cutlass bearing
I don't know if yours is the same as the one on our M28OI, Mike. In case it is though, I'll explain:The bearing on the 'Merry Bee' is held in place with 2 hex-head screws that are tightened against indentations drilled into the outer shell of the bearing & wire-tied to keep them from backing out. To remove the bearing, all we need to do is remove the screws and the prop and slip the bearing out. I've heard of some people having to drive the bearing out either from the inside or by using a puller & slide hammer. Maybe we're fortunate in that ours is a light slip fit, so no special effort is required. Obviously, if the propshaft needs to be pulled, then the boat must be pulled out as well. Again, in our case, if the propshaft needs to come out, then the rudder must be pulled as well. IMHO, A small amount of play (1/16" or so) shouldn't be cause for alarm with such a slow-turning prop. Our original shaft was bronze, and it had worn down quite a bit over the years; even a new bearing didn't help! We had a new SS shaft made last year. The play was reduced so much that I decided to leave the old bearing in for another year or so! Hope this helps!JimOcean Gate, NJ