CD30 Cutlass Bearing

[CARL JONES]

How do you replace the cutlass bearing in a 1983 CD30 sailboat?



GreatCells@aol.com

[Dana Arenius]

How do you replace the cutlass bearing in a 1983 CD30 sailboat?

_________________________________________________

Carl,

I'll e-mail you a copy of the propeller shaft details which takes you from the engine coupling to propeller shaft nut. The detail shows you the four set screws which lock the cutlass bearing in. The picture will be in JPG format. I'm going to let the others (who have actually done this) tell you how to find these set screws under the fiberglass and do the work. Hope the illustration helps.

Dana



darenius@aol.com

[Tom Coons]

How do you replace the cutlass bearing in a 1983 CD30 sailboat?

First you pull the prop shaft out of the boat. There's a posting on this a while back, but basically you disconnect the flange from the transmission flange then force the shaft out of the flange. I had to cut my prop shaft and replace it, but sometimes it works. On mine there were only two set screws holding the cutlass bearing in place. They were port and starboard about 3/8s of an inch from the aft end. Once the set screws are loosened you try to push the cutlass bearing out with a broom stick or socket of the right size from you socket set, or a piece of pipe or tubing or whatever you can find of the right size.. If you are real lucky this works, but usually it doesn't so then you take a hacksaw blade and carefully saw through the brass collar fore and aft in two places fairly close together. This will enable you to take a little section of the collar out by prying with a screwdriver etc. Once that piece is removed you can hammer out the rest because the pressure is released, or grab it with a vice grip or whatever you have to do. You are throwing this away so there is a certain pleasure in mangling it, however you try not to damage anything but the collar. It's sort of like taking a light bulb out of a socket when the bulb is broken -- pry, twist, pull until it loosens. That is the hard part. Once it's out you slip the new one in tighten the set screws (I wire through the head slots with monel safety wire. and cut a groove in the fiberglass to take the wire.) Now reverse everything and put the prop shaft back in, replace the flange. Check the shaft alignment and bolt the flanges together. This is one of those jobs people often let the yard guys do because if it doesn't go well it can take a week to accomplish, exhaust your profane vocabulary, and you may wind up with a new prop shaft --that runs $ 100 or $ 200. depending where you live -- in addition to your busted knuckles. Doesn't require a lot of skill but a lot of the fuss is standing on your head down in the bilge trying to get to things and not drop those nuts and washers. Hope this helps. Tom



TacCambria@thegrid.net

[Carl Jones]

How do you replace the cutlass bearing in a 1983 CD30 sailboat?

First you pull the prop shaft out of the boat. There's a posting on this a while back, but basically you disconnect the flange from the transmission flange then force the shaft out of the flange. I had to cut my prop shaft and replace it, but sometimes it works. On mine there were only two set screws holding the cutlass bearing in place. They were port and starboard about 3/8s of an inch from the aft end. Once the set screws are loosened you try to push the cutlass bearing out with a broom stick or socket of the right size from you socket set, or a piece of pipe or tubing or whatever you can find of the right size.. If you are real lucky this works, but usually it doesn't so then you take a hacksaw blade and carefully saw through the brass collar fore and aft in two places fairly close together. This will enable you to take a little section of the collar out by prying with a screwdriver etc. Once that piece is removed you can hammer out the rest because the pressure is released, or grab it with a vice grip or whatever you have to do. You are throwing this away so there is a certain pleasure in mangling it, however you try not to damage anything but the collar. It's sort of like taking a light bulb out of a socket when the bulb is broken -- pry, twist, pull until it loosens. That is the hard part. Once it's out you slip the new one in tighten the set screws (I wire through the head slots with monel safety wire. and cut a groove in the fiberglass to take the wire.) Now reverse everything and put the prop shaft back in, replace the flange. Check the shaft alignment and bolt the flanges together. This is one of those jobs people often let the yard guys do because if it doesn't go well it can take a week to accomplish, exhaust your profane vocabulary, and you may wind up with a new prop shaft --that runs $ 100 or $ 200. depending where you live -- in addition to your busted knuckles. Doesn't require a lot of skill but a lot of the fuss is standing on your head down in the bilge trying to get to things and not drop those nuts and washers. Hope this helps. Tom

GreatCells@aol.com

[Carl Jones]

How do you replace the cutlass bearing in a 1983 CD30 sailboat?

First you pull the prop shaft out of the boat. There's a posting on this a while back, but basically you disconnect the flange from the transmission flange then force the shaft out of the flange. I had to cut my prop shaft and replace it, but sometimes it works. On mine there were only two set screws holding the cutlass bearing in place. They were port and starboard about 3/8s of an inch from the aft end. Once the set screws are loosened you try to push the cutlass bearing out with a broom stick or socket of the right size from you socket set, or a piece of pipe or tubing or whatever you can find of the right size.. If you are real lucky this works, but usually it doesn't so then you take a hacksaw blade and carefully saw through the brass collar fore and aft in two places fairly close together. This will enable you to take a little section of the collar out by prying with a screwdriver etc. Once that piece is removed you can hammer out the rest because the pressure is released, or grab it with a vice grip or whatever you have to do. You are throwing this away so there is a certain pleasure in mangling it, however you try not to damage anything but the collar. It's sort of like taking a light bulb out of a socket when the bulb is broken -- pry, twist, pull until it loosens. That is the hard part. Once it's out you slip the new one in tighten the set screws (I wire through the head slots with monel safety wire. and cut a groove in the fiberglass to take the wire.) Now reverse everything and put the prop shaft back in, replace the flange. Check the shaft alignment and bolt the flanges together. This is one of those jobs people often let the yard guys do because if it doesn't go well it can take a week to accomplish, exhaust your profane vocabulary, and you may wind up with a new prop shaft --that runs $ 100 or $ 200. depending where you live -- in addition to your busted knuckles. Doesn't require a lot of skill but a lot of the fuss is standing on your head down in the bilge trying to get to things and not drop those nuts and washers. Hope this helps. Tom

