Stern Tube Dillema

[smallyachts]

Hello all,

I need/wish to remove the rudder stock from our boat while I am cleaning up other issues below the waterline.

I think this is the last sub-system left to go through before I get to start putting it all back together.

The plans show that it should pull out and clear the stern tube / cutlass bearing, however reality is that it does not.

This is on an older fer-a-lite hull and the cutlass bearing is attached by 4 bolts from the outside to the exterior of the hull. However, it does not want to budge.

I would have thought that if the 4 bolts are there, removing them would allow the unit to be removed.

My concern is whether or not this external bearing housing is attached to the stern tube, or part of it internally.

Anyone familiar with this configuration of stern tube / cutlass bearing, and or the removal process?

[barnakiel]

Why did you remove the bolts?

To remove the bearing alone it takes a special tool that you lead inside the bearing and then 'pull it out' from behind. One can also build the tool from a long screw.

The metal fitting holding the bearing, well if you want to detach it from the hull, I guess just whack it delicately - it might be stuck with polyurethane or epoxy. Otherwise there should be nothing holding it once the bolts are out (my guess).

b.

[Sonrisa]

Hi,

We have a similar arrangement with a bronze shaft log. Here is the one which we installed on our boat:

Buck Algonquin...Quality Marine Hardware Since 1955

The majority of the assembly is inside the boat, with the stuffing box clamped onto the inside end. In our case there are bolts, sealant, and epoxy also holding it on. If yours is similar, removing the whole thing might be quite difficult. Can you get a look at the inside to see if it is mortared into place?

Good luck!

[motion30]

The one on my trawler had two bolts but threaded onto the bronze stern tube so I had to unscrew the bearing with a pipe wrench Perhaps yours is the same Does your boat have a stern tube with a stuffing threaded on the other end?

[barnakiel]

Arggghhhh - an inside part to this too!

I am ashamed to confirm I have just checked a VP catalog, and in their case there may be more interconnected parts - the outer unit (as seen in the picture) is THREADED and a matching tube is also one of the parts available for the set up.

Thus my idea of whacking might not work. Unless you do not have such a tube inside of the hull (I do not, that's why I guessed wrong).

barnie

[Wotname]

I expect it to be threaded onto an internal stern tube.

I don't have the same boat but if it helps, I thought mine would be "almost impossible" to remove as it had not been touched for 25 years; however, after removing the bolts it turned fairly easy. The similar flange at the packing gland also unscrewed without much force.

Removing the actual bronze tube from the hull proved a little more difficult but after a day or so of not so gentle tapping with largish hammers it came out OK. It had been bedded in with butyl mastic which was still softish.

Good luck with your endeavours.

[Chief Engineer]

why do you want to remove it?

[smallyachts]

Cheif Engineer - I need to remove the outer portion so that I can get the rudder shaft to drop all the way out of the boat, thereby allowing me to resurface the areas behind and adjacent to the rudder shaft along the hull.

Wotname / Motion30 - Yes there is a packing gland that appears to attach to the stern tube above the bilge area. (without removing the packing gland inside the boat I can only surmise that it attaches to it)

The general consensus appears to be that after I remove all 4 bolts holding the external portion onto the deadwood, that it should then unscrew from the rest of the assembly.

Ok then, back to the boat shed for more fun and adventure!

[smallyachts]

In between the weather that we have been experiencing I have been trying to remove the shaft log.

All 4 bolts out - no movement, it appears that they bonded the shaft log to the hull with epoxy.

Take a Multi-Master and cut as deep as possible all the way around the shaft log at the hull - no movement.

Went inside the hull and removed the 4 screws holding the packing gland to the shaft tube - it was not threaded on, the 4 allen head bolts hold the flange of the packing gland to the end of the shaft tube and sealed with some type of flexible sealant.

Does that mean that the shaft log is also just a flush fit up against the shaft tube or is the shaft tube and the shaft log one piece.

I have tried to move it with large crescent wrenches for leverage but no luck. I have hit on it with a 3 lb hammer and a block of wood, but it does not seem to want to even get loose.

I am thinking about heating up the shaft log and then tapping on it to see if it is just the epoxy holding it up.

Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated.

[smallyachts]

Well, after finally using my MultiMaster to cut between the shaft log and the hull, using a large pipe wrench with a 6 ft pipe as a persuader and tapping on the corners with a 3 lb mallet. It finally started to turn and after half a turn it popped off of the boat.

No threads anywhere, this was sealed, glued and bolted onto the hull.

Pictures attached.

I am reworking the hull attachment already to provide a better seal without the need to epoxy it onto the hull.

You can also see the remains of a couple of errant water channels that have plauged this hull for years. They will be addressed as well.

Now onto removing the rudder stock, which was the entire initial purpose of removing the prop and shaft assembly.

All you gotta do is

[Wotname]

Well done.