Worn cutlass

Orlando76 wrote: What driving characteristics are noticeable if any of a strut in this condition?

No driving characteristics. You may feel some vibration but that's hard to detect since the wear happens over a long period of time. It's like your brakes wearing down on your vehicle. You don't really notice the brake pedal getting lower and lower.

Don't forget an alignment check when you get the new cutlass installed.

It's a new to me boat. I suspect it was bad alignment to start with. After spending so much time in my 76 and a friends 2000, both of which are buttery smooth, then I jump in this 93 and at low speeds it just doesn't feel right. I'll attempt alignment myself when I get the net cutlass in.

Jonny Quest wrote: The growl during a turn to port was more noticeable than a turn to starboard. New bearing and the growl went away. .

How was the alignment with the hew cutlass?

Jonny Quest wrote: I assume that the alignment was good as the boat ran very smoothly and quietly after the bearing swap-out. JQ

Do NOT assume the alignment is good just because it ran"smoothly and quietly". A misalignment will run smoothly and quietly since the shaft is in a bind snubbing out vibration. In fact, it may be the reason the cutlass was worn and needed replacement?? I've seen cutlass's over run over 20 years without problems. My X55 is an example. It was 25 years old when I put on a new bottom. The cutlass was good but since I was putting on a new bottom and had the strut off, I installed a new cutlass.

8122pbrainard wrote: Jonny Quest wrote: I assume that the alignment was good as the boat ran very smoothly and quietly after the bearing swap-out. JQ Do NOT assume the alignment is good just because it ran"smoothly and quietly"..

I will re-phrase: The local Malibu Dealer (good reputation) replaced the strut bearing. The service included a shaft alignment. My assumption that the "alignment was good" was based on the reputation of the local dealer and the fact that the symptoms of the worn bearing seemed to have been corrected. I did not witness the alignment procedure nor did I pull out my feeler gauges to double-check.

So, to answer the question: "How was the alignment?" No empirical data. Just personal observation that the boat performed well with no apparent strut issues for the following 3 or 4 years that he owned it.

JQ