Cutlass removal

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Amp1ng

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I'm in the process of renewing the cutlass bearing on my Westerly Fulmar. Over the weekend I made the first attempt at pushing the bearing out of the P bracket using a plate with hole large enough to pass the extracted bearing, a three legged puller and socket sized accordingly to register on the bearing outer shell. Unfortunately I didn't have enough length in the puller to grip onto the plate so I tried with the legs straight onto the P bracket. It was quickly apparent that this wasn't going to work without damaging the bracket so I abandoned the idea in favour of getting a plate made up to replace the socket for a bit of extra clearance on the puller.

However although I didn't try applying much torque to the puller central bolt the bearing did not feel likely to budge, I also tried with a kettle full of boiling water over the P bracket to see if that gave an indication of things freeing up, it didn’t. How much force is generally required to push the bearing out of the bracket, can it be pushed out in either direction?

Thanks
 
Make sure there are no grub screws holding the bearing in the P bracket......

I made up an effective tubular puller with pipe, threaded rod and washers, will post a pic if I can find it. It does take some force, even more with a phenolic bearing shell.

.
 
Get a hacksaw and pass the blade through the old bearing/bush and cut/slot it. It should then tap out... said he hopefully. Failing that, if it's really seized in there, another cut/slot should do it. Skysail makes a good point though, check for grub screws.
 
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Grub Screws

All screws are removed, it looks like a bronze outer shell on the bearing. Can the bearing be driven out either way?
 
You don't want to be hammering on a P bracket. Every time I have changed one I have had to do what Saxonpirate recommends and cut it, usually twice. It is not hard to do with a decent hacksaw, just tedious as you have to go carefully to avoid cutting anything else.
 
Amp1ng said:
All screws are removed, it looks like a bronze outer shell on the bearing. Can the bearing be driven out either way?
Click to expand...

Yes they normally can, but as Quandry says below don't go hammering/forcing it or you'll end up causing damage you didn't bargain for, and that could include the bonding of the bracket in the hull.

There's no easy way I'm afraid, you'll have to cut it along it's length. Once if your lucky, and twice if your not. An old trick to get a wider slot/cut is to put two blades in your saw.
 
Draw Tube

Instead of a puller I have used a draw tube of ID larger than the cutless bearing OD. Through the tube and cutless bearing I insert a threaded rod. A nut or washer equal to the OD of the cutless bearing is fastened to the end of the threaded rod on the opposite side to the tube. The other end of the threaded rod has a washer (or a special plate) that has an OD greater than the tube. Attached a nut to the tube side of the threaded rod and make up snug. Check all is in line at both ends. Continue to tighten the tube end nut and draw out the cutless bearing. It has worked on many yachts with P brackets. Note that I have also had to cut some as described above before using the draw tube. You can also reverse the method to push the new cutless bearing in.

It also works on cutless bearings made directly to the deadwood but this is more fiddly to do.

This chap below uses the threaded grub screw holes to collapse the bearing once cut, although he also implies that you can "pound" the cutless bearing with a cold chisel. I wouldn't as they can be drawn out without any pounding: -

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/replacing_a_cutlass
 
When you get round to fitting the new one you could fit it as a clearance fit bedded on epoxy, then you don't need a press and when you come to remove it heat will soften the epoxy and the bearing will slide out like it's on thick treacle. This is used on Lloyds vessels so should be OK on smaller boats.
 
I've recently done this job on my Vancouver, extraction was by hacksaw cut down the length of the bearing and then compressing to push out (still quite a faff!)

Insertion of new bearing was by the threaded bar/washer method mentioned above and pictured below.

IMG_1068.jpg


In both instances the bearings were an extremely tight fit!
 
MERRY_MARY said:
I've recently done this job on my Vancouver, extraction was by hacksaw cut down the length of the bearing and then compressing to push out (still quite a faff!)

Insertion of new bearing was by the threaded bar/washer method mentioned above and pictured below.

In both instances the bearings were an extremely tight fit!
Click to expand...

I don't know if you did or not but it's worth cleaning out the bearing housing first with a flap wheel
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0001IWS...de=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B0001IWSG0

The fit should be snug but not over tight.
 
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