Successful but tuff cutlass Bearing replacement - Long

[BillBerner]

I tackled it today. The bearing had come apart so much that I could barely turn the shaft by hand.
Pulled the prop and got the key off the shaft without a huge amount of difficulty. I just needed a breaker bar to get enough leverage on the puller bolt to break the prop free.
I used the main sheet tied off to th forward lifting ring on the engine to raise the engine off it mounts, and managed to bring it forward a bunch - enough to be able to bring the shaft far enough fwd to clear the bearing. I used the main halyard as a topping lift to support the boom.
It took close to 2 hours total to disconnect everything (some electrical, some plumbing, tele flex, etc) that would have prevented the engine from going fwd, and to lift the engine with the winch. So far so good - remarkably so, in fact..
The first setback was when I discovered that the exhaust hose that had to be disconnected from the muffler was totally shot at its low point. I hate wrestling with big wire reinforced hoses. I put that aside for the moment and continued with the project at hand.
The Allen screws securing the CB of course we're completely loaded up with bottom paint. I managed to clean them out and backed off on the 2 screws.
So now I took a close look at the CB. Rather than protruding a little from the shaft tube, it was actually recessed inside. big bummer. I used a Tiger saw blade in a handle to cut out a section, and then was able to break the rest loose. Got the rest out in one piece. I figured I was pretty much home free.
I went back into the boat to push the shaft aft in order to clear out the shavings and broken rubber. I was surprised that the shaft was still tuff to move and rotate. Pulled the shaft back into the boat again.
I took a look in the tube with a flashlight (my phone actually) and was very surprised that there was a second cb, also very torn up, deeper inside the tube. Apparently a PO put a new CB in at some point, but instead of pulling the original one, used their new one to drive the old one further into the tube. That explained why the one I'd already gotten out had a black plastic outside, not catalinas original fiberglass.of course the shaft was not clearing that CB, so back into the boat to muscle the engine farther fwd. I got the shaft another 6" or so fwd, and headed back out. naturally these trips in and out of the cabin were without the aid of the companionway stairs. After more cutting and cursing I was able to extract the second CB.
installing the new CB was a breeze. Less than a minute. but when I went to tighten down the set screws, I found that the holes had stripped. Out came my new cb. I drilled pilot holes and tapped new threads, put the cb back in leaving enough exposed so the next guy who has to change it will have an easier time of it, and tightened the set screws.
Lowered the engine back onto its mounts, reconnected everything, bought, fought, and finally fitted 2'3" of new 2" exhaust hose and can call it done. I'm cleaning up the prop before remounting it tmrw.
All told 7 hrs. Crazy.

[R.B.]

Congrats Bill! I haven't done that repair yet, but someday I know I will have to.

[wolfe10]

Good job and excellent write-up.

Brett
2004 Catalina 350

[Paul]

Very nice write up.
Thank you!

[R.B.]

Nice job Bill! Thanks for the write up.