Hunter 34 - replace cutless bearing propeller shaft

[declan tyner]

Hi, I am looking for advice on removing the propeller shaft on my 1986 Hunter 34.

Is it possible to pull the shaft without removing the rudder?

Advice please,
Declan

 

[kloudie1]

short answer is "yes, but...."
The engine can be lifted with a frame to get it high enough to remove the shaft.. I have heard of folks doing that with a 4 X 4 post laid across the companionway.. The engine has to be lifted about 6 inches and some reported that in their boats, there was enough slack in wiring and hoses (ex sea water intake ) to get that done.. The concern is that if the engine were to fall, it may not stop at the engine mounts! The other way is to get the shaft strut loose from its bedding.. usually 4 bolts (but sometimes 2) under the aft berth access.. once the strut is off, the shaft and Cutless can be removed.. This one comes with a caution.. re-aligning the strut is a tough, precise job.. Sometimes removing the rudder is a good answer.. If you are replacing the Cutless only, there is a tool that can remove/replace the bearing with the shaft in place. I have heard that once the Cutless is out and the prop is off, the shaft may be able to be pulled out .. it would be rubbing on the rudder.. I don't know if that is possible on all of the 34's..
picture is of my 4 bolt strut attachment..

 

[Allan12210]

Yes, what Kloudie1 said. We had to replace the coupling, stern tube, shaft, strut and cutless in September. At least the prop and nuts were still good. Also replaced the cotter pin LOL. Once the coupling is pressed off and the strut is dropped the shaft will easily come past the rudder. My wife and I did it all ourselves including alignment of a new strut.

Hats off to the SBO store for the new strut including cutless and a really quick turn on a new stern tube exact replacement..

Things have been busy here so I didn't get to write it up but I have lots of pictures.

 

[RoyS]

Strut alignment is extremely difficult. I would take another route if at all possible.

 

[markwbird]

I think it would be easier to drop the rudder than to lift the engine. I've never dropped the rudder but I have replace the engine mounts so I can tell you that getting in there and undoing the mounts and lifting the engine and lowering it back and then aligning the shaft is no small task. I would much rather drop the rudder.

 

[Richard Bryer]

I have pulled my shaft twice. I tried to drop the rudder but the ground we are on after haulout was created with fill and when i got down about 8 inches I hit a concrete surface- an old sidewalk section. Then I tried to remove the strut but could not undo the bolts- too corroded. So I raised the engine just like Kloudie did. I found I could do it alone, I used my mainsail block system ( 8:1) and a short piece of chain with hooks on each end attached to the two brackets that are on the engine. Worked very well, set a block under it when I reached the height, didn't need to disconnect anything as Kloudie said. Good also when the motor goes back down as long as the mounts have not been moved and only the top nuts are off, it is back in alignment.

 

[Tally Ho]

I don’t have Your boat, but I pulled the shaft on my O’Day 322, which has the rudder and shaft in-line.

I removed the cutlass bearing, and the shaft log, and the coupling, and the prop.

the shaft was in line with the rudder, but with the cutlass bearing out and the shaft log off, I could get enough wiggle room to slide the shaft out.

I took some paint off the rudder as I slide the shaft out, but way better than dealing with the strut or jacking up the engine IMHO.

It was also a tight squeeze to get the new shaft back in, but used the same process. Getting the shaft started into the stern tube was the hardest part of putting it back together.

YMMV with a different boat.

Greg

 

[Artey1]

Allan, would you mind detailing your process for realigning everything? I have a pretty bad alignment, and I can't even get a traditional cutlass bearing removal tool in. I don't know if this is a result of the boat changing shape since its on the hard or what, but its a gap of .0051 at the fore top side of the cutlass bearing and similar at the aft bottom side. It almost looks like I need to pull my strut and shift it down/forward. Any advice or additional pictures of your process would be greatly appreciated. I'm probably at least looking at replacing my coupling as well since it is incredibly rusty. That is if I can ever get it separated from the transmission...