Indigo

[thatch]

"The devil is in the details"

Neil, I'm thinking that maybe Dave left out the / from between the 1 and the 4" which, although being a little tighter than usual, would, I feel work a whole bunch better than 14".
Tom

[ndutton]

Neil, I'm thinking that maybe Dave left out the / from between the 1 and the 4" which, although being a little tighter than usual, would, I feel work a whole bunch better than 14".
Tom

Whatever Dave has, 1/4" or 14" (OK, you guys in the back of the room can stop the giggling) it's working and trouble free. Hard to argue with success.

[sastanley]

parts is parts is parts...

Thanks for the input..I am going to get my parts ordered today. Although I probably only have 3/4" sticking out past the prop strut, there was plenty of room to get a puller on there during the initial prop change, which was done with everything installed. No sense in 'upsetting the apple cart'.

I will be sure to sand the tube prior to any hose install. I think the structural part is now done & I've sufficiently built up the worn area & the uneven surfaces which Neil pointed out in the earlier pictures. Now, I just need to add a few more layers of cloth to get the OD up a little bit

Besides, it will be a lot easier to sand glass tape to shape than that carbon tape

[sastanley]

new set of questions

Here I go replying to myself again -

so, when this big box of parts gets here...what are the next steps once the boat is ready to receive them? I am going to get:

• new shaft coupler (the engine half was still in excellent shape, there was some corrosion from the stainless wire on the prop half)
• stuffing box
• shaft
• cutless bearing

I'll need to do some dry fitting so I can't really get the coupler on the shaft until I am satisfied with the fitment of the shaft in the log, rough align the engine, install the stuffing box, etc.etc..

How do I attach the coupler to the shaft properly once it is in the boat? It isn't tapered so does the coupler/shaft get pre-fit, but I can assemble it in the boat?

Do I need to take it to a shaft place or would Deep Blue Yacht Supply do all this?

Will the shaft need to be pressed into the coupling? What fancy tricks are there to do that in the tiny space between the stuffing box & the engine?

When do you do the alignment? Do I need fancy electronics/gauges/people-that-know-more-than-me to do this stuff right?

[ndutton]

Here's a very quick and undetailed response:

I'd take the shaft and coupler to a machine shop, preferrably one with boat shaft experience, and have the two mated. Depending on the fit, some keyway work may be necessary as well (if so, likely just the key itself). They'll get it right, not too tight and not too loose. Be sure to dimple the shaft where the coupler setscrew(s) seat.

Regarding alignment, I would rough align on the hard (that'll get you close) and realign in the water. The hull will take a slightly different 'set' in the water.

Finally, suggest leaving the stuffing box adjusted really loose at first, then sneaking up on the proper adjustment as the new packing wears in. Too tight initially is bad. Your bilge pump should be able to handle the leaking easily.

[sastanley]

Thanks Neil, so it sounds like the machining would happen such that I can remove the coupler by hand for test fitting & the key & dimpling for the set screws keeps everything intact after installation. I will need to take it apart again to install the stuffing box, once I've rough aligned to center the prop in the log. I guess my concern here was the original installation required me to press every last millimeter of the shaft out of the coupler..it was tight until the shaft literally fell out and I saw socket sticking out the end.

I am planning to buy all the parts from these Blue Sea guys in FL. I am going to call them on the telephone and speak with a live body. I would guess if they have the coupler & shaft part of the price would be to get those two pieces mated properly?

I also need to find the oil leak in the motor and see if it is the seal. It has been so blazing hot here it is hard to even work on the boat.

Good time to also install my float switch I bought last year. Fortunately I think I've finally got all the deck leaks fixed, at least the holes where I could see daylight around the chainplates, so the the bilge stayed dry an entire week thru two afternoon storms.

Thanks, I'll report back.

