Shaft Pulled out of Tranny after Cutlass Repair

I had the cutlass bearing replaced on my port shaft in the spring by a local boatyard. On the first ride of the season this weekend, i heard a god awful noise under neath as my shaft was coming un coupled from the transmission. The key had failed, more so corroded than sheared, and the shaft is nice and marred with spin marks from the set screws trying to hold on. I cleaned up the shaft as best i could and ordered a new hub since the old was was also pretty beat up. Just curious if this could be caused by the Cutlass Bearing Repair done by others? Are they liable in any way? Or 'just one of those things?'

It is on a 32 foot Trojan, Chevy 350 with Velvet drive Tranny's.

Thanks.
C Cap

 

As far as I know, the shaft has to be removed to replace the cutlass bearing... And, if/when the coupling is removed from the shaft, a new one with new key is supposed to be installed. Especially with the pressed fit couplings. Based on the limited facts in your post, I'd bet they removed the coupling to allow the shaft to be pulled to do the bearing and then reinstalled the original coupling unsuccessfully...

 

It is possible to remove the cutlass bearing without removing the shaft. However, you could ask the yard if they did; before informing them of the damage.

 

Gonzo, is there a special puller/installer which accomplishes this? I'd be very interested in how this is done. When I did my cutlass, I needed to cut the old one out with a saws-all. And the installation required a 1 inch threaded rod with nuts & washers to squeeze the new bearing into the strut. Unless it's dependent on the specific strut design?

 

It depends in whether it is completely corroded in place or not. The OP is in fresh water so probably not too bad. You can use a pipe of slightly smaller diameter than the OD of the cutlass bearing and pound it forward. You need to remove the prop first. Then you can cut the cutlass bearing and install a new one with the same pipe.

 

okay, gotcha. There would be no way that mine was coming out that easily.

 

It usually also needs a torch to heat and expand the strut.

 

They claimed they never removed the shaft, they pressed it out, like you said, with a special puller. After more research, it appears the shaft was already starting to walk out of the hub (due to the previous owner adding his own (2) tapped holes for more set screws. Cause obviously, more is better!! And maybe by the boatyard wrenching on the lower end (in theory, never putting pressure on the shaft itself) it was the straw that broke the camels back. I cleaned up the old shaft (hope its not bent!) as best i could, new hub, key, and set screws on order and should be back up and running (fingers crossed) by the weekend.

C Cap
Sturgeon Bay, WI