Opinions : Cutlass bearing rubber reamed out..

[wipe_out]

Hi,
I am in the process of getting the cutlass bearing replaced.. The engineer removed the P bracket because it was the easiest option.. After removing the bearing I was told it was a "non-standard" size and the advice was to have the P bracket machined to fit a "standard" bearing.. I agreed to this and off I went..

Today I collected the P bracket so I could clean it up before it was refitted to the boat.. When I looked at what had been done I noticed that the grooves in the rubber of the bearing were VERY shallow, maybe 0.5mm deep.. I queried this with another engineer who was in the office to be told it was a "standard" bearing.. After insisting that it should have deeper grooves I was told that because my bearing is "Non-standard" and so "Not commercially available".. This meant they had to ream out the rubber of a 3/8" bearing to 1" to fit my shaft because the OD of the required bearing is 1.25" and the OD if a standard bearing for a 1" shaft was too big for my P bracket..

My concern is that by reaming out the rubber, the part of the bearing designed to wear, there is no life left in the bearing now that it has been reamed out.. Also the grooves are there for water to flow in as it's water lubricated bearing so with almost no grooves this wouldn't happen..

What does everyone else think of this situation?

 

[pvb]

It doesn't sound good. Is this for your Hunter 326? If so, the Hunter parts site lists a cutless bearing - https://shop.hunterowners.com/hp/part.php?m=326&c=12&p=53571

Edit: Much more conveniently, ASAP lists one which should fit - https://www.asap-supplies.com/prope...arings/drive-force-brass-shaft-bearing-809006

 

[Spyro]

removing the P bracket seems drastic. Couldn't they have turned down or sleeved a new bearing to fit the existing Bracket or even fitted with epoxy and held with a couple of grub screws? 1" shaft is pretty standard. What size was the P bracket?

 

[wipe_out]

Edit: Much more conveniently, ASAP lists one which should fit - https://www.asap-supplies.com/prope...arings/drive-force-brass-shaft-bearing-809006

That's amazing.. So the "not commercially available" bearing is pretty available.. Very useful info.. Thanks..

 

[Poignard]

"engineer" did you say?

Hmmm!

 

[wipe_out]

removing the P bracket seems drastic. Couldn't they have turned down or sleeved a new bearing to fit the existing Bracket or even fitted with epoxy and held with a couple of grub screws? 1" shaft is pretty standard. What size was the P bracket?

The P bracket had to be removed because it was the easier option than dropping the rudder to get the shaft out.. OD of the P bracket is 1.25" from what I can tell using my vernier on the rim..

 

[pvb]

That's amazing.. So the "not commercially available" bearing is pretty available.. Very useful info.. Thanks..

Yes, I fear you've been taken for a (probably expensive) ride...

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Hi,
I am in the process of getting the cutlass bearing replaced.. The engineer removed the P bracket because it was the easiest option.. After removing the bearing I was told it was a "non-standard" size and the advice was to have the P bracket machined to fit a "standard" bearing.. I agreed to this and off I went..

Today I collected the P bracket so I could clean it up before it was refitted to the boat.. When I looked at what had been done I noticed that the grooves in the rubber of the bearing were VERY shallow, maybe 0.5mm deep.. I queried this with another engineer who was in the office to be told it was a "standard" bearing.. After insisting that it should have deeper grooves I was told that because my bearing is "Non-standard" and so "Not commercially available".. This meant they had to ream out the rubber of a 3/8" bearing to 1" to fit my shaft because the OD of the required bearing is 1.25" and the OD if a standard bearing for a 1" shaft was too big for my P bracket..

My concern is that by reaming out the rubber, the part of the bearing designed to wear, there is no life left in the bearing now that it has been reamed out.. Also the grooves are there for water to flow in as it's water lubricated bearing so with almost no grooves this wouldn't happen..

What does everyone else think of this situation?

It also sounds like the P bracket didn't get machined - otherwise the mythical standard bearing would have fitted?

And didn't Hunter offset the shaft to clear the rudder anyway?

 

[wipe_out]

And didn't Hunter offset the shaft to clear the rudder anyway?

No.. By eye the shaft and rudder look to be inline.. I guess we could have tried to extract the shaft but it certainly looked like it was very much inline...

 

[Caer Urfa]

Oh dear pity you did not ask before, I had a none standard cutlass bearing and found Tufnol Composites in Birmingham who actually make Cutlass bearings of all sizes for others suppliers, big company but really nice people and they will make a one off for you at a reasonably cost https://www.tufnol.com/sectors/shipping.aspx, best to take the shaft with you and old bearing and they will make it exact.

https://www.tufnol.com/sectors/shipping.aspx

 

[omega2]

www.clementsmarine.co.uk Paul Williams is the man to talk to.

Stay away from phenolic bearings, they are a PITA

 

[pvb]

Oh dear pity you did not ask before, I had a none standard cutlass bearing and found Tufnol Composites in Birmingham who actually make Cutlass bearings of all sizes for others suppliers, big company but really nice people and they will make a one off for you at a reasonably cost https://www.tufnol.com/sectors/shipping.aspx, best to take the shaft with you and old bearing and they will make it exact.

https://www.tufnol.com/sectors/shipping.aspx

But it isn't "non standard" - the OP can get the right size easily.

 

[vyv_cox]

Stay away from phenolic bearings, they are a PITA

Yes, that's my experience. When new the one I fitted was a very slack fit on the shaft. I queried this and was told it was to allow for swell of the phenolic resin sleeve. After a few months in the water it had swelled so much that the shaft was difficult to turn by hand. I replaced it after one season and the shaft was so worn in way of the bearing that I needed to replace that also.

 

[Spyro]

The P bracket had to be removed because it was the easier option than dropping the rudder to get the shaft out.. OD of the P bracket is 1.25" from what I can tell using my vernier on the rim..

I would have thought An "engineer" should have been able to get a bearing out without removing the shaft or the p bracket. As others have said there seemed to be more options than the one you got.

 

[Norman_E]

Back to basics. If the OD is 1.25 inches and the shaft one inch then the cutless bearing can only be 1/8th inch thick including both brass shell and rubber, which means that you will only ever have shallow grooves, maximum about 1/16th inch, or about 1.5mm.
Can you not remove the prop and use an extractor to push out the bearing? I made one years ago to do this job without removing the shaft. If the "engineer" really was an engineer he would either have an extractor or make one to suit the job.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I think the Engineer is probably a mechanic or even a fitter.

 

[colhel]

How did he ream the bearing to the correct size I wonder. From the sounds of it, it seems a straight forward job made exremely complicated, and bodged.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

I would bet that the 'non-standard' cutless bearing is just one for an Imperial shaft and a metric outer diameter of the shell (or vice-versa). That is what I have on my boat, a French Wauquiez Centurion 32 with a Volvo engine. Easily obtained 'off the shelf' from good suppliers (in Malta anyway).
Probably too late for you but I would steer well clear of that particular 'engineer'. For others who need to replace the bearing you need two dimensions (1) the shaft diameter and (2) the bore of the P-bracket. Those dimensions are not usually subject to wear - unless the shaft is badly scored.