How do I replace the cutless bearing on a Najad 361?

Replace the cutless bearing on your Najad 361 ashore by removing the propeller, releasing the bearing retainers and extracting the old bearing with a suitable puller or press. First identify the housing and measure the bearing: the model name alone does not establish its dimensions or whether you can replace it with the shaft in place.

Check the bearing housing

With the propeller stationary, lift the shaft immediately beside the bearing and watch the shaft, rubber lining and outer sleeve separately. Movement between the shaft and rubber suggests bearing wear. If the complete sleeve moves inside its housing, the fit or retention needs attention too.

Look for cracked rubber, missing sections, blocked water grooves and uneven wear. Investigate a pronounced knock, but do not use a universal replacement clearance. Compare the measured movement with the bearing manufacturer's limit for your shaft diameter.

Clean paint and antifouling from the housing and locate any grub screws, locking screws or other retainers. Establish whether the bearing sits in a fixed stern-tube housing or a removable carrier. Check for an internal shoulder before deciding which way the bearing can come out.

Do not assume another Scandinavian yacht has the same arrangement. The procedure of releasing two Allen screws, then twisting and pulling, used on certain later Hallberg-Rassys is not an established Najad 361 procedure.

Measure before dismantling

Order by shaft diameter, bearing outside diameter and bearing length, specifying the sleeve material and retention method too. Measure a clean, unworn section of shaft with a micrometer. Obtain the outside diameter from the exposed sleeve, reliable installation records or the removed bearing.

Metric and imperial bearings can look almost identical. A 30 mm shaft and a 1¼-inch shaft require different bearings: 1¼ inches is 31.75 mm. These are examples, not confirmed Najad 361 dimensions.

Before dismantling, establish:

• Whether an extractor can fit around the shaft and bear squarely against the sleeve.
• Whether the shaft must come out to reach the bearing's forward end.
• Whether the rudder obstructs shaft withdrawal.
• Whether a removable carrier has a shoulder that prevents pressing straight through.

Have the correct propeller puller, shaft supports and replacement locking parts ready. Isolate the engine starting circuit and work only beneath a boat securely supported by the yard.

Extract the old bearing

1. Photograph the propeller nut, locking arrangement, spacers and anode positions. Remove them as appropriate, then release the propeller with the correct puller. Follow the dismantling instructions for folding and feathering propellers.
2. Support the shaft independently before removing its bearing support or disconnecting the coupling. Letting it hang can damage the shaft seal or gearbox output components.
3. Remove all bearing retainers completely. Check for concealed or stacked grub screws.
4. If access permits, use a purpose-made extractor with a pusher that contacts the outer sleeve and a receiver that clears the housing. Apply steady pressure, keeping the extractor square.
5. If the shaft must come out, disconnect the coupling and remove its shaft half with the appropriate extractor. Protect or release the shaft seal before withdrawing the shaft.