AKDoug
Guru
Time to pick the thoughts of the collective brain here...
Yesterday I sawed out my cutless bearing (after dropping the rudder and pulling the shaft and prop). I wish I had read the suggestion to drive screws into the bearing and pull, but I sawed it out with only minor damage to the shaft tube, just like last time. It was fairly easy to pull once I had something to get a grip on.
Last time I replaced the cutless the boat had about 650 hours on engine and the shaft, the cutless was noted for replacement on the survey. The shaft was in pretty much pristine condition with minor polishing at cutless and packing gland. That was four years ago, this time having added another 2400 hours to the Hobbs I have a depression at both points on the shaft. No vibration and I am inclined to just re-install with a new cutless and restore or replace the shaft on the next go around.
Is 3000 hours on a 50 hp engine with a 1 1/4" shaft excessive wear or should I consider that routine maintenance? Of note, most of the west on the cutless was on the inboard side of the shaft. I will have the alignment checked before I go back into the water next year...
Yesterday I sawed out my cutless bearing (after dropping the rudder and pulling the shaft and prop). I wish I had read the suggestion to drive screws into the bearing and pull, but I sawed it out with only minor damage to the shaft tube, just like last time. It was fairly easy to pull once I had something to get a grip on.
Last time I replaced the cutless the boat had about 650 hours on engine and the shaft, the cutless was noted for replacement on the survey. The shaft was in pretty much pristine condition with minor polishing at cutless and packing gland. That was four years ago, this time having added another 2400 hours to the Hobbs I have a depression at both points on the shaft. No vibration and I am inclined to just re-install with a new cutless and restore or replace the shaft on the next go around.
Is 3000 hours on a 50 hp engine with a 1 1/4" shaft excessive wear or should I consider that routine maintenance? Of note, most of the west on the cutless was on the inboard side of the shaft. I will have the alignment checked before I go back into the water next year...