Cutlass bearings

[john boggis]

Advice needed please.

Frolic had both cutlass bearings replaced 2 years ago. She was lifted last year and all was well. She was lifted last week and I found that in the case of both cutlass bearings the rubber has become detached from the outer metal to which it should be bonded, so that the rubber now grips the shaft and rotates within the outer metal shell. The outer shell does not turn in the P bracket so the grub screws are doing their jobs.

Both bits of rubber have moved down to the prop. This means that there is no part of the bearing supporting the tuffnol fairing piece, although neither has moved.

there is no play that I can feel.

Obviously the bearings will have to be replaced. the questions are:

Is this premature failure? 2 years and not many hours. The work was done by the Hayling Yacht company.

Would it be wrong to use the boat with the bearings in this condition? I dont know how long this will take to sort out and I want to come to Fowey!

All help most gratefully received. I have never seen this failure before. I thought they would just wear away where the shaft rotated in the grooved part of the rubber.

John Boggis.

[mark rhodes]

Hello John

Sounds o me like a failure of the rubber/brass bond,I can't see how the intsallation could affect them in this way, Personally I would be reticent to set out west without fixing them, the good news is that replacement isn't too bad, shafts out then carefulty cut through the old shells with a hacksaw, (stout frame which can be well tensioned and a good new coarse blade needed) when the back of the bearing is cut virtually through peel it back with a suitable small chisel bingo it falls out, or nearly so, replacement is a question of carefully hammering the new one home with a dolly to restain the p bracket and a bit of wood to protect the bearing,

[A Holm]

John,

I have replaced the cutlass bearingds on my H31. A relatively simple job (say half a day). Drop shafts, cut from the inside diameter to outside diameter of the old bearing, bend one of the cut surfaces towards the centre (thus reducing the diameter) and gently knock out. Marks explanation is good.

This failure of the metal/polymer bond is not normal. You need to replace the Cutlasses prior to going anywhere!

Andrew

[john boggis]

Thanks to both of you.

Mike Wills has come to my rescue and will replace them next monday.I have got the grub screws out which is a good start; I am hoping the shafts will not have to come out as I do not have split couplings. As the bearings are only two years' old they may not be welded in place.

I wonder what has caused the failure. perhaps a metric size was fitted instead of imperial? I phoned and emailed Hayling Yacht to ask for their help; they did not ring back!

We shall be in Fowey. Believe me!
JB

[john boggis]

Great News!

Mike Wills can replace your cutlass bearings with the shafts in place.

He arrived this morning with bits of threaded bar, pullers and pushers and had the offending bearings out in no time. The bond on both had failed completely. I feel a letter coming on!

Thank you Mike, for such terrific service.
JB

[Mark lewis]

Two things may have happened to the cutlass: 1. The installation engineer didn't lightly lubricate the shaft/bearing rubber. On start up,even under water, the bearing rubber could have melded to the shaft and stressed the bond. 2.A number of less quality orientated suppliers have their products made in Taiwan and Korea, hence the quality is suspect to begin with. this is particularly prevelant and important where boats are concerned: i.e. a jubilee clip made from A4 stainless with the worm drive made from A2 or less. Result: clip dissolves in 6 weeks.
Regards,
Mark. (Former Surveyor and Marine engineer.)