cutlass bearings question

[Miss Jamey Lynn]

I have my boat hauled out and its been about 4 months , at first the prop shafts turned easily but now they feel stiff and squeak when I turn them , is this normal for cutlass bearings after they have been out of the water for a period of time or is this a sign that they need to be replaced ?

 

[Boatsb]

1) Are they showing signs of uneven wear?

2) Are the showing signs of cracking or dry rot?

3) is there any play in the bearing?

They are lubricated by water and will be harder to turn dry. I would have someone who knows what to look for take a quick look before you make any decisions.

 

[Miss Jamey Lynn]

Yea they feel solid with no side to side movement ,if thats the case I should be able to hose the bearings down and they should free up slightly ? I have 2 struts each so there are 2 sets of bearinmgs.

 

[saltshaker]

I have my boat hauled out and its been about 4 months , at first the prop shafts turned easily but now they feel stiff and squeak when I turn them , is this normal for cutlass bearings after they have been out of the water for a period of time or is this a sign that they need to be replaced ?

That's normal. You should always check for play or alignment issues when the boat is hauled.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

One other thing to look at is.......is the wear on the rubber part, even at the inlet and outlet of the shaft, top and bottom,,on my 43 Hatt, one bearing wears slightly more on the bottom at the outlet of the shaft, needs a very slight re alignment of the strut.

 

[Nonchalant1]

Yea they feel solid with no side to side movement ,if thats the case I should be able to hose the bearings down and they should free up slightly ? I have 2 struts each so there are 2 sets of bearinmgs.

Yes, if you hose them while turning, they will free up a lot. Alternatively, you can squirt them with WD40 when dry and hauled and they will turn as if underwater. The WD40 will wash out when you launch and use the boat. WD40 will not harm the bearings.

 

[rsmith]

Its up and down movement that you have to worry about. One thing to remember DO NOT let anyone goober the water passages of the bearings up with bottom paint or even grease. when spinning the shafts ride in a film of water provided by the passages. The water keeps the shafts centered in the bearings so they should never touch the rubber when spinning.

 

[Miss Jamey Lynn]

Good info , thanks guys .