cutlass shaft

K

krispirae

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2015
Messages
7
Fluid Motion Model
C-248 C
Vessel Name
MischiefManaged
Hello! We have a 2008 ranger 25 and our bottom cleaning guy has recommended that the cutlass shaft be replaced, he says he has a friend who can replace it. Is this something he would be able to see? What happens when a cutlass shaft is not replaced? Thank you
 
The cutlass bearing supports the shaft to the propeller... You can test if it's OK by trying to move the shaft up and down from the propeller end.. hopefully you will hear from others with the same vintage boat with similar hours, if they have needed replacement... Unfortunately I am always leary of guys hired to fix this one thing and find other problems that they have friends that fix... hopefully this person is trying to help you and not himself
 
krispirae":2f70uncz said:
Hello! We have a 2008 ranger 25 and our bottom cleaning guy has recommended that the cutlass shaft be replaced, he says he has a friend who can replace it. Is this something he would be able to see? What happens when a cutlass shaft is not replaced? Thank you
Click to expand...

Hello Kris,

Firstly, WELCOME to Tugnuts...I agree with Irish Mist.

Secondly, I've heard of a cutlass bearing but never a 'cutlass shaft.' Sorry to nitpick, but when it comes to maintenance, misunderstandings can be costly. There is the propeller shaft which runs from the transmission...THROUGH the cutlass bearing...and terminates at the propeller.

Are you noticing vibration in the running gear whilst underway?
How many hours are on your boat?
Has the propeller been damaged in the past (thereby possibly damaging the cutlass bearing, bending the prop shaft, etc)?

While changing the cutlass bearing is "simple" conceptually, it does involve
-pulling the boat out of the water, and
-removing the propeller shaft.

You might as well have the stuffing box repacked while you are about it.

Add$ up....

Let us know how it ends up,

dave
 
Thank you for the replies....
@Irish Mist, Just to confirm you need to pull the boat out of the water to check it? Our boat is in the water, and we were needing to haul her out for a bottom job so we are going to have it checked, but we wanted to take a trip over to Catalina before we did that, and we weren't sure if this is a pressing issue.

@Sgidave...Mischief Managed has apprx. 225 hrs on the engine, and there is no propeller damage. The last time we took her out for the day we didn't feel any vibrations. When I was trying to find answers via Google, I couldn't find a whole lot on cutlass shaft, but more on the bearing, so that made me question what the bottom guy was saying. We will be having her hauled out in the next month or so but was hoping to squeeze in a Catalina trip before we did.
I will let ya all know what we find out!
Thank you for the help!
 
At 225 hours you should not have an issue with the cutlass bearing unless the engine alignment is out.The symptoms are as described above. You would have a vibration and when you pull the boat try to move the prop back and forth and up and down and you should have no play. I think your guy inspecting the bottom my be a bit over zealous. Neverthess less you should check it out to be sure. If you feel no vibration then have fun in Catalina.
 
You can check it in the water but easier out of the water... I agree with knotflying you shouldn't have any problems yet with only low hours.. You obviously didn't notice any issues with it and would be carrying on as usual if the diver didn't mention it. As mentioned you would feel it if it was vibrating.
 
This post brings up the question of how long a cutlass bearing should typically last. A good thing to know so we can check this when our boats are out of the water. Has anyone performed this replacement and if so, what were the hours on the boat?

My boat is currently out of the water so I am running out to give the prop a good wiggle as I type.

Thanks
 
On my sail boats the shaft was generally 5 feet or so long. To check the cutlass brg , I simply grabbed the prop and wiggled it. Any play indicates some wear on the shaft. In the Rangers the shaft is very short so a simple wiggle may not indicate wear. I would think it necessary to loosen the coupling, then wiggle away to determine any wear. A lubricated cutlass should last at least a thousand hours or more. Perhaps Andrew might comment on what might be reasonably expected in terms of cutlass brg lifespan.
 
To nitpick a little, the proper term is 'cutless bearing', not 'cutlass bearing', so named because it is a water lubricated rubber bearing that prevents particles like sand from cutting the propeller shaft. 🙂
 
stanstumbo":16nsk230 said:
To nitpick a little, the proper term is 'cutless bearing', not 'cutlass bearing'
Click to expand...

Actually, "Cutless" bearing is a registered trademark of Duramax. People use "cutlass" as a term for similar bearings made by other companies, and because "propeller shaft support strut bearing" is just too cumbersome.
 
Have about 900 hours on my 2007 R25. No problems here with the cutlass bearing.
 
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