310 CUTLASS BEARING

[john dewey]

LOOKING FOR INFO ON REPLACING THE CUTLASS BEARING ON A 2004 CAT 310.

[h2opuppy]

I have never done this job, but it requires pulling the boat out of the water and removing the drive shaft, then one of two techniques. One technique a local boatyard said they use device to press the bearing out of the strut. A dock buddy said he used a hack saw to make two cuts from inside the strut to remove the bearing.

[R.C.]

has a hydraulic press they use to get them out. With this press you don't need to remove the shaft just the prop. They did it on my C-36 and only removed the prop. If I remember they charged me about $240.00. I bet someone has one of these presses in your area. It's not a job to try without the right tools and unless you have a prop puller & the presses needed have the yard do it. Why do you need to replace the cutlass on a 2004 it should last 6 or 7 years with proper alingment. Perhaps you have an alignment problem. I'd check that out while you're at it!

[john dewey]

Yes,I probably should have taken the dealers advice and check the alignment twice a year.This Universal diesel does not run very smooth.I will now get the bearing replaced and have the alignment checked when the boat is back in the water. I am not happy with the service that my marina offers at ridiculous prices.So, this will be a painful experience.Thanks!

[Jon W.]

I'm curious how much you can move the shaft side to side in the bearing. I thought mine was a little loose from day one, but the yard owner said it looked fine. In my 5th year haulout, I could just move the shaft. I've read a variety of recommendations, but 1/16th of an inch maximum sounds reasonable.

[R.C.]

and that's after putting approx 90 hours on this seson plus the additional shaft spin due to sailing apprx 2600nm. The minute I can feel play in my shaft I always replace the cutlass. At that point it my be overkill but I like a vibration free boat and I don't like replacing cutlass bearings. I also check the alignment two to three times per season at least. I try to do it every oil change so really it's more like every 30 hours. Most folks don't realize the heeling action of a sailboat tends to move a heavy engine around in its rubber mounts a lot more than you would think. Motor sailing also puts undue premature wear on the cutlass because the engine moves off centerline while the shaft is spinning and under torque. My rule of thumb is if it's blowing more than 12 knots I lock the tranny in reverse. The feeler guages are cheap but learning which mounts move the flange the right way takes some time to learn but it's beats paying the boat yard $200.00 for 20 minutes work....

[R.C.]

I was just doing a little research and came across this. I can't imagine it would cost more than having your boat yard do this job and then you would own the tool. Hell I might just buy one myself!http://www.strutpro.com/index.html

[R.C.]

and the total cost of the tool and accessories for a C-310 ( or any Catalina with a 1 inch shaft and 1 1/4 X 4" cutlass bearing )is $395.00 plus shipping. That's not bad when you consider boat yards charge between $300.00 on the very low end to over $1500.00. If you replaced your cutlass bearing once it's prety much paid for so the second time is free! It seems like a great tool..http://www.strutpro.com/index.html

[Stu Jackson]

by Don Casey presents a very inexpensive make-it-yourself tool for doing this. Check out the book at a chandlery.Stu