Stern Tube Removal

[Vamoose]

Can anyone advise how the INBOARD end of the stern tube can be removed :-
Do you think its threaded ?

Please click on link below to see piccies

Stern Tube (Inboard)

Stern Tube (Outboard)

Thanks

 

[Tranona]

The fact that it is on studs rather than bolted suggests it does not screw on but is located by the studs and set in sealer.

 

[eyehavit]

It is hard to tell from the pics whether the stern tube is GRP or ss.
Either way stern tubes are usually glassed in and will be extremely difficult if not impossible to remove without resorting to line boring.

 

[kds]

Removing a glassed-in tube is not impossible.
I once watched a very experienced shipwright heat a sterntube with a blow-lamp until he was able to just tap it out through the fibreglass.
Ken

 

[yoda]

Looks to me like both end fittings are of the type that screw onto the tube and are then located by studs to prevent them undoing. Unscrew the outboard fitting from the tube and then withdraw tube and inboard end together. You may find that the tube undoes from the inboard end when you do this in which case the tube will need to come out aft.

yoda

 

[cliffordpope]

So that would obviously mean the studs have got to be unscrewed first. What do they screw into?

 

[Tranona]

Having now looked at your slide show which has a shot of your outer bearing housing which screws onto the stern tube, suggests that it will be a similar arrangement on the inboard end. However, looking at your detail photos of the inboard end there does not seem to be enough room for the bearing housing to turn to unscrew. Therefore the housing may be in one piece with the tube, which will be bedded in sealer as it goes through the hull and the whole lot held in place by the outer housing. Wait until you get the shaft out so that you can feel inside the tube to determine if it is one piece.

Presumably you want to get this off to see if you can fit a piece of cutless on the inboard end following your earlier post on shaft movement. If you do go down this route you will definitely have to fit a flexible coupling, preferrably a Bullflex or a Centraflex as you need to allow the engine to move, which it won't be able to do if you fix the shaft at both ends. Without re-running the earlier thread, that is the advantage of the traditional hose mounted stuffing box (and the Volvo seal) which allows enough movement of the shaft to absorb engine movement.

Hope this all helps

 

[Vamoose]

Thanks to all who took the trouble to reply... It wasa all bit of a drama and after a lot of investigation, talking and advide it became clear that getting the stern tube out was going to take longer than the time we have available.. So its been put on hold until next winter