Replacing prop shaft tube and cutler bearing

  • Thread starter Barrett Woellhof
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Barrett Woellhof

I need a how to remove and install prop shaft and where to get replacement parts : cutler bearing, tube parts and packing box rework. Any help would be greatly appreciated as there are no marinas in area that work on any sailboats. My email is bwoellhof@ks-usa.net
 
Sep 9, 2005
61
- - St Joseph, MI
Cutless Bearing, Prop. Shaft, etc.

First, get yourself a good book on boat mechanics. Nigel Calder's "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual" is thought by many to be the bible. I had my shaft and cutless bearing replaced last winter by my yard as I am 3+ hours away and was still working. If your H31 is like my '81 H30, and has a rudder skeg (structural appendage supporting and leading the rudder) or the rudder is not tapered back at its leading edge enough to provide clearance for the shaft at the point they will intersect when the shaft is pulled through, you will be better off to pull the engine forward and remove the shaft through the engine compartment. This is due to labor and costs associated with removing and replacing the skeg. In my case, removing the engine was verified by two other experts as the least cost approach. You can then do necessary hull repair and move on to replacing the shaft, etc. If you have a bronze shaft it may be repairable. I chose not to go that route. Replacements are available in bronze, stainless, and monel. My costs included the removal and replacement of the water heater also, so are slightly overstated for the engine alone. R/R engine and water heater.................$910.00 R/R shaft and bearing........................280.00 1" x 48" Stainless shaft.....................475.00 Cutless bearing plus frieght .................75.00 Total.....................................$1,740.00 I think the toughest part is obtaining the proper engine alignment. Yanmar spec is .2mm all the way around at the transmission/ shaft coupling. Good Luck!
 
Mar 22, 2004
733
Hunter 30 Vero Beach
shaft removal

Jeff's got it right, I just want to add, If you're going to go through all the trouble to remove all these parts, also check the motor mounts. If they are old, have any traces of oil, or look at all worn, replace them now. While it's apart, it's worth the savings in labor to do some other work. If your motor mounts are old and worn it could mean transmission problems in the near future.(I learned the hard way) I also replaced the shaft log tube and put in a dripless seal. It cost me a few hundred bucks, but I won't be having to tear everything out again in a year or two, and my bilge is dry. I went with a PYI dripless seal. What a great invention.
 
K

Ken D

Good info

Jeff: thanks for the detailed info. I am getting ready to do the same thing on an 86 H31.
 
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