Clearance for Prop / Shaft Removal

[Tim April IV]

Well, we bumped a log or something pretty hard over the winter holiday and the diver says we bent the shaft. I was figuring it was going to be a messed up prop, but she says "prop's OK, you bent the shaft".

Yard guy say he needs to know if the prop/shaft can be removed without dropping the rudder.

From what I can see in pictures, there seems like there should be sufficient clearance but I haven't measured anything. I'm still reeling from the rough estimate he ran through.

Can the prop/shaft be removed without dropping the rudder?

Thanks for your help!

[Armin Wachsmuth]

Tim,

You will need to remove the rudder. I had my shaft changed in 2005. Catalina covered the cost of shaft replacement including removal of the rudder.

Armin
Makeway hull 207

[Triumph]

As I mentioned in my email, have a prop place check the prop before you go to the trouble to check the shaft out. A diver can pull the prop with the boat in the water.

Another possible way to get the shaft out is to unbolt the engine, lift it, and pull it into the boat. If you do pull the shaft, change the cutlass bearing to a brass one . Based on my experience and input to the factory, this is now std on the 350. The reason is that the nylon one that's in there now is very difficult to remove. To get mine out, we had to remove the shaft!

[Tim April IV]

Talked to the Florida factory this morning - yes, the rudder does need to be removed in order to remove/replace the shaft on our C350's. (Some models of Catalina's do not require rudder removal - for example the C34).

For reference, the shaft is specified as 41.5 inches long, 1 inch diameter with a 3/4 by 10 thread.