[C38] cutlass bearing replacement

[Tom T.]

Hello Kerry,

When I bought my 38, the original coupler was also so rusty that I couldn't get it off of the shaft to remove the shaft from the boat.

I made a piece of metal, 1/4" thick, in a round shape with holes to match the coupler bolt holes.  After flooding the shaft and coupler with penetrating oil, I put a socket with an outside diameter slightly less than the shaft size against the end of the shaft.  I used new bolts and mounted the round piece of steel plate against the socket and tightened the bolts which pushed the socket against the end of the shaft.

I kept tightening the bolts and hitting the middle of the round plate with a hammer until the coupler was free of the shaft.  If you tighten the bolts and hit the middle of the plate with a hammer, it will exert some serious force to remove that stubborn coupler.

Then, throw that old rusty coupler away and buy a PYI flex coupler.  It's lighter, quieter, smoother, and more reliable but you will have to buy a flange coupler because the Universal coupler doesn't use a flange coupler.  Flange couplers are available at most marine diesel supply stores.

This is one job that can revive your old Navy oracular.

Tom Troncalli


----- Original Message ----- 
From: 
To: bob gouley;Catalina 38 Listserve
Sent: 2/9/2009 4:43:07 PM 
Subject: Re: [C38] cutlass bearing replacement


Okay I see every one removing their prop shafts past the rudder with out any problem.  The coupler, prop shaft to engine, on my boat has a natural finish and is so rusty I can not see the bolts which hold the two halves together.  Have anyone had any problem getting the prop shaft off the coupler?

Kerry Grimes
C38, 139
San Francisco
soon to be Marina Del Rey
  
----- Original Message -----
From: "bob gouley" <r.gouley at sympatico.ca>
To: listserve at catalina38.org
Sent: Sunday, February 8, 2009 6:40:38 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: [C38] cutlass bearing replacement


     I slid the prop shaft past the rudder no problem. I used a hack say with the blade turned upside down to cut the old bearing and removed with a pair of pliers.  The new bearing was pressed into place using a 14 in long by half inch  thick threaded rod with large washers and nuts on both ends. remove the nut from one end and place the bearing onto the rod, slide the bearing through the strut.  Place the washer and nut back on the end of the rod and tighten the nuts pressing the bearing into the strut.  It helps to freeze the bearing first, you should not heat the strut.  I beveled the end of the prop shaft so it would not damage the inside rubber of the bearing as I pushed the prop shaft through the strut, stern tube and into the coupling. That is how I did it hope this helps. 

bob gouley
st joseph island
ontario canada
zephyr
hull # 142 
r.gouley at sympatico.ca 

_______________________________________________ Listserve mailing list Listserve at catalina38.org http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://catalina38.org/pipermail/listserve_catalina38.org/attachments/20090209/b2d26f43/attachment-0001.htm>