OK folks, I thought I was doing things the right way and incorporating all of the years of collective wisdom. Wrong! I'm doing a drive train rebuild and with the shaft out it only made sense to replace the strut bearing as well. It didn't seem to need it but doing it with the shaft out seemed a lot easier than with it in and I know for a fact that the bearing is at least 8 years old and probably twice that. I know I have a 1-1/4 shaft and the bearing is pretty thin walled so looking online at the availability of bearings it seemed that the only real option was a 1-1/4 x 1-1/2 x 5 inch bearing. That's 1-1/4 ID and 1-1/2 OD. Basically 1/8 total wall thickness (about 1/16th bronze and 1/16th rubber) Well I took it to the boat before destroying the old bearing and sure enough it looks like the right size. Seems like it will fit just right. I went ahead and destroyed the old bearing getting it out. Compared the now destroyed bearing to the new one and again no indication of any incorrect size. Today I brought the new bearing (fresh from the freezer) to the boat and much to my dismay it slipped right into the strut with no resistance and probably 1/16th of play all the way around. If I had to guess, I would think that it is instead a 1-5/8ths strut not 1-1/2. Ugh! So I looked online and sure enough the only next closest size is 1-3/4. That means 1/4 inch wall thickness (1/8th inch metal, 1/8th rubber).
This is when I recalled someone else on the list having a similar problem a few years ago. I searched the archives and was unable to find the old post. I've been to buck algonquin and a few other sites and Google searches only to find that the bearings jump from 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 with nothing in between. I'm headed back to the boat with a set of calipers but unless it turns out to be a 1-3/4 and my eyes are simply due for calibration, I'm afraid I'm running out of options. I know that the bearings can be turned down but that seems costly and unnecessary. I'd like a better idea. All the best, Josh Muckley S/V Sea Hawk 1989 C&C 37+ Solomons, MD
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