Ted - Here goes:
1. Cutlass bearing held in with set screws on strut.
2. Need to pull shaft out since it makes it much easier..can do with out, but....
3. Martec removal easy - remove 2 cotter pins that hold the prop pin, gently drive pin out with drift punch and hammer or plastic mallet, take off blades (note there is a mark that matches with hub so it does back on the same way), pull 2 cotter pins locking the hub nut, remove hub nut with socket wrench and 3/8" drive extension (it might be a 1/4" or 1/2" drive depending on how old). If you're lucky, the hub will knock off with a couple of taps with a hammer and piece of wood, but otherwise use a gear puller with a long throw, ca. 10".

Easy eh? Careful driving the bearing out and reverse putting in...lube it well.
Cheers, Greg

Ted,
When I did mine last spring I got a great education on how not to do it. Then I did it this way. You will probably have to scrape off several layers of bottom paint to find the set screws on the bearing housing. The method I finally used was to get a long carriage bolt, maybe 1/2" by 8", put a washer exactly the same size as the diameter of the bearing (it needs to be exact because you are going to pull the washer through the housing and you don't want to score the inside of the housing). On the other end I used a long socket (it needs to be at least as long as the cutlass bearing - a length of pipe will do) the diameter of the bearing HOUSING (the bearing is going to be pulled through this socket). Then I put another washer and a nut on the bolt and just started turning the nut. To recap - the carriage bolt with the washer goes through the cutlass bearing and then through the socket with another washer (bigger than the diameter of the socket) then the nut. You can use this method to install the new bearing. Have fun.
Dennis,

Hello Ted ....
Use a proper puller to remove the bearing an resist the temptation not to change it. Giving it a good soak with penetrating oil may help remove it . Above all don't do a lot of pounding on your strut. Place the new bearing in the freezer at home and keep it as cold as you possible can until you are ready to put it in. This will help, as it causes the bearing to contract a bit, again no heavy pounding on the bearing or the strut...
Good luck!!
rbt ... Safari

The following response from Dennis is a good way of doing the cutless bearing however ask yourself why is the bearing worn as you might be doing this again real soon.Like check the alignment of the shaft, motor mounts etc. is the engine moving when running? Without correcting the root cause you might be doing the same again next year.
Been there done that! :-)

A great reference for inboard engines and mechanical systems (and most things on a boat) is Nigel Calder's "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual - 2nd Edition". He has several different ways to remove a cutless bearing.

I tried several fancy ways to remove the bearing, many of which allow you to leave the prop shaft in place, but finally had to resort to brute force. Since I had the prop shaft out anyway, I simply used a hacksaw blade to cut through the bearing from the inside and then pliers to bend it inward until it gave.

Most cutless bearings are held in place with simple friction. Scrape around the outside of the strut - any set screws will become visible. Mine hadn't been touched for at least 10 years and was solidly painted and corroded into place.

My biggest problem was removing the warn and bent prop shaft from the nipple on the transmission end. This involved more brute force and extensive heating and cooling.

Rich,
You should find two set screws on the side of the strut. On my 32 they were on the port side.
Good Luck,
Tom Anderson

According to Nigel Calder, you should replace your cutless bearing if you have more than 1/16 of an inch of clearance for each inch of shaft diameter. You should have some play to allow water to lubricate it.

Regarding how do you know if a cutless bearing needs to be replaced, "This Old Boat" by Don Casey puts it this way.

"How do you, a mere novice in such matters, know if it needs replacing? The same way a pro knows; grab the prop and shake the shaft. A little play is fine, but if you can get it moving enough to rattle, it is time for a new cutless bearing."

Mine was pretty loose, probably 1/16" clearance around all sides of the shaft when it is centered in the cutless bearing. My surveyor recommended replacing it. The previous owner was using the boat the way it was so I would imagine there would have been a reasonable amount of vibration. I also noticed that some of the fairing compound used to flush the strut to the hull had cracked and come loose. Probably caused by the vibration. I examined a sistership and his prop shaft didn't have any movement in it at all.

The bearing measures ....3 and a half in. long, One and a quarter in.outside diameter, by seven/eighth in. shaft. C&C 29

Remove the prop and using a "pusher" ie old bearing with slightly smaller(sanded down) diameter and a bar clamp on the strut push the old cutlass up the shaft and then carefully hacksaw two cuts lengthwise and remove the old bearing. Maybe you can get a real bearing pusher with a machined steel pusher piece although the bar clamp will work but may require a few days of penetrating oil to loosen the old bearing. May be really stuck if original.

Freeze(shrink) and lube new bearing after cleaning the interior of the strut and place it on the outboard end of the shaft and "push" it in place. Carefully, hacksaw any excess protruding from the outboard end. Remember that on the 35 there are two(?) 1/4-20 set screws on the side of the strut which should be removed before all the pushing takes place.You may have to dig out filler which is hiding the sockets before you can fit your Allen key into the set screw slots-maybe penetrating oil here too. On the 35 you will want to avoid removing the shaft because it will not clear the rudder unless the bearing is out anyway.