[thatch]

"The installment plan"

Shawn,
If the prop shaft and the coupler come from the same supplier then they should fit together correctly. The fit should be snug but you shouldn't have to "beat" them together. Once you get your care package, "dry fit" everything together, by this I mean test the new coupler for it's fit with the engine coupler, test the new coupler on the prop shaft, check the shaft log on the shaft and the strut bearing on the shaft. Also check the strut bearings O.D. against the I.D. of the strut. This may sound overly simplistic, but knowing that these parts "can" fit together will eliminate this question later on about "why won't this thing go together"? After you've checked these parts, the first 2 pieces to be installed should be the strut bearing and the shaft coupler. Leave the bolts loose on the coupler so that it can "align" with the shaft when you install it. The correct way to install the strut bearing is with an installation tool. Mine consists of an 18" piece of 1/2" all-thread, some heavy duty washers, 2 nuts and a couple of short pieces of hose to keep this "puller" centered while squeezing the bearing into place. The fit here should be reasonably tight , but do-able. I'll keep "tuned in"...
Tom

[hanleyclifford]

One other thing I learned at the yard - put the cutlass bearing in the freezer the night before (more wisdom from the neanderthal period).

[sastanley]

$$$ - parts ordered

HI..thanks for the continued tips & comments.

Here is the latest:
There is a you tube video from a couple of guys at the C-30 yahoo site that have done the cutless bearing replacement. They put theirs in a (insert your favorite convenience store here) cup of ice water, & spent $10 at the hardware store to build a similar tool as you describe, Tom.

I modeled my tool off of theirs, but I could not get the diameter on the washers correct to be large enough to press the bearing and small enough to slide in the strut, so, before damaging the strut I ended up removing the bearing with relatively little drama using the increasingly versatile sanding drum on the Dremel. (pictures back a few posts)

With the new bearing in hand, the diameter of washers required to press her in the strut should be fairly easy...& use lots of dishsoap!

I could not find the Direct Drive A-4 coupling on the site (Deep Blue Yacht Supply) but after a call to a live body, "as I suspected, the one you need is backordered, which is why it doesn't show up in the list. However, I've confirmed a new shipment arrives on Thursday..type in part # xxx and it will show up in your cart."

Of course, once I had the 1" shaft & 1" coupler in my cart, I could add fit& face labor charge to the order , & he confirmed dry fitting would be no problem.

So, except for waiting a few more days for the coupler, all is well. - I figured it would be two additional days off of work to get a coupler more quickly and drive the parts to a prop shop for fitting (Herrington harbor is closest), so we wait & I don't have to take more vacation (yet!)

[jhwelch]

When I replaced my shaft 2 years ago the yard filled a film can with special grease
that I slathered over the shaft and packing nut area to pre-lube things. Maybe you
can ask around and find something along those lines. I think it helped me a lot.

-jonathan

[tenders]

To get washers the right size to press the old cutless bearing out, it isn't hard to start with washers that are a little too big and take their edges down approximately evenly on a grinding wheel.

My tool to get the bearings in is a giant C clamp, plus a cheater bar to get more leverage on the clamp's threaded rod.

I smear my cutless bearings with antiseize compound before pressing them in. I don't know if it helps, but antiseize is really messy, and making a mess always makes me feel like I'm doing a better job.

In fact I smear antiseize all over the parts -- the key, the keyway, the shaft, and the coupling. But NOT on the prop nuts - those are supposed to be left dry.

[wlevin]

I put the bearing in the freezer and smeared it quickly with dish soap. It popped right in.
Bill and Jeanne
T34C #453
Otter

[ndutton]

Here is the latest:
There is a you tube video from a couple of guys at the C-30 yahoo site that have done the cutless bearing replacement. They put theirs in a (insert your favorite convenience store here) cup of ice water, & spent $10 at the hardware store to build a similar tool as you describe, Tom.

I stopped by the yard when the 'couple of guys' you referred to were starting their project, actually helped them extract the original shaft. These are a couple of sharp cookies (Alan Gomes and his friend Bob). Following their lead will certainly make your bearing replacement successful.

And like certain members on this site, if Alan speaks (on the C-30 site) it's best to pay attention. He's one of the good guys, really knows his stuff, not impressed with himself.

[sastanley]

Neil..as you are aware, it is in fact the same cats...they seem to know their stuff. Although you can usually pick out the people that know their stuff from the ones that don't, confirmation is always nice.

tenders..I in fact did that..i was in the hardware store with calipers selecting the smallest of the 1.25" diameter washers...the employees thought I was weird ...but the cutting with Dremel ultimately worked.

The ID of the strut is 1.235" so hopefully the freezer/ice water/etc. drink will work!

[charles@pricefarrington.c]

Indigo Prop

Splash down. Just put the boat in with the new prop. Seems to run good. Did not have time to fully test but will in the next week. I'll send some pictures soon.