Rudder bearing play on H356 2002yr

[Tipsynippertoo]

Hi,
I am trying to find out whether I have a problem or not!
Trawling the previous posts on rudder bearing play still has not given me what I need:
How much play should I have measured at the bottom of the rudder? All the posts I have read do not state where the maximum play is measured. ( "Rudder comes from factory with 3/16 play and will wear a little more".......lifted from a previous post )
I reckon I have about 1" of movement in all horizontal directions at the base of the rudder measured when the boat is out of the water.
Any info' gratefully received.
Neil

 

[Rich Stidger]

Yikes! 1" of play? Then I re-read and saw that you measured at the bottom of the rudder. I can't say if that is excessive or not, but early in the life of my h40.5 (about 4-5 years old) I noticed about 3/32-1/8" of play in all directions where the rudder post exits the hull. I never measured at the bottom of the rudder.
I was at Tidewater Marine at the head of the Chesapeake and they are a prominent Hunter dealer. I spoke to their service people and they looked at it and told me I had nothing to worry about. They told me that some boats have more and some less of the play that I was seeing. Anyway, looking for a second opinion, I called Hunter and spoke to Eddie Breen at length. He assured me exactly the same as the dealer. He recommended to recheck it each year at haul-out and pay attention if the movement increases. I asked about the potential wear on the lower rudder post bearing and he told me they have a design life of 50 years.
So for the past 15 years I have done exactly that. Result: the play has not increased. I don't detect any abnormality in the steering. It is just the way it is. We just ended our 20th sailing season covering over 16,000 miles in total.
BTW, I walked around and checked other hunters in the yard. The amount of play was either about like mine or less.

 

[Terry Cox]

How much play should I have measured at the bottom of the rudder?

Hi Neil, rudders come in differne sizes, so not sure the bottom would be the best place to measure. Our boat is a bit different than yours, but I would suspect the information contained in the article linked below should be close. Rudder post play should be measured between the post and lower bearing.

Short of replacing the bearing, a marine surveyor offered a solution to reduce play by inserting a piece of teflon sheet cut to wrap the post thus reducing play. You would need to drop the rudder enough to install the teflon sheet done while the boat is on the hard. I've never had a need to do this, but offer it as a suggestion.

https://hunter.sailboatowners.com/mods.php?task=article&mid=45&aid=6617&mn=42

 

[Rich Stidger]

Terry- Good info, and directly from Hunter.
Thanks.

 

[Terry Cox]

Terry- Good info, and directly from Hunter.
Thanks.

Most welcome, Rich.

 

[Hunter Ad Bot]

And now a word from the sponsor...

Hunter faucets and parts

Replacement fixtures, hoses, sprayers, washers, and more.
See the product

 

[Tipsynippertoo]

Thank you Gents, so from what I am reading the play is lateral play measured at the bearing. I don't think I have a problem in that case.
Great forum, so nice to get support from other owners.
Sounds like you are having a ball Rich.....I would like to "cast off", but haven't got there yet! 3yrs to go to 60 & early retirement...unless I bale out sooner! Still not sure a 356 is big enough to live aboard....but it is a bilge keeler, so I can enjoy more shallow waters.
Neil

 

[Terry Cox]

Still not sure a 356 is big enough to live aboard.

Hi Neil, no live aboard here, but our boat is certainly suited for it. Two and half months is the longest we've spent on board during our extended cruises. One couple here have cruised their Dana 24 for years all over the Pacific ocean. Seems small by my standard, but they make it work.

 

[Dan_Y]

Look closely at the amount of play at the top of the rudder post (best to remove the cockpit floor panel-that would also be a good time to inspect and lube the drag link bearings). There should not be much, if any side to side or forward/aft play. If there is, the top bearing could have become loose. About 5 years ago Eddie Breeden told me the reason that the top of my '91 h30 rudder post was moving around about 3/4 inch was because the rudder probably hit something and the upper bearing was designed to pop up out of the rudder log a little to take the shock and save the rudder/post. The lower bearing had almost no play. My upper bearing was loose inside the rudder log as he predicted. Looked like a donut. I think its more like a sleeve in the larger boats like yours, so probably isn't made to pop out. Eddie sent me the drawings back then for several bearing designs.
Update: Here are the rudder bearing drawings for hunter models up to 2003. 356 is not on the list, but would think they would be similar.

 

[Tipsynippertoo]

Thank you Dan for the info'......I would appreciate the drawings.
Neil

 

[JimInPB]

My experience with rudder post bearing clearance is that the right amount sort of depends. You want it tight enough so that things aren't flopping around, but loose enough so that marine growth does not jam things up. If you are in an area where marine growth happens quickly & you don't use the boat often, then a bit of extra clearance can be your friend. On the flip side, I had a friend's 35' Benny out in a bit of a blow one day & when I leaned on the wheel a little, the post moved over a bit too far, & the rudder cable fell off of the other side of the shiv. That was an uncomfortable experience that I don't wish to repeat.