35-2 Broken Strut Repair

[colton2399]

Had my boat cleaned the other day and received a terrible call from the diver saying my strut had broke from the hull. I went down today and took some photos. Still have a-lot more research to do but from my understanding the top plate of the strut is embedded deep in the hull. I have contacted Marine Hardware to see about a new strut. If anyone has any experience with this I would appreciate any advice. Seems like the fuel tank would have to be removed also to access from inside.

 

[bigd14]

Bummer. Smaller boat, but I imagine the process is the same as documented in my blog. Scroll to the bottom for the strut repairs.

bigd14's Blog

ericsonyachts.org

 

[colton2399]

Bummer. Smaller boat, but I imagine the process is the same as documented in my blog. Scroll to the bottom for the strut repairs.

bigd14's Blog

ericsonyachts.org

I somehow missed your thread I must not be good at searching. That is a great help. Thank you

 

[peaman]

This is really unfortunate and we all hope you can work your way through to a solution. Meanwhile, I'm sure we would all like to know more about how this has happened. What is your history with the boat? Is this likely the result of an accident, corrosion, or both? Condition of shaft and prop would be relevant. Close examination of the point of failure can be informative. Has the boat been connected to a possibly defective shore power source? Are there issues with the on-board electrical systems? Were there any indications of issues with vibrations while motoring?

Good luck going forward.

 

[Nick J]

It seems like 40 years is a reasonable life span for these struts. I don't know if the 35-2 is constructed like the 35-3, but here's our experience replacing a strut: https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/threads/35-3-new-strut-master-thread.20181/. It's a lot of work and can get expensive, but it's doable and there's a few others on here that offer great advice. @bigd14's mentioned above is one of the best.

 

[bigd14]

Are you planning on doing the work yourself? Unfortunately it’s a large project that requires removing many systems at once. It’s a good opportunity to upgrade and repair all those same systems. I was very disappointed when I found the strut issue, but it turned into an enjoyable* project once I got over the initial shock of discovery and committed to fixing the entire aft end of the boat. But it’s certainly going to be a huge commitment of time and money.

*Enjoyable if you like these kinds of mental and physical challenges and are willing to shoulder the cost. As one former member said, owning a boat is like setting fire to $100 bills.

 

[Loren Beach]

Another link with a similar EY strut repair project.

Ericson/Olson 34 shaft strut; No joy!

I thought I'd share this weeks maintenance on Loki. I contracted a local mobile marine mechanical group (very reputable) to replace the shaft seal on Loki. The seal replacement uncovered issues with the shaft coupling keyway, which lead to pulling the shaft, which uncovered wobble in the...

ericsonyachts.org

Also: I hope the OP will add a Sig Line showing boat model, engine, and perhaps sailing venue.

 

[Christian Williams]

Click on your name at top of page, next to your avatar. Select "Signature." Anything you type there will appear under every post you make, and help others judge if their knowledge applies to your boat and location.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Been there, done that. It's a big project. As a new owner, I was intimidated by the idea of taking out all the stuff inside which seemed like mystery layered on mystery. I've since had most of that kit out, revamping the coolant and exhaust system, and it wasn't so bad. The advice to take this as an opportunity to improve things in there is worth considering. Be aware it could lead to considering the shaft, coupler, and even motor mounts, as it did with us.

If you decide to do this repair, we'd all benefit from any documentation you can add. Good luck.

 

[Kenneth K]

You

Had my boat cleaned the other day and received a terrible call from the diver saying my strut had broke from the hull.

You don't show pictures of your prop shaft, but some Ericsons have the shaft extending too far aft ward from the strut. They say the ideal extension is one shaft diameter past the strut, but hull geometry sometimes requires more. Over-extension increases vibrations and wear on the cutlass bearing & strut. Here's what mine looked like before and after shortening:


Also, once the new strut is on (big project, but you'll get there), it's probably a good idea to add a couple of zinc discs for corrosion protection, like shown above.

