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Cutless bearing removal

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
Cutlass Bearing Puller

I have been asked on the Sailnet list to post the following pics of the puller I use for removing and installing a cutlass bearing without removing the shaft. This was made by a friend with an O'Day 34 with a shaft larger than my 1" shaft so I had to make up a new split pusher sized for my boat. I have only used it on my son's C+C 29 with a 7/8" shaft for which I wrapped a copper wire around the shaft to center the pusher.

Looking at the top picture: Block A goes behind the strut with a central hole big enough for the bearing to pass through easily.

Block B is split in halves with a central hole large enough for the shaft only. It goes in front of the strut and pusher.

The dark tube on the shaft represents the bearing in the strut.

The lighter gray tube is the pusher and is split in half down the long dimension. This piece is longer than the strut, slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the bearing and larger than the shaft. I used a pipe nipple that was about 1.31" od and turned it down to under 1.25". I put a hose clamp around it to hold the halves together. The pusher has to be large enough to push against the brass of the cutlass bearing. With a 1" shaft and a 1 1/4" strut the diameter the brass is not very thick.

When assembled, tightening the nuts on the 1/2" threaded rods pushes the cutlass bearing aft and out of the strut. It will also push the new bearing into the strut.
 

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Last edited:

C. Trembanis

Member III
Spinning Stuffing Box

Help anyone. I have noticed that when the engine is engaged the prop shaft, stuffing box copression nut. lock nut and the stuffing box body all spin together. I've had the boat for four years. The packing gland does leak.
What gives here?? regards Chris
 

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
Modifying the puller to pull the prop

I have been asked on the Sailnet list to post the following pics of the puller I use for removing and installing a cutlass bearing without removing the shaft. This was made by a friend with an O'Day 34 with a shaft larger than my 1" shaft so I had to make up a new split pusher sized for my boat. I have only used it on my son's C+C 29 with a 7/8" shaft for which I wrapped a copper wire around the shaft to center the pusher.

Looking at the top picture: Block A goes behind the strut with a central hole big enough for the bearing to pass through easily.

Block B is split in halves with a central hole large enough for the shaft only. It goes in front of the strut and pusher.

The dark tube on the shaft represents the bearing in the strut.

The lighter gray tube is the pusher and is split in half down the long dimension. This piece is longer than the strut, slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the bearing and larger than the shaft. I used a pipe nipple that was about 1.31" od and turned it down to under 1.25". I put a hose clamp around it to hold the halves together. The pusher has to be large enough to push against the brass of the cutlass bearing. With a 1" shaft and a 1 1/4" strut the diameter the brass is not very thick.

When assembled, tightening the nuts on the 1/2" threaded rods pushes the cutlass bearing aft and out of the strut. It will also push the new bearing into the strut.

I expect to be hauling my boat in the coming weeks and when I do so I will pull the prop and shaft, shorten the prop log by a couple of inches, seal the cut with epoxy, replace the hose and clamps, add a new cutlass bearing, and so on. All to be done while a new bottom goes on.

I have a gear puller (automotive style) which I will try to use to pull the prop, but if that does not fit well, I propose to modify the cutlass bearing puller which Tom shows here as follows;

I will have a replacement for board "A" which is drilled smaller in the center so as to accept a long bolt . That bolt will, after Loosening the prop nut, be placed against the nub of the prop shaft in the center of the hub of the prop. Then the cutlass bearing puller becomes a prop puller. When tightened against the rear of the prop hub, with the bolt pressing into the end of the prop shaft, the prop should pop off.

I think it will work. Are there any doubters out there?
 
Last edited:

Shelman

Member III
Blogs Author
Not doubting... just confused. Why are you shortening the shaft log. Are you changing to a drippless shaft seal and need more space between the shaft log and the transmission coupling?
Also why are you pulling the prop off the shaft? To change to a diffrent prop? Are you shortening the shaft as well? If a shaft shop is cutting down your shaft they can pull the prop for you as well.
perhaps im not quite understanding.
 

Ian S

Member III
Hey guys some some unsolicited advice as I have changed many a cutlass bearing. I have also shortened every shaft on my ericsons over the years as the shafts for some reason tend to be generously long. I have always done this work in conjunction with switching over to max props.
please also note that if you change shaft length (typically done to reduce shaft whip) you will need to have a machinist either re-taper either the prop end or put a new keyway slot on the drive end. Also of note. as you shorten shaft length you reduce prop clearance to the hull and this can add unwanted "prop thump" from the turbulent water hitting the hull as the blade passes close by. common with 2 blade props.

C, Tembanis. If the whole assy. is spinning thats a real problem! You need to remove the shaft and replace or at minimum rebuild / re seat the entire packing gland assembly and fiber reenforced hose. should that fail you could easily flood the vessel. the difficult part will be realigning the shaft. you MUST have perfect alignment with the strut and bearing. I would get everything re assembled do not tighten up the hose clamps or gland assy until the shaft is back in the boat.
I would now go and perform an engine / shaft alignment. once that is complete you may now set the packing gland assembly. Also know that you will not get an accurate alignment with the boat on the hard. The larger the vessel the more this tends to be true. small light boats not so much.

In Re: to replacing cutlass bearings. I personally do not think it is worth the risk of damaging or bending the strut to save maybe 50 -100 bucks in labor. remember folks were talking about an alignment here that needs to remain in tolerance to a couple of thousands of an inch! a couple of good blows with a mallet could throw it out. also bear in mind even a small deflection of the strut translates into major offset by the time you cover the distance to hit the coupler. The bronze is strong but not that strong.
Those bearings can be incredibly stubborn. I borrow a professional hydraulic puller / seater and even with that they can put up a good fight. If you insist on the DIY route then i would pull the shaft to remove the bearing. Some will cut the bearing in half with a hacksaw blade or equiv. to remove as re-seating an new bearing is much easier than removal of the old one.

lastly a good ole bearing puller will remove the prop NP, especially if you add a little heat to the hub. Just don't get it glowing and warp the propeller. Many shafts will not have a center on them I suggest you drill one so the puller does not walk.

