Strut bearings

Would any one know what cutlass bearings my 1982 34 long range Californian would use ? She has twin Perkins 200 turbo power.
Thanks for any help

What is the shaft size? I would think any full service yard would be able to handle that job easily. Should be a fairly easy swap, using a bearing similar to the one removed.

We just had our cutlass bearings replaced a few weeks ago and the yard bill just says 1 1/4" cutlass bearing (no brand specified). We are a 1982 34' Californian with twin 200 Perkins (turbo) and 1 1/4" shafts.

Need to know inside, outside diameters and length.

My 34 Californian LRC has the 200 HP Perkins and has 1 3/8 shafts. I did my cutlass bearings a few years back when I replaced my shafts. They are standard sizes and available through any propeller shop or on line. You just need the shaft size, outer diameter of the bearing and length. Maybe someone with chime in with those specs on a Californian with 1 1/4 shafts. They are an interference fit so they need to be pressed or cut out. Installation can be done by heating the strut some and cooling the bearing. I just used a cheap propane torch and a bucket of ice water for the bearing. You need to install quickly in the second or so it takes for things to shrink.

sugar shack said:

Would any one know what cutlass bearings my 1982 34 long range Californian would use ? She has twin Perkins 200 turbo power.
Thanks for any helpView attachment 80318

Click to expand...

I am doing the bearing replacement my self and thought I would pre order them but it has become Apparent that I should wait until I can measure what I have in place. I have Unlimited yard time so it really won’t be an issue.

Duvie said:

My 34 Californian LRC has the 200 HP Perkins and has 1 3/8 shafts. I did my cutlass bearings a few years back when I replaced my shafts. They are standard sizes and available through any propeller shop or on line. You just need the shaft size, outer diameter of the bearing and length. Maybe someone with chime in with those specs on a Californian with 1 1/4 shafts. They are an interference fit so they need to be pressed or cut out. Installation can be done by heating the strut some and cooling the bearing. I just used a cheap propane torch and a bucket of ice water for the bearing. You need to install quickly in the second or so it takes for things to shrink.

Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply .
I have soured a bearing press made just for this job so hopefully no heat will be required .

Lady_K said:

We just had our cutlass bearings replaced a few weeks ago and the yard bill just says 1 1/4" cutlass bearing (no brand specified). We are a 1982 34' Californian with twin 200 Perkins (turbo) and 1 1/4" shafts.

Click to expand...

Do you mind sharing what it cost ?
Thank you

chc said:

What is the shaft size? I would think any full service yard would be able to handle that job easily. Should be a fairly easy swap, using a bearing similar to the one removed.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply ,
I’m doing the job myself

The itemized bill showed $141.75 for 1 cutlass bearing however the total bill was far greater... I attached a pic of the cleaned up strut with the new cb

Lady_K said:

The itemized bill showed $141.75 for 1 cutlass bearing however the total bill was far greater... I attached a pic of the cleaned up strut with the new cb

Click to expand...

Thanks for your time

sugar shack said:

Thank you for your reply .
I have soured a bearing press made just for this job so hopefully no heat will be required .

Click to expand...

I made up a pretty decent press to remove my bearing but still found I needed to cut the baring most of the way through to get it out.

The heat I used to get the new bearing in was minimal. Probably 300 to 400 degrees max and the bearings slid in beautifully ( I just used a small propane torch). You don't want to damage your new bearings so be careful pushing them in. Some of those bearings have pretty thin outer walls.

You can jump in the water and measure. Buy some cheap vernier calipers and rinse them off when done. Measure the shaft dia inside the boat. Measure the bearing in the water. For each shaft diameter there are a few bearing outside diameters available. Charts available on line that detail the sizes.

I had all of my Cutless bearings replaced a few years ago.

Mine were worn. Once removed, they turned out to be a non-standard size, so had to be special ordered.
My shafts are 1.75". I run on 200 hp Volvos. The shafts are original. The bearings in the struts could be measured in place, but the ones in the hull could not.

The struts were attached under the water tanks, under the double bed in the aft cabin, so all of that had to be removed to get at the attachments. Alignment had to be redone, so a lot of labour was involved. The bill was high, as I had the work done, didn't get my own hands into it.
In the result, I can now turn the propellers by hand when doing my haulout, which I could never do before, so I don't expect to need to redo in the next 20 years.

I did the bearings on my port shaft a couple of years ago. (Did the work myself) Used the method of cutting through the bearing shell from the inside and twisting it out. Installing the new bearing is easy compared to removing the old and all one needs to install the new one is a long piece of threaded rod, a couple of nuts and couple of squares of 1/2" aluminum with a hole in the middle of each. Put the new bearing in a freezer several hours before being ready to install. If you're lucky, this will allow it to immediately go most of the way in. Clean inside the strut with fine sandpaper, slip new bearing in, put threaded rod through with a nut and plate already installed on one end, Put plate and nut on the other end and tighten one of the nuts to push the bearing into the strut. Install set screws or whatever that strut uses for retention.


Ken

Replacing the cutless bearings is only part of the job, if you are going to do it right.

Get the boat out of the water.

You will need to remove the prop, since it's off take it to a prop shop and have it tuned. You will probably need a prop puller to get it off the shaft.

Then you need to disconnect the shaft from the transmission and slide it out of the boat. IF the underwater picture is of your boat, you have a single shaft and a single strut. Check the current coupler. IF you keep it, the flexible coupler will attach to that, adds about 1 3/4" to the shaft length. I had to replace the fixed couplers as well.

Have you or would you consider dripless shaft seals. Now is the time to make the change. Have you or would you consider a flexible coupler. Now would be the time to do it.

Once the shaft is out, take it to a machine shop and have it checked for straightness. You also want to have it checked for pock marks and other blemishes which could show that the shaft needs to be replaced.

NOW, you can get down to the cutless bearing. I'm presuming you are replacing it due to a lot of play in the shaft? That is really the only reason to replace it unless you end up replacing the shaft. They are usually pressed out/in. BE VERY CAREFUL of heating the struts, you do not want to deform them. Some clown, before I fired him had cut mine out and scored the bottom of the strut. Not bad enough to cause a problem, I was lucky.

Our boat has 2 struts a side and if I remember correctly the bearings are based on the shaft size. IF necessary, since you will have the shaft(s) at a machine shop, someone from the shop can go to the boat and mich the inside strut size and compare it to the outside bearing size. IF it needs to be turned down, they can do it.

We ended up replacing 2 shafts and 4 cutlass bearings and having the props tuned as well as fixed couplers. We also have dripless seals so the seals were replaced and added flexible couplers (the shaft needs to be addressed for this, so the prop doesn't hit the rudder). The machine shop made the shafts and turned down, where necessary, the bearings. The also made me a press for sliding the bearings in.

When you get everything done, and BTW, there are pictures, on line, of a shaft snapped, looks like a laser cut, and if that were to happen, you are looking at some potentially serious repairs; it all goes back in reverse of the way it came out.

Doesn't take any special talent, just some tools and some work. Tools are online or maybe the yard has them and will lend or rent them.

Good luck and enjoy the rabbit hole.

Let me know if you have any questions.