Thanks for the information Tom. I usually do my own work, but have never done a cutlass bearing before. I'm planning to haul my boat in about a month and want to start getting my ducks in a row. My shaft has about 1/16 to 1/8 inch play all around it, so I think it's time to replace the cutlass. I've been told there is a special puller for the job, but you make it sound like you don't need one. I just found this website and it's really great. I appreciate your help. Carl



GreatCells@aol.com

[Carl Jones]

How do you replace the cutlass bearing in a 1983 CD30 sailboat?

_________________________________________________

Carl,

I'll e-mail you a copy of the propeller shaft details which takes you from the engine coupling to propeller shaft nut. The detail shows you the four set screws which lock the cutlass bearing in. The picture will be in JPG format. I'm going to let the others (who have actually done this) tell you how to find these set screws under the fiberglass and do the work. Hope the illustration helps.

Dana

Thanks for your offer. I'll be looking for it. I got some good information from Tom, and together with your info I should get off to a good start. Thanks again. Carl



GreatCells@aol.com

[Jerry]

How do you replace the cutlass bearing in a 1983 CD30 sailboat?

Carl, I just went through this with my '84 CD30 about 3 weeks ago. If the '83 is like the '84, the job is really simple -- no need to pull the shaft or the flange, or disturb the shaft/motor alignment.

I had been intiminated by all the stories about this job on this web site so I hired the job done. First, the mechanic pulled the propeller. There is a housing around the prop shaft where it enters the hull. In the CD manual, this housing shows as being embedded flush in the keel but on my boat it is external to the keel sticking out about an inch and held on by a screw on the bottom and a through bolt on top. The second step is to remove the screw and the through bolt. The nut for the bolt is accessable from either of the cockpit lockers. Next, the mechanic pried the housing off the keel along the shaft (with the prop removed), and took the housing completely off the boat. The housing doesn't come off easily but be persistent (and careful). The cutlass bearing is inside this housing and you can proceed to remove/replace the bearing without standing on your head or doing other unkind things to your body. Installation is the reverse of the above, just make sure you use a good sealant around the bearing housing when you put it back on the keel.

When you pull your boat out of the water, look for the bearing housing around the shaft between the prop and the keel. If it is embedded (as the manual shows) rather than bolted on, disregard all of the above. Good luck!

[Jay Ankers]

WHOA JERRY!!!

I just replaced the cutlass bearing in what sounds like the same thru hull that you have (Spartan part # 161) and you need to be aware how your stuffing box log is attached to that thru hull. It is double band clamped with permanent "band-it" style clamps that must be put on in a shop. These are used because the whole assembly must fit thru the hull and be sealed in as a unit. When you pry the thru hull out (no matter how careful) you are pulling it out of the shaft log and those band-it clamps. It is not the best design that Spartan came out with...they should have made the thru hull about 1/2" to 3/4" longer in order to put the clamps inside the boat instead of embedded in the fiberglass with sealant.

Jay Ankers
CD-30 #344
"Per Diem"



jay.ankers@fluordaniel.com

[Jerry]

WHOA JERRY!!!

I just replaced the cutlass bearing in what sounds like the same thru hull that you have (Spartan part # 161) and you need to be aware how your stuffing box log is attached to that thru hull. It is double band clamped with permanent "band-it" style clamps that must be put on in a shop. These are used because the whole assembly must fit thru the hull and be sealed in as a unit. When you pry the thru hull out (no matter how careful) you are pulling it out of the shaft log and those band-it clamps. It is not the best design that Spartan came out with...they should have made the thru hull about 1/2" to 3/4" longer in order to put the clamps inside the boat instead of embedded in the fiberglass with sealant.

Jay Ankers
CD-30 #344
"Per Diem"

On my CD30, hull #321, the thru hull DOES protrude inside the boat and is attached to the stuffing box log with double hose clamps -- the STANDARD SCREW ON TYPE NOT THE PERMANENT "BAND-IT" STYLE. All I can say is that the mechanic that does this type of work for a living completed the job in about an hour with no problems and great results!

I think the lesson to be learned here is that all CD30's are not built alike. There seem to be differences from year to year and perhaps from hull number to hull number. Some of these differences may be significant and we need to be carefull before acting based on the experiences of others.

[jack ducas]

How do you replace the cutlass bearing in a 1983 CD30 sailboat?

_________________________________________________

Carl,

I'll e-mail you a copy of the propeller shaft details which takes you from the engine coupling to propeller shaft nut. The detail shows you the four set screws which lock the cutlass bearing in. The picture will be in JPG format. I'm going to let the others (who have actually done this) tell you how to find these set screws under the fiberglass and do the work. Hope the illustration helps.

Dana

linduke@aol.com