Cutless bearing removal

[Fat Boy]

After much investigation, I have found that my starboard side vibration isn't a loose or broken wall tab, but a cutless bearing. I am planning to haul the boat this week and start the work on Friday. Has anyone tried to change the bearing themselves, or is it a job for the boat yard?

Thanks,


Allen

[mike]

Allen,

Most yards have a simple clam shell shaped bearing puller that wraps around the shaft and will slide inside the strut. Using the tool enables removing the bearing with out having to remove the shaft. You can do the same if you are willing to make a similar tool by slicing a piece of pipe in half along its axis. Once having done that you weld a tab on the out side of the pipe to serve as a location to strike a mallet in order to remove the bearing. Don't forget to remove the set screws on the side of the strut that retain the bearing. Bottom line let the yard do it.

[Banshee36]

You can make one or you can buy a Strutpro. www.Strutpro.com. I bought one get a buddy to in with you , makes changing out cutless bearings a breeze!!!! Invest in a cheap electric impact gun, makes life easier.
Hope this helps.
JW

[Captcoop]

If you have 2 struts you may want to pull the shaft. You can remove the bearings and split them for removal but you will have to drive the forward bearing thruogh the main strut to get it to the intermediate strut. I just installed bearings in my 45C and when you consider that you most likely will not have to install them again the tool is not a good investment unless you make it yourself. Good Luck

[Traveler 45C]

I thought it was not wise to be banging on your running gear. This tool would eliminate that completely.

What was the cost for the tool?

[Trojan]

If you remove the shaft you can saw the bearing in half and just push it out. 2 flat plates with holes and a 1 inch threaded rod with 2 nuts,2 washers will push it back in..Chill the bearing and lub it. If it was that tight of fit you would not need set screws. Just make sure your inline.I've put many bearings in this way. Thats all the super tool does and its a lot cheaper. Bill

[Genesis]

That may be true but pulling shaft couplings is often a lot of "fun."

[MikeP]

AHA! Last year a guy (diver) in our marina replaced his cutlass bearings in the water. I saw the puller/installer he used and assumed it was homemade but seeing the Strut pro on the website, I realize THAT was the tool he used.

Obviously works pretty well because once he had the props off, I swear he had the bearings out/replaced, the props back on and the boat moving out of his slip in not more than maybe 2 hours if that. And it was all done underwater - pretty impressive. I didn't notice what was going on until he came out of the water with the second prop so I don't know how long it took him to pull the props. But the Strut-pro seems like a pretty good tool for cutlass bearings.

[Fat Boy]

Last season, sometime, I developed a vibration in the area of the starboard side liner area, under the gunnel. The best that I can remember, the vibration began, one morning while heading out to sea and it seems like we hit a wave hard and the vibration started, almost like something had broken loose in the liner, between the cockpit floor and the gunnel. Anyway, last Sept. I had the boat hauled and replaced the starboard side cutless bearings. I also pulled the wheels and had them checked, and several minor issues, but not enough to repair, according to Palmetto Props. We checked engine alignment, after the cutless bearing replacement and tightened motor mounts. Today, I ran the boat for several hours, and found that the vibration is STILL there. I know that this is a broad area; however, does anyone have any recommendations? This vibration will drive me crazy, and I hate the idea of going to the boat yard and telling them to find/fix the vibration. :mad:

Thanks,


Allen

[egaito]

Did you check the alignment of the shaft in the shaft log? Perhaps it's making slight contact while running.

If the alignment is close, but not perfect, is the torque of being in gear throwing it out enough to cause vibration?

It might be worth observing the shaft while the driveline is under stress.

One last thought, perhaps some tabbing broke free or cracked when you hit the wave, either at the sole, or a bulkhead. Does the boat "feel" different, or "sound" different? Perhaps something broke free that is now vibrating.

Good luck finding this one, and report back!

-Ed G.

[luckydave215]

I've always removed old cutlass bearings (shaft out) by passing a hacksaw blade through the bearing, and sawing through the brass shell from the inside. You want to cut just through the shell, and not cut into the strut. this cut relieves the press fit, and the bearings pull out easily with your fingers. Then install with the usual home made threaded-rod-and-big-washers installing press. If this method is employed, there is no force applied to the running gear, no hammering on bedded parts.

[Will]

Please pardon my ignorance but, what is "tabbing" in this context?
Will

[luckydave215]

"Tabbing" is fiberglass patches, usually bent at right angles, that attach bulkheads to the hull or other structure.

[Fat Boy]

I have been thinking that the problem is broken tabbing. I just hate the idea of cutting a hole in the liner, to see if there is tabbing loose. I can't find any other way to get a good view of the tabbing area. :mad: :mad:

[34Hatt]

I've always removed old cutlass bearings (shaft out) by passing a hacksaw blade through the bearing, and sawing through the brass shell from the inside. You want to cut just through the shell, and not cut into the strut. this cut relieves the press fit, and the bearings pull out easily with your fingers.

