#559 Stern Tube

[cdawgs65]

My stern tube/shaft tube on my Triton has been fattened up through the years and for me to get the shaft and cutlass out I had to disect it a little. Looking closer at it, it seems that there is a smaller diameter tube inside an outer tube, is this common? Should I get the outer one off saving the inner tube and add another outer tube? Or cut and grind inside and out of the boat, and add a new tube? I have seen a metal shaft tube/brace thats bolted on, on a few other Tritons. I can't tell what it is made of because of the bottom paint. Also, is there a specific length for Triton shaft tubes? Thanks,

[Tim]

The stepped tube is common, if not guaranteed, in Tritons. But you don't need it, per se.

Given the condition of the various Triton stern tubes I have seen, and having dealt with them both by repairing the existing and by cutting out and replacing in kind, I'd suggest that it's better, easier, and nearly as quick to replace the entire stern tube. It's surprisingly straightforward. Here's one way to do it.

You can buy heavy-wall FRP stern tube stock from a wholesaler or boatyard, or use prefab FRP or G-10 tubing from McMaster-Carr. The G-10 is a better choice because it is available with thicker walls, but the regular green FRP tubing will work too.

One advantage of putting in a new tube is that you can use the shaft to perfectly align the tube and Cutless bearing with your actual engine installation when you epoxy the tube in place.

There's not a set length, If you have room inside, it's helpful to have the new tube extend a bit further in than the original, to give you more (and easier to access) room to get a pair of clamps on the aft end of your stuffing box hose. The original setup tends to be really tight.

[cdawgs65]

Thanks for that, it will be this weekends project. Invaluable info. Great photos, I will probably print off the info and tape it to the hull while I'm doing the work! " just kidding"