Cutlass Bearing Removal

[Set2sea]

Last night I removed my cutlass bearing I had cracking developing in the keelson fore and aft of the strut as I tightened up my pusher assembly.
I did it in the following manner:
I did not remove the prop shaft. I had a solid plate on the end of the prop shaft. Forward of the strut I had a split tube, two 1/4" thick steel plates with a U-cut and a 1" Dia split shaft collar pushing the cutass bearing aft. I had two 1/2" threaded rods going back to the solid steel plate contacting end of prop shaft.
The cracking started before the cutlass moved. We stoped tightening, heated with a torch and tapped the bearing housing with hammer. The bearing popped loose.
Has anyone seen cracking as I mention while removing cutlass?
Thank you
Paul

[Noah]

I am a bit confused on your use of the term  "keelson" with regards to our molded fiberglas hulls. Exactly where did your cracking occur? Is it on the hull fore and aft of where the strut thru-bolts to the boat?  Any photos?

[KWKloeber]

The cracking started before the cutlass moved. We stoped tightening, heated with a torch and tapped the bearing housing with hammer. The bearing popped loose.
Has anyone seen cracking as I mention while removing cutlass?
Thank you
Paul

We've done a hundred cutlass removals/installs on from 3/4" to 1-1/2" shafts and no cracking of any fairing. At least no one reported any.
I ass/u/me that's what you saw -- just some fairing letting loose?

Catalina vids:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa78umBAUAc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BKdBXHIyC8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZQHLvUUyuE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsAO5yE1Kw
https://youtu.be/LzTGKVqeTSA

I wouldn't use any blunt force on any bearing (i.e., that gets transferred to the strut.  Slow and steady.  We've found the main key is prep, prep again, and prep summore.  The it come out like butter.  It could be that, as you were tightening, you were also putting some twisting moment on the strut, which transferred to the base as slight movement that cracked the unforgiving fairing.  Short bursts of an impact wrench on the rods, instead of pulling with a socket handle might produce less stress at the strut base.  Were you using a breaker bar or a cheater, or just a socket handle?

kk

[Set2sea]

The cracking started before the cutlass moved. We stoped tightening, heated with a torch and tapped the bearing housing with hammer. The bearing popped loose.
Has anyone seen cracking as I mention while removing cutlass?
Thank you
Paul

We've done a hundred cutlass removals/installs on from 3/4" to 1-1/2" shafts and no cracking of any fairing. At least no one reported any.
I ass/u/me that's what you saw -- just some fairing letting loose?

Catalina vids:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa78umBAUAc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BKdBXHIyC8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZQHLvUUyuE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSsAO5yE1Kw
https://youtu.be/LzTGKVqeTSA

I wouldn't use any blunt force on any bearing (i.e., that gets transferred to the strut.  Slow and steady.  We've found the main key is prep, prep again, and prep summore.  The it come out like butter.  It could be that, as you were tightening, you were also putting some twisting moment on the strut, which transferred to the base as slight movement that cracked the unforgiving fairing.  Short bursts of an impact wrench on the rods, instead of pulling with a socket handle might produce less stress at the strut base.  Were you using a breaker bar or a cheater, or just a socket handle?

kk

I'm using the tem keelson as the approximately 3' wide portion of the hull bottom that the strut comes out of.

[Set2sea]

Here is a picture of set up and picture of cracking. If you look close, you can see an arcing crack to the left of the strut and more of a verticle one to the right. Obviously it doesn't look good. I am wondring if this is serious structual damage or if its just surface cracking. In trying to see if the strut had more movement after, the whole boat was moving onb jack stands as I was pushing on the strut.

[KWKloeber]

Hold on there.  You were using the end of the shaft, and forward bearing surface as your points?

kk

[mainesail]

Here is a picture of set up and picture of cracking. If you look close, you can see an arcing crack to the left of the strut and more of a verticle one to the right. Obviously it doesn't look good. I am wondring if this is serious structual damage or if its just surface cracking. In trying to see if the strut had more movement after, the whole boat was moving onb jack stands as I was pushing on the strut.

