Replace Cutlass Bearings

[kdenison]

my 1988 342 tournament requires replacement of the cutlass bearings. my yard has indicated that they are very difficult removing the old to replace and will have to remove the shafts entirely. anyone have any idea as to the man hours this job should take? I think my yard is soaking me.

[Maka Koa]

It is a pain in the butt but not so much with the proper tools. The shafts can stay in place. Two set screws are removed from the side of the strut & a cutlass bearing removal tool goes around the strut & shaft. The two nuts on the end of the tool are tightened and drive a piece of metal in to push the cutlass out of the strut while the shaft is in place. The real pain is putting them back in. They are uaually placed in a freezer (cold metal shrinks) and reinstalled with some grease to ease them in. Your yard should have the tool.

[Maka Koa]

Here is a picture of one

[Artcruise]

I have done this job on my 360 when the shafts were basically frozen in the cutlass bearings. --Boat was left to sit on the hard for a year and the bearings had swollen. Took about an hour to remove each using the tool shown above. If yours are worn, it shoould be much easier.

Trick to putting them back in is to take one of the old cutlass bearings and cut about an inch off the back end. Then cut this in half down the middle. Use half of the piece to place under the shaft at the back end to align the shaft in the strut. Freeze the new bearing. If you don't have a freezer close by, dry ice works well. Lightly grease the inside of the strut and shaft. I used liquid soap so as not to damage the rubber. Once you start there is no stopping, I used the other old bearing as a drift and a small sledge hammer to drive the new bearing most of the way home then reversed the spacing plates on the strut tool to get it the rest of the way in. Installation took 10 to 15 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE THE SHAFTS UNLESS YOU HAVE OTHER PROBLEMS WITH ALIGNMENT.

As for the yard's quote, my yard did the same thing to me primarily because if something goes wrong, this can turn into an all day job. If you want them to do it, I would agree to a rate and have them do it time and material with you watching the process.

Tool is called Strut Pro.

Good Luck.

Art