Greetings,
I purchased a 1989 Catalina 34, Haul #972, two years ago. It is time to change the cutlass bearing which I have already purchased with advice found on this site. Is there anyone who would be willing to rent their Strut Pro tool for replacing the bearing without removing the prop shaft? I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan and the boat is on it's winter stand in Port Clinton, Ohio. I could probably complete the installation and return the tool in about 10 days. Thank you for your consideration and for all the information and expertise on this site.
Kevin
The strut pro works great! Changed my cutlass beating in 40 minutes first time using the tool. The next time, I changed my friend's bearing in 30 minutes. I have one but it is in Canada and I don't want to ship it.
Kevin,
I borrowed a homemade one from a C34.org member a few years ago that worked like a champ. Not sure if it's still available however, I'll dig up the old correspondence and point your inquiry out to him. Another route could be the C36 forum. They have some tools, including one of these, available to members to borrow. Membership is a very reasonable fee.
I just sent the email and it didn't bounce back so, fingers crossed...
Hi Kevin:
Great timing! I just finished using the loaner cutless bearing tool made by Dan who is a member ("Indian Falls") of our group. He made a terrific tool, and I'm happy to send it on to you.
The way it has worked is that the current borrower (me) mails it to the next borrower (you), and then you reimburse me for the shipping via PayPal or Venmo.
Let me know if this works for you and I will put it in the mail on Monday.
Patches
Nice one Colonel Butler,
Yes, I've got and it works really great, but guess what, I'm not going to let you use it!
Quote from: Patches on December 19, 2020, 04:57:00 PM
Hi Kevin:
Great timing! I just finished using the loaner cutless bearing tool made by Dan who is a member ("Indian Falls") of our group. He made a terrific tool, and I'm happy to send it on to you.
The way it has worked is that the current borrower (me) mails it to the next borrower (you), and then you reimburse me for the shipping via PayPal or Venmo.
Let me know if this works for you and I will put it in the mail on Monday.
Patches
Thank you Patches, that would be great! I would be glad to pay the shipping how every it works best for you. If no one else has need of the tool do I send it back to Dan? I would need his information. Any tips you have on using the tool would be great as well.
Thanks again!
Kevin
Stu recommended that I delete my personal information from the posts and use the PM feature. I'm not sure what that is or how it works but will try to sort it out to send my address again.
It appears that Patches answered the "what do I do with it after I've finished using it?" question:
The way it has worked is that the current borrower (me) mails it to the next borrower (you)...
I urge you each to go back and and modify your posts to eliminate your personal information, such as email addresses and physical addresses from your messages. Please use the pm feature of the forum to send that kind of information to others. This is just internet forum security stuff 101. It's for YOUR OWN security.
Anybody looking for the strut pro tool in the future can use the Search feature and find this link by typing in, uhm, strut pro or strut pro tool. I did that when Kevin first emailed me earlier this week asking if the Association owned one.
Thanks.
I'll be checking back early spring as I'll be replacing my cutless as well, Just curious if Strut Pro or home made device is in the Rock Hall Chesapeake area?
Thanks Stu, Kevin and I have already connected on transfer of the tool to him.
Steve: Looks like Kevin (next user of the tool) is in Michigan, and he can mail it to you after he's finished with it. If someone needs it on an expedited basis before you are ready to replace your cutless bearing in the early spring, you can always (1) work out a "send and return" with that person, or (2) let them cut the line in front of you.
Really is a great tool to borrow, since it isn't one of those things you need very often. And thanks to Dan/"Indian Falls" for fabricating it paying it forward many times over.
Patches
Does anyone have a picture or vid of it?
Ken : Just go on line to StrutPro and look at their vidio. A thought
(The homemade tool)
Ken- right here. Remember now? :abd:
https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,8920.msg64439.html#msg64439
Noah, TY!!
Sorta, but CRS. :shock: :shock:
Quote from: Steve Hansen on December 20, 2020, 10:19:33 AM
I'll be checking back early spring as I'll be replacing my cutless as well, Just curious if Strut Pro or home made device is in the Rock Hall Chesapeake area?
Steve, ask Ron Hill, Fleet 12 may have one, don't know for sure.
Quote from: Patches on December 19, 2020, 04:57:00 PM
Hi Kevin:
Great timing! I just finished using the loaner cutless bearing tool made by Dan who is a member ("Indian Falls") of our group. He made a terrific tool, and I'm happy to send it on to you.
