Strut straightening
- Thread starter PAT V.
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- straightening strut
Blue Jeans
Member I
Check the link 36C Strut or look at Boat Bumms there is some information about straightening the strut and also information about a Seattle area commpany that has the original molds from Ericson for struts.
I have a 36C that had the strut corroded off from electrolysis and had to replace it. The boat had sat for years with little or no maintenance. Not a fun job!
I have a 36C that had the strut corroded off from electrolysis and had to replace it. The boat had sat for years with little or no maintenance. Not a fun job!
Brass Dragon
Member II
strut bending tool
A bronze strut can be straightened with simple tools. It is fairly forgiving material. If possible, you dont want to whack it or leverage against the attach point but rather just bend the free end of the strut.
I may told this story before, I couldnt find it in the threads. When I replaced my shaft on my 36C, I noticed the strut was maybe 1/2" out of alignment. I built a 3-point bend clamp as shown in the pic below. The strut is clamped between the plate with risers and the bar. By tightening on the bolts, the strut is deflected. I had a broom stick in the position the shaft should be; inserted to the engine coupling and upper sleeve to point me to the location the strut should be. I kept tightening until the bore aligned with the shaft. If you start bending the strut near the hull you can make big corrections. As you get near the correct position, slide the tool toward the end of the strut, and you can make the finer corrections without fear of over bending. There will also be springback, so you will have to find your confidence as you approach the final position. In general, it is best to avoid too much bending back and forth.
A bronze strut can be straightened with simple tools. It is fairly forgiving material. If possible, you dont want to whack it or leverage against the attach point but rather just bend the free end of the strut.
I may told this story before, I couldnt find it in the threads. When I replaced my shaft on my 36C, I noticed the strut was maybe 1/2" out of alignment. I built a 3-point bend clamp as shown in the pic below. The strut is clamped between the plate with risers and the bar. By tightening on the bolts, the strut is deflected. I had a broom stick in the position the shaft should be; inserted to the engine coupling and upper sleeve to point me to the location the strut should be. I kept tightening until the bore aligned with the shaft. If you start bending the strut near the hull you can make big corrections. As you get near the correct position, slide the tool toward the end of the strut, and you can make the finer corrections without fear of over bending. There will also be springback, so you will have to find your confidence as you approach the final position. In general, it is best to avoid too much bending back and forth.
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strutbendingtoolR1.JPG