Cutlass Bearing Query

[grantmc 59]

Noticed an advert for a boat for sale. The notes about the boat included 'cutlass bearing needs replacing'. and I wondered how would you know your cutlass bearing needs replacing?

This particular boat is on a hard stand.

 

Obviously bearings breakdown. Presumably the problem would result in a serious water ingress?

Are they an item that needs replacing periodically? 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Island Time 1,239]

Nope, no water ingress. The Cutlass bearing is in the shaft strut, it's not the shaft gland/stuffing box. Normally it's excess movement that means it requires replacement - and often a rattle at low revs (or even high revs if it's really bad!)

Not a huge job in most boats, but does require shaft removal.

[MarkMT 68]

Mads had to do his, as shown in this episode of Sail Life (starting about 0:40)

 

 

Also a little bit of explanation in a couple of episodes earlier, here about 1:06 - 

 

 

and here about 7:20 -

 

 

 

[Fish 0]

 

Not a huge job in most boats, but does require shaft removal.

You don't necessarily have to remove the shaft.

We changed ours between tides not long ago, shaft in place, obviously. 

 

Made up a fairly simple tool. It fits a 1 1/4 by 1 3/4 bearing. This assumes the bearing is on a shaft strut. Some are in the keelson, I think H 28's are like that? and other long keel boats, in which case changing the cutless bearing is a bit of a palava (and def needs the shaft out).

[Fish 0]

To answer the OP, technically yes they are an item that needs replacing periodically, but not that often if they are good ones, and there is good alignment on the shaft. 1 year for a bad one, 5 plus for a good one.

Depending on the size, a budget cost would be circa $200 for a mid sized shaft, and depending on your mechanical appetude, 1 hr to of shagging around for a straight forward change out, up to as long as you can imagine a tricky job taking on a boat for a tricky one.

[wheels 543]

 

1 year for a bad one, 5 plus for a good one.

Yikes, I would have said 5 yrs was a bad one. 1 yr and I would be asking some very serious questions. My Boat has  around 1800hrs on the clock now and the boat was launched in 1997. The stern bearing is still fine.

[Fish 0]

Yikes, I would have said 5 yrs was a bad one. 1 yr and I would be asking some very serious questions. My Boat has  around 1800hrs on the clock now and the boat was launched in 1997. The stern bearing is still fine.

Fair call.

We recently chewed through a phenolic one very quickly (read, a cheap one, which happened to be recommended by a big name marine supplier) but we also had major alignment issues, which are now fixed.

There are a large number of variables. I expect with a good set up they could last a very long time, as you say Wheels.

[Sail Rock 28]

When you replace cutlass bearing, also check for wear on the prop shaft which might be significant if it has been rattling around in a loose fitting bearing for a long time. Recently replaced cutlass bearing, prop shaft and shaft seal - all up, well north of a grand!