I just did this on Saturday since my shaft were out and I am going bigger and need to replace the cutlass. I did cut it in two place and still had to beat it loose it was a royal PITA. I am making a puller for the other side and since you need half of those parts to put the new one in I say go with the puller. And if your shaft don't need to come out like Genesis That may be true but pulling shaft couplings is often a lot of "fun." Well I just will add :p :mad: :eek: :(

[Trojan]

I don't know the exact area that you say the vibration is coming from. But I would look at maybe something in the area of the exhaust causing this vibration. Since the vibration is coming on in the low to mid range of the RPM. I think that at this point is where the vibration would be the greatest. Because that is when the torque, speed, thrust, strain on everything begins to happen. The exhaust at that point starts to rumble and it might just be this oscillation that is causing the vibration. I would look for a exhaust mount of some nature to be broken loose. You did say that this happened after a large wave. Diesel exhaust can really vibrate if it gets loose.



BILL

[mike]

FWIW I removed the bearings using a Porto-power, and two end plates coupled with 4 long 3/4" all-thread. The Porto-power was well worth the $30 rental fee. Also used it to pull the flange coupler. Most rental places have the units, you just need to make certain you get the stubby 3" pancake cylinder. mike

[Genesis]

Just don't be inline with any of the pieces you put together for the job.

A friend of mine was pulling his cutless bearing on one side with one of these hand-pumped hydraulic thingies and one side of the jackscrew arrangement he had rigged let go.

Sounded like someone had lit off a cherry bomb with the pieces going a LONG way..... not good if you had been "inline" with any of it!

[Fat Boy]

It turns out that my issue wasn't the cutless bearings that I replaced, or a bent shaft, it was a bent strut on the starboard side. Upon further investigation, we were unable to turn the port shaft by hand and we found that the port strut was also bent. With a few hours labor, both struts have been repaired/straightened and after bow & stern smart rail installation & bottom paint tomorrow, I'll be back in the water on Wednesday and have alignment on Friday, I'll be ready to fish! :D

What a nightmare this has been!!!!!! :mad:

Thanks for all of the suggestions!!!

[Trojan]

How do you think they got bent? You mentioned that it came on all of a sudden.


BILL

[Walter P]

Does anyone know how I can buy the Strut Pro? Their web site does not list any telephone numbers or address, only a "contact us" page which I filled out a week ago and still no response.

Walt

[Fat Boy]

I hit something, at some point, because the starboard side clamshell raw water intake was dented in. So I must have been extremely luck, not to have damaged anything else.

[luckydave215]

Does your diver have a lump on his head?

[Angela]

Does anyone know how I can buy the Strut Pro? Their web site does not list any telephone numbers or address, only a "contact us" page which I filled out a week ago and still no response.

Walt

From www.strutpro.com, the "contact us" page lists telephone of 425-397-6601 and fax of 360-668-9789.

[Fat Boy]

LMAO :eek: :D :D :D , probably so!!!

[Walter P]

Well I got a hold of the folks at Global Marine Industries, manufacturer of the Strut Pro today. Cost is $395.00 + shipping for the unit with one size collet assembly. Extra collets are $84.00 each size. A complete set with all collets (which include 33 sizes) is $795.00. There are multiple size collets for each shaft dia so it is important to know exactly which bearing you need before ordering. Thanks to all of you for steering me to Strut Pro.

Walt........

[luckydave215]

I can't believe anybody would spend $400+ to buy what is just an ordinary internal bearing puller when you can rent one at any tool rental house for $5, or make your own out of pipe and clamps for nothing.

[Walter P]

Dave, Our boats are to us big toys for big boys. The fact that we all enjoy this forum so much is that we obviously like to work on them as kids play in their sand boxes with tractors and progress on upwards to various size boats. The tools we aquire along the way are additional toys which we accumulate along the way. Sometimes we buy them other times we try to build them. Another set of toys (tools) are necessary of course to build the new tool (toys) and the beat goes on. Quite often a new tool comes along that we need to have and then the game of justification for the cost comes into play. Are we having fun yet??????

Naturally the folks who do this stuff for a living have a different motive, but the really good ones still like (love) to aquire special must have toys (tools).

Just think how boring it would be if the only thing we did on our boats was to sit on the aft deck with a cold one in one hand and a pen in the other in order to sign checks so that others can have all the fun and aquire the toys (tools).

I love this forum and the information I can get from it.... if it costs me a few bucks for more toys so be it. Remember what Malcolm Forbes said in his book "He who dies with the most toys - WINS"

[Banshee36]

I can't believe anybody would spend $400+ to buy what is just an ordinary internal bearing puller when you can rent one at any tool rental house for $5, or make your own out of pipe and clamps for nothing.

I own a Strutpro, sure you can rent something and then try to make it work, pull the shafts out of your boat, cut the bearing , drive it out , make another tool to push the bearing in, re install the shaft and realign the engine. Sounds like two days of work to me. The strutpro took all od 15 minutes to remove and re-install the cutless bearings. I spilt the cost with a buddy for his rig.
It was pretty much a no brainer for me, I like tools that make my life easier, no I just need an underwater impact gun.

JW

[Nonchalant1]

I like tools that make my life easier, now I just need an underwater impact gun.

JW

Won't all air impact guns work underwater? You just run a hose from your air-horn tank to your impact gun and....voila! Maybe you can only use it once before it rusts up solid though.

Doug