Can we bend a strut ???????

[andre]

I'm learning my English, excuse my fault. After an accident with a haul out the alignment between the strut and stern tube is a little different and if I want realign my shaft correctly in the center of my cutlass bearing I need to raise my motor on the top of my motor mount bolt and the shaft will be near of the top of the stern tube. So my question is can we bend a little bit a strut to change the angle. I thing that the strut is made with bronze and it's a soft material. All of your help will be appreciate. Thank you.

[Noah]

Sorry to hear of your bad news. I am NOT an engineer, nor a naval architect, however, I would guess NO. If you try and bend it while installed you will crack its mounting into the hull. I do not know the details of your "haul-out accident". Was the strut bent in the accident?  If yes, in my opinion, if the boat was hit hard enough to bend the strut it needs to be removed and replaced. I recommend you get a Marine Surveyor to analyze your problem. Good luck.

[Kyle Ewing]

This diagram from the wiki shows how the strut is installed.  Have you checked for damage or movement inside the hull?  https://c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Strut_Replacement_Drawing

[andre]

Yes I have checked inside and all seems ok, no crack on fiber and also no loose on bolts. I have checked also the exterior and no damage on fiberglass.

[Admiral_Swellson]

Hi Andre,

Is your boat in the water? You can't adjust this properly on the hard. The boat flexes and alignment will be off.

[andre]

Yes I am on the hard but before to return in the water I need to have a good alignment and recheck once I will return in. So this fall when I changed my cutlass bearing I saw some wear in front up and down rear of my cutlass. I think that when They haul-out my boat it had a big shock on a concrete wall and my strut bent toward front a little bit. In my mind I suppose that when Catalina built the boat the strut and the stern tube was in a perfect alignment, it's that why I want to do that So the strut is in bronze (soft metal) maybe I can just bend it a little bit to modify the angle to go with the stern tube. Other option is to raise my motor mount and raise my motor and install a Pss seal wich is more flexible. Big reflexion.

[Noah]

Again, IT IS MY OPINION, that the casting is very robust and cannot be straightened while installed in the boat, without damaging the mounting. It MAY be able to be straightened while removed from the boat in a machine shop environment. I also find it hard to believe that if enough force was applied (in the accident) for strut to bend or change alignment, that it did not result in also damaging the mounting internally. But this could be possible???  I recommend you get professional guidance before you try bending it/beating on it, while it is still installed in the boat.

[Ron Hill]

Andre : I agree with Noah, that the strut casting is fairly robust. With no fiberglass damage - I'd try to move the engine to get the drive shaft centered in the hull tube and the cutlass bearing.

A thought

[andre]

Thank you Ron good idea. Iwill check for that possibility

[KWKloeber]

Yes I am on the hard but before to return in the water I need to have a good alignment and recheck once I will return in. So this fall when I changed my cutlass bearing I saw some wear in front up and down rear of my cutlass. I think that when They haul-out my boat it had a big shock on a concrete wall and my strut bent toward front a little bit. In my mind I suppose that when Catalina built the boat the strut and the stern tube was in a perfect alignment, it's that why I want to do that So the strut is in bronze (soft metal) maybe I can just bend it a little bit to modify the angle to go with the stern tube. Other option is to raise my motor mount and raise my motor and install a Pss seal wich is more flexible. Big reflexion.

Ande

I'm a little confused.

The misalignment in the cutlass bearing --  was that due to engine misalignment or due to some damage to the strut?  Or are you saying you have two issues, the misalignment and then additional misalignment due to strut damage?

You cannot do a final engine alignment while on the hard -- the hull shape will change after you are in the water. 
So if the misalignment is only minor (as it appears to be relative to your comment about the cutlass bearing) then it needs to be aligned in the water. 
If there is ADDITIONAL misalignment then you can adjust it to only an approximate alignment while on the hard.
So what you can accomplish on the hard highly depends upon how extensive the misalignment is. 

[LogoFreak]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

[Ron Hill]

Andre : Ken is correct  - that the fine tuning of the engine alignment MUST be done in the water (48 hrs after the splash)

Are you sure that your shaft has not been bent on that "a big shock on a concrete"??? 

A few thoughts

[andre]

Ok guys thank you very much, for now I can't go to the boat ( to much snow ) When it will be possible I will show you some pictures of the situation. Another question is,  after 24 hours in the water we need to recheck and how to know if the shaft is really in the center of the cutlass bearing? Because that there is a lip on the flange who goes on the transmission is it possible to remove a little bit the shaft to see if the shaft goes down or up regarding the transmission. ( It's very difficult for me to explain in English so excuse me ). I will try to draw a picture also. When the marina haul-out my boat the traveller lift had a problem with their brake and the strut with my propeller hit the concrete wall. I changed my propeller but when I came back last fall I saw some wear on front and back the cutlass bearing. tha's why my interrogation about my strut. Thank you for your patience.

[Admiral_Swellson]

You'll know it's properly aligned when there's no noise or vibration.