The old shaft was pretty bent so it made it a little harder to tell if the strut was out of alignment too.

Upon installing the new shaft, it is much more clear that the strut is out of alignment. The new shaft is contacting the port side of the shaft log. It does look like it has clearance and is not touching the bottom of the shaft log. I'm assuming I would need to add a washer to the stern - starboard bolt between the strut and the hull.

Admittedly, I know little about washers/bolt measurements. I understand from reading here, that I need one that is ideally no more than 0.05" thick. I know the diameter of the hole in the washer needs to be large enough for the bolt to pass through but is there a certain size diameter washer that is ideal? 

How much 5200 do I put on the base of the strut - cover the whole thing? Thanks for any other thoughts/tips.

Brian

Looking at the picture, it looks like you most likely won't need washers/shimming. There's a good chance there's enough play in the bolt holes to move the strut. Get the strut off, clean it and the hull up and then do a dry fit. Do put the forward end of the shaft on some blocking to support it in the shaft "happy spot" in the cutlass. 

Go 4200 and bed the whole base of the strut. 

I'll start there removal/cleaning with a dry fit and go 4200 if it doesn't need any washers. Will support forward end of shaft when testing to find that happy spot with the cutlass.

A sharp chisel will get most of it off. Then the best for the strut base is a wire wheel in a bench grinder A wire wheel in a drill for the hull and then the strut if you don't have a bench grinder. 

Thanks for helping me get started!

I used 5200 since that is what Nautique used.  It is harder, not sure it it is stronger but I think it is.   4200 is easier to work with and not as hard to remove if you ever do this job again.  Your choice on that one.

Finding the shaft happy place is not hard.  You start at the strut and set the angle so it points direct at the center of your output shaft on the tranny.  You will have to lift the shaft so the weight of the shaft does not make it sag and drag.  Many use a short piece of 2x4 for this, about 3-4" long, cant remember.  I cut mine to fit  and added a V cut in the top to set the shaft in.   The floor is sloped so as you slide the 2x4 forward and back you can align it to the engine.  Most important at this point is that the shaft has the least amount of drag in the log.  If you lift or lower drag will increase.  Go left or right, drag will increase.  The spot with the least drag means the shaft is going straight as it passes through the strut.  If it is crooked it drags.   Properly aligned you have the least amount of drag.  Should be able to easily spin your prop with one finger properly aligned.  ( and the log lubricated, spray some WD 40 or a soapy water mix in there so you lower the drag)

It does take time but is not hard.  Good Luck

I used a Automotive gasket scraper to remove all the old 5200 from the strut mount area, with a rubber mallet it comes right off quick and as Pete suggested a wire wheel on a grinder to clean up the strut.  

On install just use plenty of the 5200 or 4200, once it is seated and tight just take a scraper and remove the excess quickly before it sets up fully.  Work quickly as it sets up pretty fast.

Good Luck

Edit:  if you do add washers you will need more of the 4200 or 5200 to fill the gap and seal it properly against leaks so use plenty.  I had 3 washers at the rear of mine to make it right, once the 5200 hardens you are golden, it is glued in place and sealed against leaks. It won't move again till some poor sap bends another shaft and has to peel it off.   We hope that never happens again.

Mark

I'll probably take the strut off and clean it up and do some test fitting and see if I need to add any washers. Will use plenty of 4200 or 5200 if I do end up adding the washer(s).

Thank you!

I would recommend that you have the engine mounts prepped with a 50/50 solution of acetone and ATF. You want the mounts to move freely.  Make sure that the adjustable nuts are ready to be turned.  The up / down movements with the nuts makes vertical adjustment easier in fine increments.  The left / right movements can be a bit more of a challenge.  I've used a big pry-bar on one side...then a tap or 2 on the opposite side with a small sledge hammer often helps the side-to-side movement.  

JQ

Got some 4200 today and now I just need to go hunt for some flat washers. Planning on going to the hardware store and getting an assortment to make it more likely that I get the right size. Got in a hurry with the fam while leaving the lake and didn't measure the bolts before coming back home. I'm assuming I should go with stainless steel ones. 

After the strut is off and cleaned up and the hull too, any tips/tricks for checking alignment of the strut when dry fitting or trying different washers? Assuming the shaft will have to come out again for strut removal then go back in when checking strut alignment and support it with wood block in front of shaft log. My new driveshaft was sort of a beast to get pushed through the new cutlass bearings. Maybe needed to lubricate them more.

Squirt some water with dish soap onto the drive shaft and let it lube up the strut bearings.  The shaft really should turn by hand -- if not, something is wrong.

JQ

+1

stainless set screws with LocTite

I'd be taking the set screws out and with the shaft out of the strut, checking to see if you bulged out the cutlass bearing just a tiny bit with the set screw tightening. Just enough for example to make the shaft hard to insert and hard to turn.

Yes, thank you! Will do that. I wondered that as I got to thinking about the extra resistance I encountered when putting the shaft in. Will also recheck my installation on the cutlass to see if I see or feel any abnormalities inside.

I'll put that on my list to pick up when I go washer shopping.

