props ,shaft and strut for 1985 bertram 28

[Happy Joe]

Well we all make mistakes some a little bigger than others
Need some advise.
need new 1.1/4 shaft and new props 17 x 17 & plus strut what size model ?
What size shafts can I upgrade to without having to change stuffing box would t be advisable I have 1/1/4 now
prop choice / since my two are shot I had 3 blade 17 x 17 cupped seemed great specs said my boat came with 17 x 19 federal equipoise
Since boats out of action I may as well get the larger bertram 31 rudders how easy is it to do ?
Happy Joe

[Charlie J]

joe
I believe you can step up to 1 3/8 shafts with out to much trouble
you would have to change out the cutless bearing on the struts
don't hold me to this
as far as the rudders are concerned maybe bruce can chime in
don't know if they are still available

[Tony Meola]

Joe

I believe Bruce posted Bobby Soles number some place on the board.

If you do a search for Bobby Soles you should find his contact info for the rudder.

They are easy to install, the issue is, do you need to rebuild your rudder shelf. You probably will if it has never been touched.

[Happy Joe]

Many Thanks
Will look him up.
As she is out of the water may as well take advantage of getting the larger rudders
On the struts for the 28 are they much different on the 31 ?
I have the 1 1/4 shafts by 62 1/2 long
May look at the steering as well
I have 260 Merc- Cruisers I understand that you can do an upgrade to stroker package with same block
I assume I could use the same 17 x 17 props
My bertram log had it delivered with 17 x19
Thanks
John

[Tony Meola]

Depending on the year and strut used, some can be bored out for a larger shaft. As an example, I went from 13/8 shaft to 1 1/2 by boring out the strut and using a thin walled bearing. I know done guys had to buy new struts.

One other thing, my friend upgraded the rudders on his 28 and lves them. But be forwarded in order to get the props off you need to drop the rudders.

Not sure if there is a way around that issue.

As for the props, they should still work. You may need to change the pitch or add cup, depending on what that stroker package does as far as changing RPM and irvalter the torque curve.

So you may need to experiment.

[Happy Joe]

I understand that the new rudders seem to be well received most say they should have done it long time ago ?
Surprised no one has but jet drives in with joy sticks
Happy Joe is an 1985 flybridge with 260 mercs and the larger gas tank 246 gallons
Nows the time a guess to bite the bullet and do the larger rudders $ is high tide marine the only one with replacements ?
Thought I noticed a post with someone else who has them ?

Thanks
John

[MarkD]

Happy Joe:

Just be aware of the engine height if you decide to go with the strokers. I believe they might have higher intake manifolds and in some models, they don't fit under the hatches.

[Yannis]

John,

I know that the bigger rudders are an improvement in the 31, or so say all those who changed them.
No one, up to now, has mentioned the stock rudders of the 28 being a problem, although few may have chamged them.
Why dont you go these few last weeks of the season with the old ones to test for yourself first?
If manoeuvering the boat on one engine is what you might need the rudders for, I can do a check on mine and post the results.

[Tony Meola]

John,

I know that the bigger rudders are an improvement in the 31, or so say all those who changed them.
No one, up to now, has mentioned the stock rudders of the 28 being a problem, although few may have chamged them.
Why dont you go these few last weeks of the season with the old ones to test for yourself first?
If manoeuvering the boat on one engine is what you might need the rudders for, I can do a check on mine and post the results.

Yannis

My friend swears by the larger rudders on his 28. He can now run her on one engine if needed and she will turn.

[Kevin]

I put larger rudders on my 28 but did so when I first bought it in 2005. The stock rudders are rather small and close quarters battle with one engine might be challenging.
With the oversized rudders I can pull my props off but I suspect not all clearances are the same boat to boat.
My struts don't look like they have enough meat to bore so you might need to evaluate your options there.
As for shafts I have 1 1/8 and have been turning them with diesels for 11 years at just under 1000 hours. I don't know the material of my shafts.

[Bill Fuller]

Happy Joe,

I ran my 1975 28 flybridge cruiser for 10 years with the original small rudders, and Mercruiser 260s.
I have run the last 17 years with over-size rudders and diesels. I have one comment:
CHANGE THE RUDDERS!
My experience includes about 3,000 hours on the small rudders and 5,500 hours on the big ones.
With the small rudders it is impossible to hold a straight line at idle speed on one motor. You need about 10 knots to just barely hold a straight line.
If you ever need to come back on one engine you will get the idea real quick. And when you get close to any docks or slow speed zones you will absolutely have to have help.
With the big rudders, boat maneuvers nicely on one engine. You can slow troll baits and the auto pilot will even hold the coarse.

So, I would suggest that the change is well worth while.

Tony Athens built mine when I repowered (Seaboard Marine)

Also, In the early boats, in order to put the more modern 350 cu. in. (5.7 liter) motors into a B28, the engine boxes needed to be raised about 4 inches.
That being said, as I under stand it, there are a lot of different configurations of engine boxes on these boat. Yours may already have enough height, but it is something you need to check, so you don't get a big surprise after installing the new motors.

Another FYI, 17 inch pitch is a lot for your configuration. What sort of WOT RPM do you get under full load? I have seen several boats, mine included, have a dramatic increase in performance by decreasing pitch an inch or two. I ran 17x15s with really good results.

They are great boats and after 27 years and a lot of hours, I still love mine.

Bill

[Happy Joe]

Hi Everyone
Well its Happy Joe again
Thank You all for the support
Did get the Insurance company going on the boat verdict is not out yet
But new shaft ,strut and two props
May have to check the star shaft
Both rudders seemed to get out alive !
starboard shaft seem to turn no problem
the bent strut on port side
I am getting some response to having to much pitch on Happy Joe
Its a 1985 with the larger 240 gallon tank trim tabs full dive platform and 26 gallons water
My father purchased the boat from Stu Rouche at Norwood marine in Boston
The spec sheet shows 17 x 19 we cut back to 17 x17 with better performance
I may try 17 x16 cupped or one member said go with 17 x15
Do we know anyone other than High tide marine who has 28 stuts ?
I am on a tight budget like many

[Tony Meola]

Try Buck Algonquin. You need to maintain the shaft angle otherwise you have to change the height of the engines. If you can flatten out the angle a little and lower the engine you pick up some efficiency but it also means rebuilding the shaft log.

[Bill Fuller]

Just on the off chance that there might still be some setting around at Seaboard Marine, give them a call.
Mine were removed and in good condition but that was 17 years ago.
I believe they were dismantling a B28 a while back.
Any way, give them a call and see what happens.
Tony is not there right now so I would ask for Corey.
Worth a try.
Just an FYI on the prop pitch. Assuming you have 1.5 to 1 gears and I did the math correctly (always a question) with 19 inch pitch your theoretical speed at WOT of 4200 RPM is just under 40 knots. I doubt you have the HP to obtain 4200. Theoretical for 15 inch pitch is 35 knots.
Bill