 

[colton2399]

Appreciate all the responses and links. I am planning on doing the work. I am in contact with Marine Hardware to have a new strut casted. Seems like they might need measurements of the base plate in order to find the correct one. Will have to wait until Monday but would be very costly to haul out and dig that out and then wait for a new strut to get casted. Will update as I proceed.

 

[colton2399]

You

You don't show pictures of your prop shaft, but some Ericsons have the shaft extending too far aft ward from the strut. They say the ideal extension is one shaft diameter past the strut, but hull geometry sometimes requires more. Over-extension increases vibrations and wear on the cutlass bearing & strut. Here's what mine looked like before and after shortening:
View attachment 54580 View attachment 54581

Also, once the new strut is on (big project, but you'll get there), it's probably a good idea to add a couple of zinc discs for corrosion protection, like shown above.

Good point. When I get back down there i’ll get better pictures but prop is probably about 3-5” away from strut.

 

[colton2399]

Added Sig line. Engine is Universal Atomic 5424

Another link with a similar EY strut repair project.

Ericson/Olson 34 shaft strut; No joy!

I thought I'd share this weeks maintenance on Loki. I contracted a local mobile marine mechanical group (very reputable) to replace the shaft seal on Loki. The seal replacement uncovered issues with the shaft coupling keyway, which lead to pulling the shaft, which uncovered wobble in the...

ericsonyachts.org

Also: I hope the OP will add a Sig Line showing boat model, engine, and perhaps sailing venue.

 

[Christian Williams]

And for budgeting: whenever the coupling and shaft are removed from an old boat it is common to find that both need replacement.

 

[bigd14]

Seems like they might need measurements of the base plate

I wouldn’t worry too much about it, if you can get close (+/- 1 inch) there is a lot of leeway in that area to fit a new strut. I did have to worry about vertical clearance under the fuel tank. I was under the mistaken impression that the new strut would fit snugly right into the recess of the old one, but there was a lot of additional material removal to get it to align. Essentially it’s a big pile of “mish mash” (apparently that’s the technical term) poured around the strut. It’s a hell of a mess so if you can try to isolate the aft end of the boat with sheets or tarps you’ll save a lot of cleanup.

 

[colton2399]

And for budgeting: whenever the coupling and shaft are removed from an old boat it is common to find that both need replacement.

Could definitely use replacing as well as engine mounts and maybe a dripless rebuild. I’ll see what else I can get at too as others have mentioned.

 

[colton2399]

I wouldn’t worry too much about it, if you can get close (+/- 1 inch) there is a lot of leeway in that area to fit a new strut. I did have to worry about vertical clearance under the fuel tank. I was under the mistaken impression that the new strut would fit snugly right into the recess of the old one, but there was a lot of additional material removal to get it to align. Essentially it’s a big pile of “mish mash” (apparently that’s the technical term) poured around the strut. It’s a hell of a mess so if you can try to isolate the aft end of the boat with sheets or tarps you’ll save a lot of cleanup.

Very good to know. Thank you

 

[colton2399]

It is proving to be difficult to match my strut with MarineHardwares patterns without hauling the boat first and removing the base plate. Does anyone know what base plate is embedded in the 35-2 with aft engine? I noticed 35-3’s on this forum with pretty flat plates and an older 35-2 with the settee engine had it with one side angled up. This is one of the patterns i got from MarineHardware but it shows a modified V shape. Also need to get shaft angle right. Might just have to stop guessing and bite the bullet and haul out before ordering.

 

[gareth harris]

Does anyone know what base plate is embedded in the 35-2 with aft engine?

When I pulled out my fuel tank I did not, as I recall, see a plate above the glass. I may have some photographs on file of the interior hull under the fuel tank. If there is a backing plate under the cabin sole then it may not be visible.

I am currently in the same location as my boat so I can take a look with a tape measure, but not today since it is about to get dark.

Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972

 

[Nick J]

If the strut is already broken and just hanging from the prop shaft, can you have your diver remove the prop and pull the broken piece off? Assuming the flange somewhat matches the hull and the break, you should be able to use the broken piece to match something from Marine Hardware's catalog.