to small and the next size to big then I’d bore the hole or shave the bearing.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

If one size is to small and the next size to big then I’d bore the hole or shave the bearing.

If the jumps are 1/8th, and my bearing wall is .1" (found the old one) I think I'd have to remove 40-50% of the wall.

My stern tube is glassed into the keel, I don't know its wall thickness. How would I accurately bore the stern tube?

[HopCar]

Originally Posted by cal40john

If the jumps are 1/8th, and my bearing wall is .1" (found the old one) I think I'd have to remove 40-50% of the wall.

My stern tube is glassed into the keel, I don't know its wall thickness. How would I accurately bore the stern tube?

Do I understand correctly that a bearing with a wall thickness of .125 is too big but one with a wall thickness of .100 will fit? If you know someone with a metal lathe I bet it wouldn’t be too hard to remove 25/1000.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Tmacmi

I was reading Calder and recommends using 5200 at the end to secure it into the bearing arm.

Can that possibly be a good idea?

Don't do it. The cutless bearing is a press fit and needs nothing else to hold it in place. Some brackets have set screws but generally they are not neccessary. On my current boat the P.O. used adhesive to install the cutless bearing and it took me an entire weekend to remove that worn out bearing... Don't do it.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by HopCar

Do I understand correctly that a bearing with a wall thickness of .125 is too big but one with a wall thickness of .100 will fit? If you know someone with a metal lathe I bet it wouldn’t be too hard to remove 25/1000.

No.

When I look at a catalog of bearings they mostly come in 1/8" different diameters, 2", 2.125, 2.250, etc.

My cutless has a loose fit. I don't remember how much shim stock was needed to make it fit, but it wasn't a lot. A previous post said to machine down the bearing or bore out the stern tube. The metal wall of my old bearing is .1" thick. If the next size bearing is an 1/8" inch bigger diameter and has a similar metal wall thickness, I'm estimating that I have to machine off close to half of the wall thickness. Seems excessive to me.

The poster also alternatively suggested to bore the stern tube. He has not responded as to how I would accurately bore out the stern tube glassed into my keel.

[HopCar]

Cal40, what is your shaft size and what Is the OD of the bearing you need?

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by HopCar

Cal40, what is your shaft size and what Is the OD of the bearing you need?

The bearing that is in now is fine and there are no problems. I was mostly responding to a post that something is wrong if it is a loose fit and something needs to be machined. Buying the next size up bearing and machining half the shell off seemed wrong to me, and I couldn't figure out how someone would bore a stern tube. So a theoretical "how would I do it using one of those suggestions".

Both boats I have experience with have a loose fit between the stern tube and the bearing. I could have solved the problem with epoxy as others have suggested, but at the time my friend who has had his boat for 40+ years has been using shims without problems, so I did the same.

2" o.d., 1.25" shaft.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by cal40john

No.

When I look at a catalog of bearings they mostly come in 1/8" different diameters, 2", 2.125, 2.250, etc.

My cutless has a loose fit. I don't remember how much shim stock was needed to make it fit, but it wasn't a lot. A previous post said to machine down the bearing or bore out the stern tube. The metal wall of my old bearing is .1" thick. If the next size bearing is an 1/8" inch bigger diameter and has a similar metal wall thickness, I'm estimating that I have to machine off close to half of the wall thickness. Seems excessive to me.

The poster also alternatively suggested to bore the stern tube. He has not responded as to how I would accurately bore out the stern tube glassed into my keel.

You can use a cylinder hone, they cover many different diameters. If you do that don’t do it dry use a lubricant

If you need to do this then the tube is likely worn as the tube should be sized for a press fit

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

You can use a cylinder hone, they cover many different diameters. If you do that don’t do it dry use a lubricant

If you need to do this then the tube is likely worn as the tube should be sized for a press fit

A couple of years before I bought the boat the original stern tube had corroded enough that there was a leak. The tube was replaced with a non metallic replacement, I think it was G-10. It wasn't a DIY.