35-II Cutlass bearing/strut questions

[robjpowell]

Despite the 33oF and wind I have this morning removed the prop shaft from our boat. The boat is powered by an A4 and has a 3/4" shaft -both factory installed as far as I know. I sanded the vast majority of antifouling off the strut end/sleeve but can see no signs of any dimples, recesses, or similar to indicate where set screws might be located. Does anyone know where I should focus my looking/cleaning?

Also any idea on what the thickness of the strut surrounding the cutlass bearing was originally? I am a little concerned that the strut may have eroded somewhat despite being a fresh water boat for almost all her 34 years.

Finally, is there a preferred brand of bearing out there? I see a 2-4 fold price range and this being my first replacement I have no feel for what is the merit of each brand,

Thanks
Rob

 

[tenders]

I have a 3/4" shaft on my 1969 E32, also A4 powered.

My strut has no set screws or dimples. The cutless bearing is simply pressed in to the bearing and stays in just fine. Once you do a round trip on one of these you'll see why. I have a huge C-clamp that I use with sockets of various sizes and a cheater pipe on the adjuster of the clamp to squeeze the bearing in and out of the strut. If you search this site you'll find various explanations and gizmos you can build to facilitate this more easily. (Tom Metzger in particular has a good one.)

I used froogle.com to help find a bearing the last time I had to replace it. The brand I bought was Morse and uses fish names for its various shaft diameters, The 3/4" was "albacore." It sticks out of the strut 1/16" of an inch on both sides -- this doesn't matter in the least. West Marine's prices on these are outrageous and probably targeted to people who need a replacement immediately: better to pay their price and walk out of the store with what you need than pay the yard for another few lay days. I found one, same brand, from an independent shop in Florida at a third the price.

Tacoma Propeller has a different brand for $46.
http://www.tacomapropeller.com/6223/22789/Cutlass-Bearings/Duramax-Brass-Shell-Cutlass-Bearings.html

While anything can happen at an electrically hot slip or mooring, I would be surprised if your strut has seriously eroded in fresh water. I'm estimating 3/8" of meat around the bearing of mine at its thickest point, although it tapers down to maybe 1/16" at the forward and aft ends.

 

[robjpowell]

Thanks Tenders. It is a relief to hear that there may well not be set screws. I struggled in the cold for a good 45mins yesterday trying to find the damn things. I should have asked first.

Thanks also for the thickness info. That sounds like what I saw. Given that only the 4 years of our ownership have seen BlueChip in salt water I too would be surprised if there had been any significant erosion of the strut. It is comforting to have another opinion on dimensions.

Cheers
Rob