The way it has worked is that the current borrower (me) mails it to the next borrower (you), and then you reimburse me for the shipping via PayPal or Venmo.
Let me know if this works for you and I will put it in the mail on Monday.
Patches
Thanks Kevin. It was Dan I emailed and he said he'd let the person that currently had it someone else is interested. It was great to learn from him that it's been making the rounds since he shipped it to me back in early 2017 and he hasn't seen it since! He built a great tool.
Ken,
I used Dan's cutlass bearing tool earlier this year, (photo attached) worked like a charm!!!!
Make sure everything is well aligned and lube the threads well upon insertion and the job is a breeze. Dan did an outstanding job on it and it comes with both wrenches too!!!
It's pretty cool to see this making the rounds all this time. I'm not renting the tool but I don't turn down a little beer $ lol!
I would like to get this back so I can check it out. I also would like to include a better set of instructions with pictures.
It's available for anyone here to use. I thank this forum all the time for the incredible source of knowledge, parts, bits and pieces I have acquired. Thanks to all for your contributions.
I received the tool from Patches on 12/29 and replaced the bearing the following day. The tool is very heavy duty and works great! I tried to attach a picture to this message but the file was too large.
If anyone is in need of this tool please notify me by email in the next week or so. If I don't hear from anyone, I will return it to Dan
Happy New Year!
Kevin
Quote from: Kevin Griffith on January 03, 2021, 10:58:22 AM
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I tried to attach a picture to this message but the file was too large.
Kevin,
Posting and RESIZING Photos 101 http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,3701.0.html
Dan's (Indian Falls) tool worked flawlessly to replace my cutlass bearing. It took less than an hour to replace, plus time to remove and reinstall my prop.
It's now available for the next person to use. Message me if you're interested in using it.
I'm wondering..... what's the use/purpose of the triple yoke "system"? She looks well built.
The StrutPro has only two yokes and the rods need be only as long as double the shaft/bearing length plus enough for yoke thickness, nuts, etc. (So like 13-1/2" inches long.)
- Ken
Ken--The third yoke helps with alignment. A difference between this and the Strut-Pro is you push the bearing toward the hull with a solid tube instead collets (split tube) then cut the old bearing off. It went smoother than I remember using an actual Strut-Pro (7+ years ago).
Ah ha.
I imagine that helps with alignment -- I take it then that the solid collet is long enough to get pliers on it to work it out if it's tight in the strut after pushing the old bearing?
I was the previous recipient before Kyle. My bearing was heavily seized. Cranking down on the wrenches were to no avail. Penetrating oils, tapping with a hammer etc. were a no go. My machinist friend who was helping me had an impact wrench and working back and forth on the nuts a little at a time, A huge pop and out she went. This slightly warped the threaded bars so I replaced the threaded bars with new ones and ran the threads and nuts with appropriate tap and dye until it turned smoothly. Otherwise the tool worked extremely well, no problems withdrawing it from shaft tube.
If anyone has a seized or corroded into place, bearing, I would recommend a heat gun or propane torch before going to an impact gun and if you need to use an impact, use two of them to keep things even. The collet is laser welded to the push plate and I'm surprised and elated it held up using an impact gun.
Do what you gotta do though, I made it I can fix it.
Rods and nuts are available at almost every hardware store and the long driver nuts (threaded rod connectors) are available at McMaster Carr if anything gets stripped or bent.
I'm really happy to see everyone using this tool with such great success!
I would like to use this tool again. If the current "owner" could contact me, I would appreciate it!
Thanks!
Kevin, I am out on Catawba at Catawba Moorings. I would be very happy to share the expense of the removal tool with you. We are only 3 or 4 miles apart and this would save some time for moving the tool around this spring.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Phil Spicer
Looking to borrow the tool, is this still the appropriate thread to reach out through?
Looks like we need to schedule the bearing tool soon. I have it currently and it's ready to go. Just give up your address and when you need it.
Quote from: Indian Falls on February 26, 2025, 07:03:36 AMLooks like we need to schedule the bearing tool soon. I have it currently and it's ready to go. Just give up your address and when you need it.
PM sent.
Another resource from another skipper. Thx Indian falls.
https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,12155.0.html