Strut Pro Tool

[Bill Shreeves]

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.

[ewengstrom]

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!!!

[Indian Falls]

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. 

[Kevin Griffith]

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

[Stu Jackson]

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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

[Kyle Ewing]

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.

 

[KWKloeber]

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

[Kyle Ewing]

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).

[KWKloeber]

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?

[Steve Hansen]

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.

[Indian Falls]

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!

[fatamorgana]

I would like to use this tool again.  If the current "owner" could contact me, I would appreciate it!

Thanks!

[Phil Spicer]

 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