Hobie 18 Mast Bearing

I'm installing a new mast bearing. Am I supposed to tighten the bolt as much as possible, so that the bearing itself doesn't spin? Or leave it looser, so not only will the mast spin on the bearing, but the the bearing will also spin?

Thank you,

-Sam

I did this on my boat earlier this year. The bearing should be able to spin on the mast step. There should be a thin white disc with a hole in it included in the kit. This goes under the semi-spherical top piece. It provides the actual bearing surface. There should also be some extra stainless steel washers included in the kit that you can use to adjust the pressure exerted by the screw. Use as many washers as necessary so the bearing can just spin but isn't sloppy when the screw is fully tightened down (bottomed out). You may have to do a couple dry runs until you get it right. Once you have the washers figured out, pull the screw out, apply loctite, and re-install everything. Let the loctite cure for a few hours before using.

sm

Yes, the bearing should spin freely. As noted by srm... we do offer a kit that includes a Teflon disc for better bearing performance. Note that the older step has a small aluminum sleeve that should allow the screw to bottom out before applying pressure on the bearing. Newer steps use the post itself which protrudes through the step casting and bearing. In any case... you definitely want the screw tensioned down tightly. Additional spacers may be required to keep the bearing freely.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)