Strut bushes

[robbo1]

In need of opinions. Doing some maintenance on my catamaran strut by inserting some new octura Teflon bushes. The bushes I pressed out only went about halfway up into the strut, question is, do I completely line the strut from front to back with the new bushes or only put enough bushes to fill half the strut, as it was originally?

[Fluid]

Normally, you put one bushing at each end of the strut.


.

[robbo1]

So one bush either end of the strut, which would leave a void of about 27mm in the middle of the strut, is that ok?

Next question is I have pushed one of the bushes in but then back out as the flex cable and the shaft would not go through the bush as it was very tight. My internal diameter of the strut must be just under a 1/4 inch (outside diameter of Teflon bush is 1/4). Would you recommend drilling out the strut with a 1/4 inch drill bit?

[srislash]

So one bush either end of the strut, which would leave a void of about 27mm in the middle of the strut, is that ok?

Next question is I have pushed one of the bushes in but then back out as the flex cable and the shaft would not go through the bush as it was very tight. My internal diameter of the strut must be just under a 1/4 inch (outside diameter of Teflon bush is 1/4). Would you recommend drilling out the strut with a 1/4 inch drill bit?

#1: the bushings should ride on the prop shaft and not the flex cable so if the bushings fit on the prop shaft with 27mm between them then you are good.
#2: it sounds like perhaps your strut is a TFL or one of the ‘knock offs’ and therefore being metric bore. Carefully drilling or getting proper fitting bushings would be the option

[robbo1]

Ok thanks. It was a strut for a genesis upgrade from rc boat bits in Australia with a skeg on it ( skeg was cut off few years back). So drilling is about my only option as the replacement bushes that will fit look like some sort of copper material and that is also what I pressed out. I want to run Teflon bush as that’s what I would prefer. So carefully drilling is what shall be.

[robbo1]

Would drill press be best to drill the strut?

[robbo1]

Would drill press be best to drill the strut?

Just an update.... I drilled the strut front and back only enough for the length of the bushes (which was about 9.5mm) plus some at the front of the strut to allow for insertion of the stuffing tube, with a cordless drill… turned out well.

[MarkF]

Since you only drilled out enough for 1 bushing deep, how do you expect to get them out when you need too?

[robbo1]

Lol exactly what I thought once I had pressed the bushes in. I will cross that street once I get to it.

[MarkF]

It's simple, just drill it out all the way through bushings and all. Lol