[Tiara Open] Strut damage on 31 Tiara Open

[esf]

Was operating my 1996 Tiara 31 Open at about 2900 RPM (18-19 MPH)  and struck an underwater object (assuming tree trunk but never saw it) on the port engine drive.   Got vibration on the port engine when running over about 1400 RMP so returned to the dock and pulled the boat.   Found some small bends in the prop blades (4 prop blade) but he shaft did not look too bad. Pulled it to have it checked and had a very difficult time getting the shaft out of the cutlass Bearing in the strut.  It looks as if the pass through on the strut has been damaged and may not be true. Has anyone every experienced damage to the strut.  I would have thought if the shaft was bent once we disconnected from the transmission it would have "easily" slid through the strut housing and bearing.  I should note the undamaged side turned relatively easy while the damaged side was very difficult to rotate even after the shaft was disconnected from the transmission.   Appreciate your experience with this.

[reeltimebrad]

Pretty hard to damage the bore on a strut but not impossible. If there's any accumulation of growth on the shaft it will not pass through a cutlass bearing easily unless the bearing is already worn out. Did you clean the shaft before trying to remove it?

[Lucky Dog 33]

They stick sometimes. You need to make sure the shaft is completely clean. I like to use Emory cloth and give it a good “shoe shine”. You may have to tap it out from the bilge. Make sure to use a block of wood.

You can check the angle of your strut with an angle finder. Compare the 2 struts. Should be close to 90deg. I think both my old 2700 and now 3300 are 89deg. There’s a digital angle finder app you can use too which is pretty accurate.

[esf]

Thanks for the feedback. The shaft was bent (so had that straightened) and was not as clean as it could have been so i suppose that made the removal more difficult. I will check out the digital angle finder app.

Update: Strut was bent (looked bent but it was clear when the shaft was reinserted and missed the hole through the hull by over an inch) so plan to use heat and gentle pressure to realign. Cutlass bearing came out relatively easy and the new one went in easy as well. Bore on strut was good - no damage. Hope to get strut straightened tomorrow (Wednesday) and all put back together on Thursday. Replacing water seals as well while everything is apart. Back in the water on Friday and final alignment Saturday (if all goes as planned).