That tool will certainly cause the cracking you show. Please be aware that some bearings simply won't be able to be pressed out. Even with the Strut-Pro I get about 1 in 10 that simply can't be pressed out. I had a J-105 just last week were all that happened was crushing the bearing inside the strut. Rudder had to be dropped, shaft had to come out, bearing cut out, then a new coupling fitted & faced then re-installation. Went from a $200.00 job to close to $2000.00 job by the time the lift was employed to drop the rudder. Press out tools are great when they work but they don't always work. Galvanic corrosion, burrs from spotting the bearing or just a very tight "press fit" and about 1 in 10 fail to come out with a press tool.. Your issue may not be a frozen bearing, but it is your tool is not suitable for the job and will cause damage if you keep cranking on it.

[Roc]

My strut has two set screws that hold the bearing in. Did you look to see if you have the same?  Maybe all the paint could be hiding the two set screws and you tried to push it out without taking them out.

[KWKloeber]

Here is a picture of set up

the whole boat was moving onb jack stands as I was pushing on the strut.

Sheesh, I thought you were putting a sideways bending moment arm onto the strut. 
The "whole boat was moving on jack stands" might have provided a clue that things weren't going exactly right. 

So its simple "statics/mechanics 101."  What you were trying to do there with the invention, with great axial force, was to drive your prop shaft and coupling through the front of your transmission case, while ripping your strut backwards off of the hull. And put a bend in the prop shaft so the prop won't seat.  But if it does seat, you'd be able to watch it do loop-de-loops on a bent shaft.  With the long strut on the 34, you have some serious moment arm going on at the hull/strut interface.

An example of a DIY, when not knowing how to DIY, without any guidance, can go south at lightning speed.  Throw that contraption in the drink and DON'T use it again (except on an enemy's vessel.)

Holy crap, I'm surprised you didn't rip it right off, and would be surprised if you didn't EFFUP the transmission as well.  If you are lucky, all you did was loosen the bolts, but you may be screwed and in for both a transmission and fiberglass job.  At worst, I'm thinking 5 digit$$ damage, hopefully not and the cracking is cosmetic, no tranny/shaft damage -- and it's "only" 4 digit$$ of damage -- to save the cost using the proper tool.

See Noah, love em or hate em, see what happens when you don't have ENGINEERS around to watch over?  


kk

[Noah]

Hey Ken... that's two slams in one day!!? What I said about engineers was "can't live with them, but CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THEM..." Now let's stay on point to see if we can assist Set2Sea.
Time to triage: I would grind/sand the "hull cracks" to see if they are just faring crack before you panic. As far as an damage to your tranny goes, thats out of my realm as to how you can check it, other than running the motor and tranny??

[KWKloeber]

Noah Not a slam intended just tongue-in-cheek. I think I lost the last part of that quote somewhere. :-)

I am unfamiliar with what you can see from inside on the C 34. Can you get at/view that location?

My recommendation is before running any engine or grinding anything lick the wounds and get professionals out there to assess the damage.    It could be nothing, or could be serious enough to not mess around with anymore DIY right now.  JTSO,  others mileage may vary   

[Noah]

You should be able to see/exploreuch of that area and further aft. As you you  can see in my attached photo the strut bolts are accessable however much further forward is under the engine.

[Set2sea]

I did look at that area inside and I couldn't see any sign of cracking/damage.
Here is a question for somebody that knows the tranny: If (by luck) that there isn't any tranny casing damage, could there still be internal damage that I won't know until I put it in the water and start shifting. I watched the cutlass replacement videos. When I made up my plates I just made the mistake of puttle plate on end of prop shaft instead of aft end off stut. I stupidly wasn't thinking about the load (in axial direction) I was applying to the tranny - Rushing too much to get it done!

[KWKloeber]

Well I guess  it depends on how much stress was put on the shaft, but I would suppose (not being a transmission expert) that there are one or more thrust bearings that might be damaged if enough sxial stress was put on them.

k

[MarcZ]

Now I'm concerned     ..... my new to me boat has similar crack showing (appears to be cosmetic)  , bolts are fine no visible damage inside , transmission was working fine last season (3-4 h of use )
I wonder if my PO used similar contraption....
On the subject of the "contraption" it would be fine and safe for the boat if you add a pipe diameter large enough to accommodate bearing and resting on the strut aft surface.
Pipe must also be longer then protruding shaft. This would remove any forces from the shaft and any prying force from the strut . One change big difference.