Replacing strut Bearing

[crashnburn]

Being new to boats, I am trying to remove a lead Teflon bearing out of a strut. How do you do this without destroying the strut ?

[lenny]

Some heat helps first to loosen it and than let cool,
What strut or boat is it ?

[crashnburn]

It is the Genesis catamaran. I had the OSE conversion strut, but destroyed it trying to get the bearing out. Tried heat with a small butane torch flame. but that did not work. Tried to drill it out via a drill press but all it did was break off the bracket. So now I want to try working on the stock strut so I can insert the Aeromarine brass bushing without destroying it also.

[madmikepags]

to be realistic probably get a speedmaster strut w a brass bushing and be done, u can pick them up for $29 right here on OSE and will make ur life much easier.

[crashnburn]

I had read on a couple of sites that the Speedmaster strut would not fit onto the Genesis. No one explained why it wouldn't, just that it was a no go.

[siberianhusky]

For years I've just pressed them out using my drillpress with a proper sized old drillbit backwards in the chuck, so you are pressing with the shank end.
Put them in the same way.

[crashnburn]

That sounds like a great idea. I will have to try that. Thanks !

[lenny]

Ok,
So how where you trying do it than ?
That is why I use some heat just flex the metal a bit and loosen it up,
Also add some lube when pressing out and in.

[properchopper]

get (or make) a drift/punch & gently tap them out

DSC04428.JPG DSC04430.JPG

[crashnburn]

Ok,
So how where you trying do it than ?
That is why I use some heat just flex the metal a bit and loosen it up,
Also add some lube when pressing out and in.

Read the 3rd post down. Heating the strut did not work, and it was plenty hot enough. Little sucker just did not want to come out !

[lenny]

Yes heat,
But than you need to push or press it out with something.

[grsboats]

Just do what Properchoper/siberian said ...... do not heat the chinese strut with a torch if you don't want to melt it.Gill

[crashnburn]

I will give it a try. Thanks everyone for the input.

[bob_t]

On this topic ... the PB struts have notoriously bad bearings, but they have a short one in front, and a short one in the rear, and nothing in the middle. I got lucky getting one out with heat and a drill bit ... Any better techniques for those? A drift won't work because of the front and rear bearings ... the diameter of the strut bore is smaller in the mid section, so that the two short ones bottom out, respectively, on the fwd and aft lip of the smaller diameter mid section. Trusting "luck" is not a good long term plan

[crashnburn]

Would a bit of heat and maybe an 'easy-out', (the ones used to remove broken studs/bolts in the automotive industry), work in that case ? Screw the easy-out in till it just bites into the bearing, then clamp the easy-out in a vise and pull ???