Removing the shaft is often difficult in that time has seated it in the coupling and there is not a lot of room to work.Leave it alone and not create other problems. Removing a rudder is an even bigger headache and totally unnecessary.Keep it simple and don't forget to put the key back into your reinstalled prop. Good luck.

Way back when, there was some good advice on changing cutlass bearings. Its been 20 years since I've changed one but it looks like I am going to have to do that after looking at Illusions's following haul out yesterday. Also any advice on pulling a Martec folding prop would be appreciated.
Regards, - Hank Evans

Hank -
A medium sized gear puller (with 2 jaws) works fine for getting the Martec off, even underwater (belive me, it does work, but on the hard is easier!). Just make sure it's reach is sufficiently long enough to reach the back of the hub. Similarly, a smaller gear puller, with a 1-2" rod of diameter slightly larger than your shaft, can be used to "push" the bearing out of the strut (i.e., use a small, cheap gear puller with 2 jaws, clamped onto the edges of the strut so they don't obstruct the bearing as it comes out).
Have fun! - Cheers, Greg

Hank, - Addendum to Greg's advice:
I had to replace the pin in my Martec a year ago and at the same time replace the cutlass bearing. I'm not going to give you advice on removing the bearing because I couldn't do it easily and was headed down the road of really screwing things up. I had the yard do it. I did remove the prop which was very easy. You should be able to pull the cotter pins, use a drift to remove the pin and grab the blades. When that's done you'll see inside the body of the prop a round nut with two cotter pins holding in. Remove those and then use a 1/2" socket drive extension to remove the nut. After that it came off the shaft very easily. I have pullers but it wasn't frozen on; I just whacked (well, tapped really...) it with a hand sledge (using a piece of wood!) and it slid right off.
I wasn't there when the yard removed the cutlass bearing but I was going to remove the shaft, use the 'tube and threaded rod' method to get the bearing out. All I know is that the yard removed the bearing without removing the shaft and that they kept the new cutlass bearing in the freezer for at least 24 hours to make it easy to get into the strut.
Dave - '82 37' - "Ronin" - Annapolis

You could always unbolt the strut instead of the shaft. I have used a hacksaw to cut old bearings apart and remove them that way. If you have the strut off put it in the oven and the bearing in the freezer.
Joe Della Barba

Hi Dave,
Thanks for the advice - much appreciated. Would that I had a yard to turn it over to. Our marina just lost their mechanic, not that he would have known how to change a cutlass bearing anyway. In this part of the world we do it ourself or it doesn't get done.
Regards, Hank Evans

One method is to use an old bearing that is split into two pieces. Wrap it around the shaft forward of the strut, and use a gear puller to push in the split one, which forces out the one you're trying to remove. The split one will slide out easily. Regarding the Martec prop: be sure when you reinstall it that you match up the right blade with the right side of the main body. The sides are stamped so that you will recognize which one goes where. This is necessary to make sure the prop is balanced properly. If there is much corrosion on the prop, you can send it back with the body to Martec for rebalancing.
Alan Bergen - 35 Mk III, "Thirsty"

Hi Hank:
It's been a while..........I didn't do my cutlass bearing, but did do the folding prop last year. It hadn't been removed for almost 15years, and the "gear puller" susggestion worked well........a gentle tap on the end also helped. Important to note that the coter pins are not stainless..........I think they are monel????? When I had the prop reconditioned here on the east coast, it was returned with a new set of pins and a note that warned against using stainless...........not sure of the significance, probably dissimilar metals and corrosion potential......but I did as I was told and it is working just great. Check yours now that it's out of the water.......if the blades touch or are close when folded, it may be time to have it reconditioned......the proper gap for optimum operation is supposed to be about 3/8". Martek's cusomer service person is also super helpful...
Good luck........Ron Casciato, Impromptu, C&C 38MKIIC

Hank:
The reconditioning which adds material to the back edge of the blades and to the hub to limit the spread during backing up, includes a rebalancing, and new pins et al. Martec does it but you have to schedule it with them in advance......since your season is over, now would be a good time, and you'll get it back well in advance of the spring launch. I used a local Prop company, H&H in Salem Mass, and they were excellent.....they picked up and delivered, and tracked my through the history of the prop, etc.......
The bad news is that it costs about $240 to do the complete job. The prop comes back looking brand new and warranteed for a while........I thought it was worth it. Martec convinced me that a prop that was worn would cavitate and not open correctly and possibly damage the bearing, etc...
Good Luck, Ron Casciato

I'm not sure where we are on the Martec prop discussion vis-a-vis Hank's removal of his cutlass bearing but I happen to have a xxx-diameter pin, brand-new, from Martec which I purchased prior to shipping my prop back to them for refurbishment. It can be had for cheap if someone needs it. Now, if I could just remember the diameter of the replacement pin... (senior moment)
Bore-ingly, - Dave - '82 37' "Ronin" - Annapolis

The pin in a new prop is 1/2". Each time they refurbish it, the drill the blades and hub out 1/16". My pin is now 5/8", and they say that is the limit.