Cutlass Bushing removal with drive shaft still installed

[acemech]

Hey folks,

Since my boat has been perfect for the last 15yrs with nothing required except gen maint stuff (thats right its a Nautique!), I decided to do some additional maintenance this year during layup. I have noticed a low speed/idle growl when the drive is engaged which has gotten worse over the last 5yrs years.The noise isnt bad, and goes away completley under power with no vibrations or other strange noises. So I purchased a set of XPC strut bearings from SkiDim.

My question is: can the old rubber/phenolic type bearing be pushed/pulled out of the rear strut without removing the drive shaft?
I've kinda got a couple ideas but dont want to bugger the job either. If the shaft has to be removed, then so be it.

I wanted to run it by you folks here before i do anything stupid.

thanks in advance!

[TRBenj]

The shaft needs to be removed. The strut can stay on the boat though.

Make sure you perform an alignment on the reassembly.

[99 Closed Bow]

I have not removed the bushing on my boat but reviewed this site thoroughly last year thinking I might need to. You basically have two options-either remove the driveshaft from the boat and then remove the cutlass bearing with the strut still attached to the boat or remove the strut from the boat and take it into your shop to remove the cutlass bearing. Either way the shaft and strut must be separated. Most believe the second option is easier as you remove the prop, remove the 4 bolts for the strut, and then slide the strut right off the shaft. Upon reassembly you will need to use the appropriate waterproof sealant to prevent leaking around the strut and bolts. Good luck.

[acemech]

yeah I guess thats the consensus. remove the strut.replace bearing,install strut and align to within .00001.lol

[TRBenj]

It can certainly be done as described, but Im not sure I would be excited about getting the strut aligned when reinstalling. Thats not necessarily an easy job. Neither is sealing it in place. Though, having the strut off the boat makes the bushing replacement easier for sure. I would check the strut to shaft log alignment as it sits and decide based on that. If its perfect, then leave it. Pulling the coupler off the shaft in order to get the shaft off the boat isnt that bad of a job. Certainly not so bad as to inspire me to do an unnecessary strut alignment.

[AirTool]

ditto benj

find a you tube video of the threaded rod trick to replace the bushings and you will NEVER take the strut off.

[TRBenj]

ditto benj

find a you tube video of the threaded rod trick to replace the bushings and you will NEVER take the strut off.

Getting new bushings in is the easy part... its getting the old ones out that can be tricky!

[jhersey29]

Parts:

2 Feet of 1/2" All Thread
1 - 1/2" Nut - Requires 3/4" Wrench
2 - 1/2" Washers - these bend so need the stronger thick one or a bunch of these.
1 - 1/2" Thick Steel Washer
1 - 6" Plumbing Pipe with inner dimension slightly later than 1 1/4" I believe this one measures 1.38" ID.
1 - 1/2" Nut
1 - 1/2" Lock Washer
6 - 1/2" Flat Washers stacked. The washers measure 1.245" with a 1/2" hole. I sanded them down to about 1.210" with a belt sander.
1 - 1/2" Lock Washer
1 - 1/2" Nut
1 - Vice Grips. The vice grips where clamped onto the all thread and set against the trailer to prevent the all thread from spinning.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05U2WV2Jn_8

[scottb7]

I looked into it too when i thought i had a problem. I would personally leave the shaft in and remove the strut. Someone above made comment about after taking off strut to take it in to have the bearing replaced. Is that necessary? I thought it just had few small screws on the sides of the strut???

[jhersey29]

On mine there are 4 small screws. Loosening them is important but doesn't allow the bushings to move freely. They are pressed in with very tight tollerances. On my caliper the bushing was a couple thousandths larger than the hoe in the strut.
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[Rrichr]

I have not done it on a Nautique but I have on my big boat and the way I did it was to remove the struts and find the right size deep socket to press out the cutlass bearing in a bench vise. Pressing the new one is easy and sliding it back on the shaft is as well. Before you tighten it back up you need to make sure it is aligned. The poor mans way to do it is to mark the strut on all side before removing it and putting it back in the same place.

[TRBenj]

You will never get the strut back in the same exact place... Too much slop in the bolt holes (both strut and hull), thickness of bedding will be different, etc. Very, VERY small changes in strut placement will have a very large effect on alignment, so it needs to be re-performed regardless. First, strut to log, then shaft to powertrain. A proper strut installation/alignment is a pretty critical procedure.

As mentioned above, I would suffer through replacing the bushing with the strut on the boat if the alignment is good... It is by far the less painful path if everything is done properly.

[Rrichr]

call your local marina/boat repair shops as they do make a tool to press out the bearing from the strut while the shaft is still in place. A much fancier version of what jhersy29 posted. That way it is just pressed out and then a new one is pressed back in and you put the prop back on.

[jhersey29]

That tool is sweet but I didn't want to spend 375$ on one. Getting the boat shops to do anything near me is a challenge or should I say be prepared to wait.
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[a.klos]

Does anyone know who can rent one? Mine has small play I also checked some other boats around and they had no play.