302/322 Shaft Strut

Jul 12, 2011
146
Oday 302 st pete
the strut on my 302 does not have any flange or bolts visible. It goes through the hull and is covered by a large half bowling ball lump on the inside. This joint has been leaking slightly due to shaft misalignment/vibration. Anyone ever patch this up? I could use some advice.
 

Attachments

Sep 23, 2009
1,475
O'Day 34-At Last Rock Hall, Md
Hopefully a 302 skipper will have the best information for you but it sounds like you are going to need a grinder to get to the strut mounting. I wonder if a po just poured epoxy over it to stop a leak. Does not seem that the builder would do that. Do you have a picture of the inside hull view?
 
Jul 12, 2011
146
Oday 302 st pete
Ill get one today, but I have seen a previous post on here with the exact same feature, so I think its factory.
 
Nov 3, 2010
564
Oday 39 Lake mills WI
I was very fortunate that my boats twin sister built just one hull number apart is owned from day one by a sailboat mechanic and rigging expert. I bounce many of my problem off him. His boat (an oday 39) experienced the same problem. Here is his remedy. Quote:
Greetings from the upper reaches of the Choptank River
How are you both ? Me : very well . I think I mentioned early last fall to one or both that I had a leaking strutt . Thought I would pass on the Low Down . The factory had bonded the strutt , a good thing , they drilled a 1/4 hole throught FRP knob and the strutt and afixed two (2) bonding wires. One either side with a S.S. 1/4 in bolt . AND there inlies the problem .Oxygen starvation , the bolt separted inside the FRP and the strutt . And then the water seeped up the strutt and out through the bolt , Now that it was not tight . SOOOO if you start to see a liitle water under the engine pan for no apparent reason look under the fwrd part of the hot water heater (Mirror ) and you just might see the seeping drip. The fix is a pain but easy . Pull the heater , make a cut in the heater floor . Pull both bolt ends . Redrill with 1/4 in bit , TAPP completly through with 5/16 tap and pick up a 3 " bronze machine bolt and you get the rest of the picture .NEXT : drill a hole in the TOP of the FRP strutt and tap w/ a 1/8 " pipe , then get a small funnell and poor water in the funnel to wash any salts that may have come up the inside of the FRP and bronze. THEN a dash of Acetone to complete the flush . Now go to the local auto parts store and pick up an inexpensive grease gun (will be sacrificial) and an 1/8'' grease fitting . Back to WEST one or two units of WEST , pump it into the strutt till it comes out of the hull and strutt joint . Got all that ??? . While you are in there it will be a Good time have a good look around . Now I will tell you that you will see the fuel tank platform looking a bit Knarghley . Not much me thinks we can do to help . I am going paint what I can with WEST . . The heater will come out the port cock pit locker door or the if you remove the propane locker it will come out that way too . Might have to loosen the steering cables . But again a good time to poke around a see what condition your condition is in . "Found my mind in the bottom a bag as i was ................" remember that song ?
Ok there ya go , been a crazy winter here .We saw 5 deg. one morning , maybe , all together a foot of snow .warm today . Still busy fixing boats . I looked afer the top of the engine the winter . new glow plugs , serviced the injectors not bad but not good either .Was getting hard to start if it sat for week . adjustd the vlaves , torqued the head . Good for another 4000 hrs .
 
Feb 5, 2015
37
O'Day 302 Ottawa
I have the same half bowling ball on my O'Day 302 under the aft bunk in line with prop shaft. So must be a builder solution. Thanks the_Alpine cause now I understand what it is. Has baffled me since day one of ownership. I have not seen any leaking but I have been wondering about minor cracks in antifouling at that location. Not something that the surveyor was concerned about and no leaks that I am aware of. Can't help with a solution but looking forward to hearing how you work this out.
 
Jul 12, 2011
146
Oday 302 st pete
Thanks for that Panta Rei. To clarify - do you have the large half bowling ball lump?

Evan - definitely checkout the exterior strut joint. Seems like a weak point.
 
Nov 3, 2010
564
Oday 39 Lake mills WI
My boat is built a bit differently but I believe the problem and solution to be the same. My guess the half bowling ball is a very clever manufacturing technique. I believe your strut to be the universal style strut with no flange. You can see one here. https://www.deepblueyachtsupply.com...boat-struts-?gclid=CN-dtd-H29ECFYWGaQodXh4J4A This is not an exact match but designs mcange over the years. The advantage to this design is that it would allow O'day to install the engine and drive train without the tedious alignment and simply install and align the strut last. strengthening it with the big half bowling ball. Can you poke around to see any sings of a flange that could be bolted to the hull? My guess there is none. I noticed something when I was looking at the photo of your strut. The angle of the shaft does not match the angle of the strut casting. Note that shaft is closer to horizontal and the strut is more vertical. Hard to explain but look at your photo. Maybe the strut is machined at different angle and does not follow the shape of the casting. Can you take a photo of the cutlass bearing from the fore and aft? It may hold some clues.
 
Jul 12, 2011
146
Oday 302 st pete
Panta - I saw the same thing you did. Turns out the shaft hole does not go through the strut at the same angle as the exterior of the strut.

I got the strut joint exterior ground down to good material and reglassed all around her.
 

Attachments

Jul 12, 2011
146
Oday 302 st pete
Oh ya, while I believe the strut was leaking water, I found the more obvious source: rudder tube zerc.
 

Attachments