cutlass bearing

G

gettinthere

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Nov 26, 2008
1,966
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
I THINK I may be hearing some rumble from the cutlass bearing. Not sure. Its a low rumble that goes away at idle and also goes away above about 1200rpms.

Is there some way to verify this is a cutlass bearing issue without hauling?

This boat has no strut, the shaft sticks out the back less than a foot.

Thnx
 
Maine Sail

Maine Sail

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Feb 6, 1998
11,675
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
gettinthere said:
I THINK I may be hearing some rumble from the cutlass bearing. Not sure. Its a low rumble that goes away at idle and also goes away above about 1200rpms.

Is there some way to verify this is a cutlass bearing issue without hauling?

This boat has no strut, the shaft sticks out the back less than a foot.

Thnx
Click to expand
When was the last time you dove the prop..? Here in Maine we've had a good summer of weed patches. Not uncommon to pick up some floating line in the patches. Dive, check that it's clear and see if you can wiggle it while down there....

I know, waters cold, causes severe shrinkage, but it will be refreshing.:D
 
shemandr

shemandr

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Jan 1, 2006
7,085
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
It's hazardous to follow a MaineSail posting but cutlass bearings fail slowly. It's almost September and you could probably make it until haul out. This could be a winter project if that's the problem at all. I do endorse the swim, however cold the water is, just for the invigoration.
 
Allan12210

Allan12210

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Jan 22, 2008
1,654
Hunter 34 Alameda CA
Can you get to the stern tube bolt heads from the inside? Presuming the stern tube isn't bonded with anything else, and if the cutless bearing is pressed into that, then there should be a dead short (0 ohms resistance) between the shaft and stern tube if the rubber is worn out and the shaft contacts the cutless inner shell. Of course, seawater has resistance, but I think it is greater than zero ohms so you might have to use the megaohm scale on a multimeter. If the cutless isn't worn but the shaft is touching the stern tube, it will also show continuity and that's bad too. Or, you have to jump in the water. :eek:
 
G

gettinthere

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Nov 26, 2008
1,966
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
Well, it is warmer here in Rockland harbor, must be 62d.
Haulout for winter??? We haul azz for south for winter!
I was out of the water in June. Added a shaft shark for line cutting. Shaft seemed firm. But maybe I have to don the wetsuits (yes plural).
The bolts are external, I think lag screws.

I have about 3 feet of shaft between trans and stern tube and probably a foot or less to the cutlass bearing in there. Would I be able to wobble the shaft inside there if the bearing was worn?

And, shaft was out of the boat in 2009 and was perfect, big disapointment for the shop fitting a new coupler!

Thanks
 
Allan12210

Allan12210

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Jan 22, 2008
1,654
Hunter 34 Alameda CA
If you separate the shaft coupling you can wobble the shaft as the rubber in the cutless will compress some. Then you have to determine if at some point in the wobble it goes up against a hard surface, like the inside of the cutless shell out at the exit. Or maybe you will hear it. This is while keeping the shaft in the center of the packing nut and only allowing the hose (or bellows if its a dripless) to deflect.

The bellows or hose for the packing may not actually bottom out in the boat. If there is just a little metal exposed on the stern tube, you can still try the ohm meter method. 62 deg sounds pretty warm to me. Except for El Nino years we get all the way up to 57 in the summer. Of course in the winter we get all the way down to 51. ;)
 
G

gettinthere

.
Nov 26, 2008
1,966
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
Either the shaft shark finally cut off 'stuff' or it sluffed off on its own or maybe I was imagining all of it!
Regardless, the rumble is gone and I'm NOT going swimming.

Thanks all
 
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