Two cutlass bearings?

[Dalliance]

Dalliance has always had what I take to be two cutlass bearings; one at the Y-strut and one in the stern tube. In all the work underway this spring - pulling the engine and transmission, replacing the shaft log hose, etc. - the stern tube cutlass bearing has somehow fallen out. Nowhere to be found. I even pulled off the new shaft log hose to make sure it had not gone that direction instead of out of the boat. Gone.

I'm told it's not necessary, but then why was it there? Was this original to the Cherubini H30 or a modification? Do I need it?

Photo taken without bearing. Shaft a little off center right now, but it's not reconnected to engine yet.

 

[kloudie1]

Dalliance.. there never was a bearing in that opening. That is the bolt-in bronze shaft log to which the hose connects inside. so it is a flange with a tube that extends inside. Looks like there has been rubbing between the shaft and the bronze tube. Ya might want to carefully inspect to make sure the bronze has not been rubbed through.. Probably not this exact one, but similar: http://catalog.buckalgonquin.com/it...t-shaft-log-bearing-housings-short/10slw1002?
Some full keel boats with the prop in an aperture do have a bearing there, but your boat did not

 

[Dalliance]

Thanks Kloudie1, that's pretty much what I had concluded as I thought about it more today. An intermediate point of support between the engine and strut just did not make sense for a prop shaft of this length.

I had noticed the rubbing wear on the stern tube and took a closer look this evening. It's not worn through, but it's worn enough to be disconcerting, so it will most likely be replaced. The mystery remains as to exactly why a cutlass bearing had been inserted there. It must have had some sort of remedial purpose in someone's mind.

I do recall the previous owner telling me, long before I even thought of becoming the owner of this boat, of a 4th of July fireworks encounter with an anchor line which bent a prop shaft and resulted in some expensive, but unspecified repairs. I suspect that was the incident that caused the wear to the stern tube, and possibly the addition of the extra cutlass bearing.

I have a trusted expert looking at it tomorrow and will post any new findings and coarse of action.

 

[Dalliance]

It turns out the bronze shaft log is worn more than half way through on one side, so I decided to postpone my launch date this week and replace it. Unfortunately, I'm not having any luck finding this item. The bore is 1.25" for a 1" prop shaft, the log hose inside diameter is 1.625" and the neck length is 2.5". The neck length is the problem. Not enough room inside the hull for the flange, so it goes on the outside of the hull, effectively adding the 3/4" hull thickness to the required neck length. Anyone know of a source, new or used, for this little shaft log?

 

[Jim Legere]

It turns out the bronze shaft log is worn more than half way through on one side, so I decided to postpone my launch date this week and replace it. Unfortunately, I'm not having any luck finding this item. The bore is 1.25" for a 1" prop shaft, the log hose inside diameter is 1.625" and the neck length is 2.5". The neck length is the problem. Not enough room inside the hull for the flange, so it goes on the outside of the hull, effectively adding the 3/4" hull thickness to the required neck length. Anyone know of a source, new or used, for this little shaft log?

Hi, I think that the OEM shaft logs were Wilcox Crittenden and are no longer available. It looks like the Buck Algonquin unit might be a substitute:
here

 

[Dalliance]

Thanks, Buck Algonquin was the first one I tried. They had one with a neck too short and one with a larger diameter than will fit in the boat. Called them and they were helpful, referred me to a couple other companies, who then each sent me to a couple more....and so on. Waiting on response from a couple right now.

 

[bugaloo]

I had a new one made at a local machine shop out of stainless and it works just fine, old boat new shaft log!!!

 

[Dalliance]

Thanks Bugaloo. I'm having a welder take a look at it tomorrow and will probably do the same thing. Searching for a new one has been a waste of time.

 

[Dalliance]

Update - Had a local shop machine a new shaft log out of bronze. They came to the boat the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and delivered the new part the following Wednesday. Good price too. Ironically, with good intentions, they put a cutlass bearing in it, but we just pressed it out and used it to replace the old bearing in the strut.
Getting back on track for launch next week - three weeks later than planned.