Cutlass Bearing Replacement with Shaft in Place.

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Capn Craig

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Oct 16, 2010
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My boat shook like a paint mixer on both engines at the close of last season, as the result me attempting to bring the boat home up the flooding Mississippi River last summer.* I thumped*way more than I wanted to.**Getting thru the floating forests coming at you at 10 to 12 mph was hard enough, but most KaBOOM's came from things I never saw before or afterward in the wake from the flybridge.

So, it's time to fix her.** The props scanned badly out shape.* They should be all fixed up and dynamically balanced soon.* The shafts indicated good with a TIR of 0.001~0.002.* I want to replace the strut bearings knowing the vibration they have been subjected to has got to have taken a toll.* That, and the fact I doubt they have been changed out since at least the late 90's.

Although, I also plan to replace the soft plywood backing boards that the struts are bolted thru.* I decided that since I'm working by my self, it would be easier to replace the bearings in place, without dropping the struts.* I saw a puller on the internet for this, but basically I'm too cheap to pay the $400 or so cost to buy one.* So what to do?* Make one.

The photos below show my puller.**The puller first presses the bearing out*the back (prop side).* Then the new bearing is pressed forward into the strut.* The puller consists of two 5/8 x 4 plates that are pulled together by two 5/8-18 'bolts' (made from threaded rod).**The plates have either a 1 1/4" (shaft OD) + clearance center hole or a 2" (bearing OD) +* clearance center hole.* Both plates have a 1 1/4' wide notch from the center hole to the edge, to allow it to be slipped over the shaft.******** A piece of tubing with an ID slightly bigger than the shaft, and an OD slightly smaller than the bearing OD is cut a half inch longer than the* strut.* It is then cut in half lengthwise.* This allows it to be taken apart and fit over the shaft.* The front plate pushes the cut tube pieces into the strut and push the bearing out.*** It worked really pretty well.* So far, I have the*the first bearing removed and the*new bearing in within *a half inch of all the way.* I ran out of daylight.* I will try to take few better pictures when I do the other side.

It turns out the hardest part was getting the set screw out of the strut.* Bent the allen wrench, rounded the set screw*hex, drilled it out, broke the easy out, bleed al over the place from the broken easy out schrapnel.* Drove a 20 mile round trip to buy a new bigger American made*easy out, drilled a bigger*hole thru the set screw, and it came out 'easy'***
 

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Nice job.* So what did it cost to make the puller?*

I had my port cutless replaced 4 years ago. Cost $65.00 for the bearing and $300 for a mechanic to bring down a puller (that looked pretty much like the one you made) and*pushed out the old and pushed in the new bearing.*

I saw a*boat in the yard*where a DIY*owner got a puller and tried very hard to remove the bearing without first removing the set screw.* He made a mess of the strut.* The yard*ended up pulling the shaft and strut and were trying to get the bearing to backup so*they could cut the set screw out.* I bet they ended up replacing the strut.

Good job!!

Larry B*
 
"I doubt they have been changed out since at least the late 90's."

One of the hassles with cuttlass bearings is they get grit stuck in them which wears and scores the shaft.

Sometimes so badly that the shaft must be repaired , replaced , or a Shaft saver style bearing installed.

Of it has been 2 decades in the muddy Miss. you really should take a look.
 
Hey man can I have my wrench back???? haha, cool looking puller.
 
Looks like you did a great job, Reminds me of living down here, I have to fabriicate almost everything.BB
 

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