Cutlass Bearing Play

[Steveb]

How much play, if any, is ok between the cutlass bearing and prop shaft. I have a 1973 C&C 27 w/ A4. There is a slight bit of movement when I wiggle the prop shaft up and down.

[David Masury]

I have a C&C 27, 1975 so I can tell you that changing out the cutless bearing is no big deal... once you remove the shaft. carefully cut the old bearing with a sawzall or by hand with a hacksaw... use a good steel punch and a 3 lb hammer... and drive the old one out... clean up the inside.

I put the new cutless bearing in the freezer for a couple of days and heated up the lower part of the strut with a heat gun... greased the cutless bearing and got it in about 1/4 the way tapping lightly using a wood block and a light hammer... then threaded rod with large washers and a socket wrench did the rest.

Reinstalling the shaft and repacking the stuffing box was just part of the job.

David

[hanleyclifford]

It surprised me how much "play" in a cutless bearing can be tolerated while enjoying a smooth drive line experience. After several changes I have discovered that my tolerance after changing the cutless bearing seems to increase to a stable level. Precise engine alignment will drive a (good straight) shaft thru a slightly worn cutless for a long time. It seems that the shaft "wears" the new cutless to the same tolerance at once and then stabilizes. So before changing out a cutless I suggest monitoring the vibration, if any, and doing an alignment exercise. Also, it's a good idea to remove the shaft and have it checked by a machine shop. This also affords the opportunity to see how the shaft and cutless are wearing together.