I have a 1981 C&C 32 with a 1" prop shaft. Does anyone know the size or part number of the replacement cutlass bearing? Has anyone had experience with the Strut Pro bearing removal tool? (This tool does not require the removal of the prop shaft.) - Thanks, - Erik B
Cutlass Bearing replacement
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Can't help you on the specific bearing...depends on length and OD, in addition to the ID. They have weird names...mine is a "Bloater". Search for it at Defender.com.
My brother-in-law made me a tool similar to the Strut-Pro...works great and did not cost an arm and a leg....
Greg
My brother-in-law made me a tool similar to the Strut-Pro...works great and did not cost an arm and a leg....
Greg
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When I changed my cutlass bearing I went on Mainsails web page for some really great
help with changing it.
Nick
help with changing it.
Nick
Strut-Pro worked great for me. Popped that cutlass out in a few minutes. For me it was worth the expense of the tool.
Not sure why every tool assume pushing the bearing out. Why can't you push the old bearing in and slit it open. The tube is a lot easier to make than a split tube.
These are made with black iron tube and flanges from HomeDepot. Cost next to nothing. Machine shop costed $30 to turn down the tube.
These are made with black iron tube and flanges from HomeDepot. Cost next to nothing. Machine shop costed $30 to turn down the tube.
Attachments
. Certainly makes the tool easier to make. But I would worry about knicking the shaft trying to split the bearing. Worth a try though if you could not get the split tube.
Greg
bought the strut pro , and then sold it for what i paid for it to a surveyor who had borrowed it. it's a beautiful tool . you can make a tool that will do the job if you have the time and energy; there are several good designs on the internet.
There is rubber inside the bearing. You won't nick the shaft as the rubber prevents you from it. The rubber almost 1/8" thick.
If you don't have steady hands you can always use Dremel tool with smaller disk.
I've done 3 boats so far. Not commercially, just for friends.
If you don't have steady hands you can always use Dremel tool with smaller disk.
I've done 3 boats so far. Not commercially, just for friends.
Al, why is the tube turned down, is it or the new bearing pushing out the old bearing? If the turned down tube pushes the bearing out, is it hard to then remove it from the strut? Bty, is that a grinding tool or a cut off wheel adapted to makita single action polisher? Would be nice to get more use out of mine.
Looks like a sweet simple system. Thanks for the tip.
Looks like a sweet simple system. Thanks for the tip.
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I own a StrutPro but the success rate is not 100%. The most problematic bearing is usually the 1" X 1 1/4" bearing. The thinner the brass bearing shell the less likely it is to come out as the shell just collapses and it gets jammed. If I had to put a number on it I'd say at least 3 out of 10 thin-walled bearings are not removable with a pressing tool. The 1" X 1 3/8" and 1" X 1 1/2" bearings come out with much higher success rates.
The black iron pipe (from Home Depot) is slightly over sized than the inside diameter of the strut. Hence you need to turn it down to slightly smaller. You don't want it tight fit as you need to pull it back out. Never use a new bearing to push the old one out as you may damage the new one. I brought the new bearing to the machine shop as example.
I use the manufactured pipe to push the new bearing in. As you can see, to prevent it from slipping, I use a hose clamp to keep them aligned.
It is a cut off wheel. You just need to slit the bronze part. The rubber will show as soon as you are thru. Don't go further.
As for thin wall bearing, I found that the split tube is harder to make. A whole tube is stronger than a split tube. There is no need to keep the old bearing.
There is another method using saw blade but have to remove the shaft. I didn't want to do that as I have to remove the rudder as well.
I agree, a split tube can collapse, a round tube can't. Hence I designed it that way. I can make the round tube just slightly larger than the shaft and just slightly smaller then the outside diameter. There is no gap for it to collapse. Success is 100% for me even for very tightly fitted bearing. You still need to BPlast soak it first and heat it with a heat gun, but alway work.
It is not the StrutPro that collapses, nor the gap that is causing it. This is the result of a very thin-walled bearing shell with a very tight press fit and years of corrosion. Some bearings just need to be cut out. On one bearing I actually did use turned down pipe, and heat and PB, and it only made the problem worse. The shaft had to come out course the bearing had now turned into an acordian and this made getting the shaft out even tougher...... Again, this in only usually an issue with the thinnest walled bearings... My only point is that pressing bearings out is not a 100% success rate.
Interesting. Never encountered a very thin wall bearing. Again I am not doing this commercially, just for friends.
I only made the tool for my own boat.
I only made the tool for my own boat.