View Full Version : cutlass bearings
has anyone ever replaced a bearing themself.if so did you have to remove the shaft
the shaft. The cutlass bearing is in the stern tube and there is no way to get a purchase on it with the shaft in place.
I have removed a cutlass bearing. It was in a strut. I pulled the shaft to get it out. I cut two grooves in it using a hack saw blade that I placed through the bearing and held with vice grips. Then I used a chisel. Theoretically, If you had a pipe that you could slide over the shaft that had the same outer diameter as your cutlass bearing, You might be able to hammer it out. But I'd be worried about damage to the shaft. Boat yards have hydraulic presses that they use that they may be able to assemble over the shaft to force the bearing out. To get the new one in, place it in a freezer, lube it up and press it into place. I made a press using a threaded rod, a nut and washer that I ground to the correct diameter.
wrightwmc
12-12-2006, 08:25 am
I have removed and replaced my cutlass bearing with the shaft out on my 1972 Islander 30 Mk II. I used a hacksaw to cut through the rubber and the brass. Then used a small chisel to curl the cutlass inward toward the center and it popped right out. Be careful. The bronze strut and its through hull bolts can be damaged if you exert too much force on it. The yard I hauled out in uses a mobile hydraulic press to remove them with the shaft in place. I didn't want to spend that much money for their labor and tools!