Removal of Cutlass Bearing

[Jerry Maisonneuve]

I'm looking for the best way to remove the old cutlass bearing and replacing it with a new one. I have tried to put ice around the shaft support but am afraid to try dry ice.

 

[Don]

Is the shaft removed?

The ice trick only works to install a new bearing. Like, keep it in a freezer untill ready to install.

 

[Keith]

Cutlass bearing removal

A few years back I replaced mine. Do not hammer on the thing. Just makes alot of noise and is hard on the strut. What I did was remove the prop shaft, the got a piece of all thread, I believe I got 3/8". Find a piece of pipe that is a little bigger than the bearing but small enough not to slip over the bearing housing. It needs to be alittle longer than the bearing. I slipped the all thread through the bearing, put acouple washers over one end of the all thread (the washers were bigger than the bearing but smaller that the bearing housing) then put a nut on that end. On the other end of the all thread I slipped the pipe over the all thread then a washer and nut. Now it was just a matter of tightening the nuts and it presses the bearing from the housing to the pipe. The same tool can replace the new bearing. If your bearing is really stuck, you might want to consider going with a larger all thread. The bigger you go, the stronger your press and more leverage you will have. Hope this helps some.

 

[Tom Soko]

carefully cut it

another way to get out the cutlass bearing is to carefully cut it out using a hacksaw blade. be carefull to just cut through the bearing and not the strut. Once it's cut (lengthwise), you can peel it out.

 

[Rod Worrell]

It Works!

Jerry, Tom's suggestion of using the hacksaw blade also worked for me when I tried several other methods last Summer which didn't work. In this example, the shaft is pulled. The cutlass bearing tube is very thin brass, so using the hacksaw blade does require you to cut on an even stroke that is spread across the length of the shaft. Because I was in a crouching position, it may have been a little uncomfortable and therefore, took me about thirty minutes to load the blade, cut, remove the blade and then remove the bearing. Putting in a new one can be a lot of work, but if you can do the "freeze" trick, it looks like you've got it.Take care!