Getting the popcorn ready 🍿

Got the strut off and in the process of cleaning it up and the hull. I got some stainless washers in case I need to add any and some 4200.

Thought of 2 questions...

1. Do I put any 4200 on the bolts themselves that go through the hull and hold the strut or just count on the good bit of 4200 that I put on the base of the strut to work its way in there when I tighten them back up

2. I made a mistake and tightened the set screws on the strut too much and I think that was causing my drive shaft installation difficulty. With the set screws out, it move easily and without much effort. I can see a very slight inconsistency in the cutlass rubber where the set screws were. Does this mean that I need to take out the new cutlass bearings I installed an replace them?

If so that's okay. I'm willing to eat the $70 - 80 to replace the new ones I messed up with newer ones 

2......spend the money on something else.     no need to remove what's there, tighten the set screws less and if you're worried about them falling out a little loctite will help. I'd go with some medium strength stuff.

Perfect. Thank you!

Yeah, the shaft spins easily without the set screws now and I got some medium strength loc tite when I bought my stainless steel washers.

2 washers (1 on each of the right side bolts between strut and hull) puts it pretty close to center in the log.

Off to smear a bunch of 4200 on the strut base and a little on the bolts and get it set up.

I did notice water coming in the bilge but not from and expected area, unfortunately. Pic below. There's a leak in the starboard side of the bilge - 4-5 inches from the shaft log. I don't see any obvious areas on the hull below. Any ideas about what it is or the process to fix it? Water is seeping through where you can see a chip out in the pic and running down toward the shaft log.

I also noticed from that picture that a steering cable that I had the local marina replace is incorrect - based off of the part number on it - Seastar cable SSC6217 - a 17 foot cable from what I can tell and not the 17.5 foot one I need from Nautique. I'm assuming that would explain why I can turn very aggressively to starboard but much less maneuverable to port? Going to try and have a chat with them and see if they can replace or work with me to sort something out. 

Since you have the "not exactly optimum cable" in there now, you can adjust your steering throw to be equal in both directions by loosening the clamp block and moving the guide tube to give you less steering angle to starboard and more to port, tighten things up and then take the boat for a ride.

You'd have to shorten the guide tube to the same length as a 70's tube for this to work and use the full travel of the cable you have right now. The long tube and short throw cable you have right now limits things a bunch.

With the shorter tube and the short throw cable, it won't turn quite as sharp at low speeds, but it's plenty drivable.

You may like it, or you may decide to go for the longer throw high buck cable, but if you shorten the tube and don't like it,...... well you're screwed   and need a new tube for the longer original cable

Easiest solution is to pay more money and get the CC "special" cable

Thank you! I'm thinking I'll probably just go with the Nautique cable. They mentioned putting in an adapter for the current cable when they installed it a while ago, which should have tipped me off but I didn't know as much then. I'm assuming that I can just remove that from the steering head and plug/thread the Nautique cable in without it?

Also, what is involved in shortening the tube? Cut with hacksaw or cutting wheel and how much? I've pictured how they had it installed below...looks like they have it as far to the stern as it'll go. 

Now to figure out how water is getting through in the bilge - maybe some delamination or water leakage from beneath near the shaft log?

You'll see a picture of the long and short tubes in the link below on page 24.

Short one is 10.5 inches and long one is 13 inches (see page 23 of the same link)

Hacksaw or angle grinder works fine.

Water could have found it's way there through the leaking rudder port which has a wood reinforcement that maybe is delaminating some.

No you'll still need the adapter, the helm was changed a long time ago to a different style connection- all the newer cables are of that connection. The adapter lets the new cable connect to the old style helm

Thank you for the pics/link!  

I'll take a look at the rudder port next time I'm at the lake. I did see some drips from the port itself - assuming packing needs to be changed so I'll tackle that at some point but haven't inspected much else around it - didn't see anything visually obvious, but will inspect more.

That spot that is chipped in the bilge (see pic) just oozes water from it (when in the water) and is just 4-5 inches to the starboard side - about inline with the middle of the shaft log. I suppose it could leak underneath all of the wood reinforcement from the rudder port and then find it's way out there.

Ah, okay. Good to know. Thank you! I'll hold on to the adapter. So, hopefully just a cable swap, an expensive one  

I don't feel you will find any wood at the log. Logs  are typically placed inside the hull and then glassed over to bond them to the hull. I suspect there's some disbonding of the glass over the top of the log and that's where the water is seeping in/out. Chip some of the decorative gel off the bilge at the leak to get a better idea.

The rudder port isn't terribly far from the dripping spot and the water could be migrating from there under the gel coat.

But if the port is sealed good now, it's probably not too likely. I'd probably agree with Pete about the shaft log 

Thanks, Pete! Will chip away a bit at the leak and see what I can find out.

Thank you! I will try and investigate further here too (at/around the rudder port). I'm sure the sealant around the hull/rudder port is the same old stuff I removed from my strut, although I don't remember seeing any obvious water coming in there except for the slowly leaking rudder packing. I still have a tube of 4200 and assume that it wouldn't hurt to pull the whole rudder port out, repack and clean it up and re-bed it with 4200 and reinstall.