40.5 Cutlass Bearing Replacement

[Frank P]

Can anyone tell me if I need to drop the rudder to remove the shaft on my 1995 40.5? I am getting ready for a haulout and will be replacing the cutlass bearing. I may attempt to have the yard remove and replace it with the shaft in place but as things go with boats…..I want to know what I will be in for if the “shaft-in-place” removal does not work

Thanks
Frank

 

[Rich Stidger]

Relax, Frank, the shaft-in-place will work fine. I had my yard do this a year ago. I removed the prop for them and I supplied them a new bearing because they could not get one in a timely manner. I removed the prop because it was an AutoStream feathering unit and they were not as knowledgeable as I was with the removal and replacement. Pulling a standard prop and replacing it afterward should not add more than one additional hour to the total job.

Total shop labor was 1 hour each way, about $170 plus I paid $50 for the bearing.

The pictures below show the new bearing, the yard mechanic pushing the new bearing in place, and the final result.

 

[Frank P]

Thanks Rich,
I try to relax but my luck usually does not go the smooth route especially when I only have a 3 day window. I guess I will keep my fingers crossed! Although I still need to find out if the yard has a puller of this type. In retrospect if I do get onto a bind I think removing the strut would be much easier than the rudder.

Thanks
Frank

 

[Rich Stidger]

Frank,

You are right about the tendency of projects to go south. However, the cutlass bearing removal tool is a standard tool that I think every marina shop would have- just like a prop puller. These are tools of the trade.

However, I would think long and hard about removing the strut if the situation ever came to that point. The reason is that you will then have an alignment job that could be very difficult depending upon how the strut was re-attached. Additionally you run the risk, albeit small, of a water leak after you re-launch.

If you are concerned, I would verify BEFORE haul-out that the yard has the tools and expertise to do the job. Depending upon the answer, you may need to find a different yard.

 

[Maine Sail]

Frank,

You are right about the tendency of projects to go south. However, the cutlass bearing removal tool is a standard tool that I think every marina shop would have- just like a prop puller. These are tools of the trade.

However, I would think long and hard about removing the strut if the situation ever came to that point. The reason is that you will then have an alignment job that could be very difficult depending upon how the strut was re-attached. Additionally you run the risk, albeit small, of a water leak after you re-launch.

If you are concerned, I would verify BEFORE haul-out that the yard has the tools and expertise to do the job. Depending upon the answer, you may need to find a different yard.

Rich,

You'd be surprised there are a LOT of yards who won't or don't use presses. This is primarily beacuse there is a company who sells a very expensive hydraulic unit and yard monkeys pump it up hard and have ruined more than a few struts. It tended to give the presses a bad name.

I own the complete Strut-Pro kit, and it is a nice, well engineered piece of equipment. However, if I had a shaft already out I would simply cut the bearing out and press in a new one. Also many boats don't have p-struts and the bearings are in a dead wood and need to be cut out anyway with the shaft removed.