Cutlass bearing /stern tube

[Sabre27Admin]

Clamcop
USA
6 Posts

Posted - 16/03/2010 : 20:07:41
Hey all
Paul look for US greenbacks coming your way in the USpost as we speak

Does anyone know how to remove the cutlass bearing bronze housing from the stern tube then the hul ? a set screw I am missing ??
I detached the 2 screws to the hull and started to pry the whole housing off but no go attempt to turn and the whole tube and inner stuffing box turn got a new engine and shaft want to renew the cutlass and clean 30+ years of antifouling out of the waterways in the housing but cannot remove any help out there

Thirty-Sea a 1971 Sabre 27 fin keel #48 as 3rd owner sailing off the coast of Rhode Island NE USA since 2000
keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 17/03/2010 : 18:53:10
The inner stuffing box should have a couple of machine screws into a narrow bulkhead if its turning these are missing. Both this & the Cutless housing are screwed onto the tube with a standard Right hand thread if you hold the inner bearing/stuffing box with stillsons pipe wrench or chain wrench you should be able to unscrew the cutless housing anticlockwise once the two machine screws into the hull are removed.
On the Sabre the space around the tube is hollow or filled with foam, it is worth cleaning all this out & epoxying in threaded plates for the cutless bolts. Once all is in place i would cast the space full of polyester resin filler mix.
The cutless bearing itself is held into the housing with two stainless steel allen screws, but is unlikely to come out unless its casing is split from the inside with a hacksaw first.
It is likely that after 30 odd years plus the whole lot will be in need of replacement. Have fun!

sabre27
178 Posts

Posted - 17/03/2010 : 22:52:48
Hi Rob, look forward to your Greenbacks.

Once having unscrewed the cutlass bearing housing as per Keith's instructions, you may find a marine engineer that may be able to manufacture a new bearing for you. This is what we do in the UK, but we have the advantage of many of these 'Stuart Turner' stern gears being still in use and a company makes bearings to fit.

The tube should not be moving, being glassed into the 'Deadwood' before the interior 'cover' was glassed over. Water will most likely have entered this area. At the moment your Cutlass bearing securing screws are most probably directly screwed into the deadwood GRP. This may have become locally soft from water wicking into the laminate around the screws. Follow Keith's advice reference plates into which to secure the new screws.

As you are replacing the engine it would be sensible to cut this all out, while you have an empty space to work in, as Keith suggests and replace with a complete new stern-gear sourced locally, once the soggy mess has dried out!

Paul Howard. S27OA Technical Officer.

keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 18/03/2010 : 17:26:30
Forgot to add there is normally a plywood cover glassed in over the stern tube this can either be cut out carefully or a couple of holes cut in it with a tank cutter. The void is likely to be full of waterlogged foam, grease & diesel. The foam is easy to dig out & the area then needs degreasing thoroughly before attempting to fill it or stick plates in.

Clamcop
USA
6 Posts

Posted - 18/03/2010 : 17:40:47
Well I am glad for the replies
and it is good to hear that the packing gland, stern tube and cutlass bearing are separate items that can be un screwed .
but the thought of oil soaked foam is not so good but in for a penny...... I will report back with pixs and keep you all appraised of my slow painfully slow progress as this thing called life keeps getting in the way of special projects

again thanks for the reply I cannot wait till its ready to splash as i look so foward to purchasing a SOA burgee but it must wait till a splash date is imminent

with patience I remain

clamcop aka US Rob



Thirty-Sea a 1971 Sabre 27 fin keel #48 as 3rd owner sailing off the coast of Rhode Island NE USA since 2000

Sunfly
United Kingdom
51 Posts

Posted - 23/03/2010 : 08:15:26 Sunfly's Homepage Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Reply
Rob

I had a similar problem a couple of years back - when unscrewing the cutlass bearing the whole tube came out in my hand!

My solution was to slice of the rear face of the deadwood, re-fix the tube with epoxy and glass, install dome nuts for the cutlass bolts (this means the void remains completely sealed, which might be a problem if using a plate - although a plate can be attached more securely - maybe a rolls-royce solution would be some stainless blocks with a blind, tapped hole, giving both advantages), and then glass back on the severed section of deadwood. In retrospect It would have been neater to do it from the inside by cutting out the piece of ply that closes the void. However, I think it would have been much harder to glass properly around the tube, and much more fidley to do the plates/dome nuts. I think this may have been reported in a rattling sabres at the time.

either way, here's another tip: be sure to do a dry fit with your engine central on the mounts, so a) re-alligning will be straight forward, and b) you have maximum travel in all directions should a lot of alignment be necessary. I failed to do this and only just had enough travel left in the mounts to get the thing alligned within tollerance!

Good luck with it, hope that's useful.

Nothing - absolute nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats

http://sunflythesabre.wordpress.com

robes
United Kingdom
4 Posts

Posted - 31/05/2010 : 22:26:14 robes's Homepage Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Reply
Hi,

Am I right in thinking that (I think I am having read the posts but want a bit of reassurance!) having removed the 2 screws that attach the stern tube to the hull I can slip the stern tube back over the prop shaft with the help of a puller (prop already eventually removed with aforementioned puller)?

I will then be able to take the stern tube home to remove the cutlass bearing, fit a new one, slip back over the shaft and screw back on.

Cheers,
Rob

sabre27
178 Posts

Posted - 01/06/2010 : 10:36:30
Hi Rob,

To clarify things in case of confusion, what you are calling the ‘stern tube’, is actually the ‘cutlass bearing housing’, a bronze casting which screws onto the protruding ‘prop tube’, which is glassed into the hull. The ‘cutlass bearing holder’ is prevented from unscrewing by the two countersunk set screws.

Once unscrewed, the housing just slips off the shaft. Give it to a marine engineer who will replace the bearing, not a diy job.

When replacing, clean the housing ‘Landing’ on the deadwood and apply sealer before replacing. It will take some turning to get back to line up with the screw holes. Beware over tightening the screws especially the lower one, apply sealer to the heads.

Good luck.



Paul Howard. S27OA Technical Officer.

robes
United Kingdom
4 Posts

Posted - 02/06/2010 : 21:48:22 robes's Homepage Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Reply
Thanks Paul and Toby,
Cutlass bearing housing sucessfuly removed this evening. Now just need to find somewhere to take it. Any recommendations in the Southampton area?!
Cheers,
Rob

Soloist of Leigh, Sabre 27
Southampton
www.soloistofleigh.blogspot.com

nickbd
United Kingdom
207 Posts

Posted - 13/07/2012 : 17:02:53 nickbd's nickbd's
My housing has disintegrated... can anyone advise me as to how to source a new one?

quote:
Originally posted by robes

Thanks Paul and Toby,
Cutlass bearing housing sucessfuly removed this evening. Now just need to find somewhere to take it. Any recommendations in the Southampton area?!
Cheers,
Rob

Soloist of Leigh, Sabre 27
Southampton
www.soloistofleigh.blogspot.com


==============
Nick B-D

1974 Fin Keel, Yanmar YSE 12