Cutlass bearing finder
Pick your shaft diameter and housing bore — see every matching Exalto bearing across phenolic, brass, GRP and all-rubber shells, imperial and metric. Found it? Send it straight to us as an enquiry.
Find your bearing
Three measurements identify any cutlass bearing: shaft diameter, outside diameter (the housing bore) and length. Start with the shaft.
213Exalto bearings available — imperial shafts 3/4″ to 4″, metric 20 to 100 mm, in phenolic, brass, GRP and all-rubber flanged shells.
Finder FAQs
How are cutlass bearing sizes written?
Always shaft diameter × outside diameter × length — a 1" × 1-1/2" × 4" bearing fits a 1-inch shaft in a housing bored to 1-1/2 inches and is 4 inches long. Exalto's codes encode the same: I/M/MI prefix for imperial, metric, or metric-shaft-in-imperial-housing; P/R/B/G for phenolic, rubber, brass or GRP; then the size (imperial sizes count the shaft in eighths of an inch, so IPSF12 is a 1-1/2" shaft).
My shaft is metric but the housing is imperial — is that normal?
Common enough that Exalto makes a whole series for it (the MI codes): European-built boats refitted with imperial sterngear, or vice versa, often end up with a 25, 30 or 40 mm shaft running in a 1-1/2", 1-3/4" or 2-1/8" housing. Use the Metric × Imperial tab in the finder. The traps to avoid: 1" (25.4 mm) is not 25 mm, and 1-1/2" (38.1 mm) is not 40 mm — measure, never assume.
What if my size isn't listed?
Exalto machines specials to order — non-standard outside diameters, undersize bores, flanged versions, keyways and custom lengths — and can re-line worn shells. Send the enquiry with your three measurements and we'll quote the special. If your housing is worn slightly oversize, a brass-shelled bearing machined to suit is often the cleanest fix.
Do the published sizes allow for clearance and press fit?
Yes — that's the part people overthink. The bore is machined to give the correct running clearance on the nominal shaft, and the OD carries the right interference for an H7 housing bore. Order the nominal size that matches your measurements; never add your own allowances. Phenolic bearings are deliberately machined a little looser in the bore because the resin swells slightly once wet.