Speedmaster Sport 20 hydro strut

[Old School]

I have ordered one of these for a later style hydro project and assumed that the images were incorrect and that the mount brackets were incorrectly installed, facing aft. however, a chance viewing of an image of an older style hydro showed the strut fitted inside the hull and not mounted aft of the transom. I could not see a wet cell on the hull but assume that to be able to adjust the strut there must have been some form of chamber to prevent water entering the rest of the hull.

I preferred this strut over the shorter type 21 hydro strut as it is slightly longer allowing a little more of the stuffing tube inside the front of the strut tube. Are the images incorrect and the mount brackets should be at the forward end of the strut tube, please?

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pr...d=ros-spds-005

[MarkF]

The picture is backwards.

Mark

[Old School]

Many thanks, much relieved.

[martin]

Yep, just move the mounting bracket 180 degrees.

[Old School]

Many thanks

[rol243]

no leave the mounting bracket and just turn the strut around 180. lol.

[dmitry100]

What is the purpose of the flat bottoms vs the round struts?

[hughb]

The flat bottom is used on hydros to encourage lift

[Old School]

A further question on this strut. As designed it is intended to take a 1/4" stuffing tube. This infers that no teflon liner is used. I am still a little recalcitrant when it comes to removing a liner on a stuffing tube, so is it possible just to use a very short length of 1/4" tube in the forward end of the strut tube just to provide a short lip extending forward of the tube and then place a 9/32" stuffing tube over this, allowing a teflon liner to still be used?

[MarkF]

Just stop the tube 1/4" short of the strut and shove the liner in the strut as far as it will go. You don't need the brass to go into the strut. That's what i do on my boats.

Mark

[CraigP]

A further question on this strut. As designed it is intended to take a 1/4" stuffing tube. This infers that no teflon liner is used. I am still a little recalcitrant when it comes to removing a liner on a stuffing tube, so is it possible just to use a very short length of 1/4" tube in the forward end of the strut tube just to provide a short lip extending forward of the tube and then place a 9/32" stuffing tube over this, allowing a teflon liner to still be used?

I have done exactly what you described to run a liner on a 3/16” flex shaft. If you are using a floating strut bushing in the strut, then you will want to extend that 1/4” tube almost thru the strut, stopping about 1/4” from the back. That’s where the nailhead on the bushing will ride... The small, longer diameter of the bushing goes into the 1/4” tube. This is for a 3/16” prop shaft...

[Old School]

Many thanks gentlemen

[785boats]

Old school.
Although a lot of people do as Craig described & run the stuffing tube through the strut, I find that it severely limits the amount of angle adjustment available for the strut.

I prefer to do as you first described. Just a short piece of 1/4" tube soldered into the 9/32" stuffing tube. Then a piece of 1/4" tube pressed into the strut, for the floating bush, stopping just short of the stuffing tube piece. That allows for the strut angle to easily be altered.
But as Craig also stated, stopping short of the rear of the strut to allow for the "nailhead" of the bushing.

Mark.
I find that just the teflon tube supporting the stuffing tube in a Hydro causes too much vibration because it is not solid enough where the tube meets the strut.
It is fine in a mono or a cat where the stuffing tube is fixed solidly to the transom where the strut or stinger is attached though.

[Old School]

Many thanks

[MarkF]

You have no adjustment with the brass entering the strut. If you want to be able to adjust your strut, and I think most of you do, then you can't have the brass going through the strut. You do need a teflon liner entering the strut though and not just the cable. Most stop the brass a 1/2 to 1 " from the strut and let the teflon go all the way until it hits the bushing. So you have a cable that's only supported by teflon for maybe a 1/2 " or so before entering the strut. There's no way that can vibrate unless your doing something wrong.

Mark