Good luck hope this helps a bit!
Capt. Ian Snook
50T USCG Master
 

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
Pulling the prop & shaft

Shelman,

Sorry. Clarification is in order.

No dripless seal. A few years back, I had to replace my transmission. I put in a ZF-10 in place of a Hurth HBW-50. The ZF is about 1 1/2 inches longer and 1 inch taller than the old trans. Therefore the coupling and the prop shaft are pushed aft to the point that there is very little shaft exposed forward of the packing gland. The packing gland cannot be unscrewed and slid back up the shaft in order to put new packing material inside. The remedy seems to be to shorten the prop shaft log or the hose or both.

As far as pulling the prop, the shaft must be removed in order to complete the cutting of the log and change the hose and I don't think the shaft can slide out past the rudder with the prop on it.

No the shaft will not be shortened. It protrudes about 1 1/2" extra from the hull but it does not seem to cause undue vibration, so I will leave well enough alone.

Of course I will know more when I get the boat out of the water and I can examine everything.
 

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
Ian,

Thanks for the comments. Very helpful.

Note that I was responding to a very old thread when I discussed modifying the puller. That response from C Trembanis about his spinning packing gland was 10 years ago.:rolleyes:
 

Shelman

Member III
Blogs Author
Keith,
I get it now. It all seems like it should work just fine. Let us know how you like the new zf-10
 

EGregerson

Member III
shaft

I noticed a groove in my shaft where the packing material has worn in over the years (noticed it when i pulled the transmission for rebuild); it's not a big problem but i suppose i have to replace packing material more often. I wondered if just shortening the shaft a little would put the packing material on an unworn section of the shaft. If you had such a groove; what would you be up against in shortening the shaft; in your case 1 1/2"?
 

footrope

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
I noticed a groove in my shaft where the packing material has worn in over the years (noticed it when i pulled the transmission for rebuild); it's not a big problem but i suppose i have to replace packing material more often. I wondered if just shortening the shaft a little would put the packing material on an unworn section of the shaft. If you had such a groove; what would you be up against in shortening the shaft; in your case 1 1/2"?

There is a recommended amount of clearance between the prop blades and the hull that should be observed. I think it's something like 15% of the prop diameter. Or maybe it's 10% absolute minimum and 15% desired. You might look into what is recommended for clearance if shortening the shaft will get you close to that.
 

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
Craig,

I am actually trying to avoid shortening the shaft. I think it would be some expensive machine work to do that. The splines would, I think, need to be lengthened down the shaft. I want to shorten only the fiberglass tube the prop log. I will pull the shaft out, cut what I needed to, then slide the shaft back in.

I will be (and I have been) living with the extra shaft length sticking out of the hull. It serves to move the prop farther out from the hull, not closer. My initial worry was vibration but it seems to be within reasonable limits.
 

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
Pulling the prop & shaft

My boat is on the hard now and I have spent a portion of each of the last two days working on it. I have the transmission to shaft coupling unbolted and the packing gland loosened but I'm having a heckuva time trying to get the shaft loose from the transmission coupling, even though it is unbolted. There is some rust present and the steel coupler will not release the stainless shaft. I used PB Blaster on it (keeeping it away from the tranny seal). What a PITA. There is not much of a gap between the shaft coupling and the transmission coupling. I was barely able to put a large nut in between, center it over the shaft, put in longer bolts in the flanges and tighten them down. I had wanted to put a socket in there to push it out, but the gap is too small.That pushed the shaft out but only about 1/2". It was painstakingly slow and difficult. When I pull on the shaft from below the boat, nada. I have it out about 2" now. The coupling is 6-7" wide.

Next time I will take various lengths of bolts which I can put in there and repeat the process to push it out more, sequentially lengthening the bolt until the shaft is completely pushed out.
 

EGregerson

Member III
way back machine

i'm thinking back 10 years; to my old universal when i removed the shaft; pita fer sure. But i seem to remember a little set screw in the collar; that, when i finally saw it, i had a eureka moment; does yours have a set screw?
 

tenders

Innocent Bystander
You have my sympathies, I've done this a few times with the coupling in my Atomic Four and I think it's the hardest and least-fulfilling job there is on a boat. Hours and hours of knuckle-busting work for fractions of inches of progress. The setscrew, if there is one, is not the issue; the rust is. I've slathered gobs of antiseize on the shaft before replacing it; no difference in ease of removal after 5-6 years.

I'm a little surprised that you have to draw 6" of shaft out of the coupling. That seems more like a kneesock than a coupling! My coupling is about 2.5 times the length of my shaft diameter.

The next time I do this I will seriously consider simply cutting the shaft (50% probability) and replacing the one-piece. coupling with a "split coupling" (100% probability; I've already purchased it and have no imminent need for it) which disassembles around the shaft and saves 97% of the hassle with this project..
 

tenders

Innocent Bystander
I believe split couplings, sometimes referred to as "two-piece" couplings, are relatively standard machine shop items. They're available under the "shaft coupling" section at getaprop.com. Buck Algonquin and Walter Machine make them.

Don Moyer sells ones intended for various configurations of Atomic Fours at moyermarine.com. Not sure who his supplier is.

This is a rare category that I do not see at McMaster-Carr.
 
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