Running in gear out of water??

Wheeler Dealer wrote: Thanks again for the info. Now the question is...when I put her in the water this week, how will I know if the cutlas bearing is bad or good? John

John,
Check for radial play between the prop shaft and the cutlass. If the alignment is good and the cutlass good then there will be very little to no play. If it's somthing around .020" then it's time for a new cutlass.

Did you check your alignmentyet? This is important! It's been in the barn all these years and should be done before it goes in the water. Then again after some water use.

Your probably right,like I said I never put it in gear,just theory that a supply of hose water might support it for a brief run. I know the first time I ran it on the engine flusher it let out a squeel. I immediatly shut it down till I figured out the source. Since, I always wet it before I hook up the flusher and it has remained silent. I believe this has saved my cutlass bearing during its nuetral freewheeling.Thank goodness I am finally at a point where I can run it in a lake. Since I don't really know I should probably keep my nose out of it, but how else would I learn terms like "dirty Idle"

Mine likes to freewheel a little in nuetral till it warms up on the trailer, I always hose down the cutless bearing before connecting the engine flusher and it seems to do the trick, but I do not put it in gear. Experience says it could work briefly??????

You're funny! And right! It makes a nice crisp sound ripping down the lake...hard to describe the difference between now and then. The wine glass is still on the dash.

I meant the search feature is not what I'm used to.

It's giving me fits Pete!    

John,
I'm just getting used to the new search feature so it took me awhile to find it but here it is: http://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6037&KW=shaft+alignment&PID=58708&title=span-classhighlightalignment-span#58708

Wheeler Dealer wrote: I just bought this boat and have been working on tuneing it up. I was just wanting to make sure the shaft turned straight. John

Your visually looking for shaft run out really isn't the best method unless your eyes are better than mine!!! A dial indicator clamped to the strut will tell the truth. You will want to check in the middle of the shaft which will tell you straightness from the strut forward and then on the tail end of the prop taper telling you if the shaft is bent from the strut aft. I'd say anything over .005" is the point to be concerned.

Have you done a engine/prop shaft/strut alignment? It too will tell you if the shaft is bent forward of the strut but not the primary reason. The tail end of the trans can be blown out with bad alignment. Eric did a pictorial thread on how to do the check if you're not familiar with it. I'll do a search and find it for a link for you just in case.

John,
I had a friend spray his cutless bearing with cooking oil for a short dry-test, but I'm with Pat. Don't do it.

BTW, What are you cleaning that you want to put it in gear?

You need to run a hose on the strut bushing while it is running .You also need to be carefull of shaft packing