O'Day 272 Gudgeon

[cbourne200]

5 yrs ago when I was considering purchasing an '87 O'Day 272, the most often complaint I read was that the lower gudgeon was prone to failure. I purchased the boat and immediately purchased a set of gudgeons.

With the boat in the yard this week getting a new bottom, I decided to check/replace the gudgeons. Top one was OK, but lower had a visible crack. Luckily both had 3 bolts holding them on.

Here's pics of lower gudgeon. First pic doesn't look too bad, but you can see in 2nd that ears were completely broken off.

 

[jibes138]

I assume that is mounted so the three bolts are horizontal. Looks like the stress from the rudder forces coupled with corrosion caused the fracture. I'm guessing that the fracture initiation site was under the washers that were under the bolt heads? It looks like both fractures went under the very edge of each washer. You might have a bad grade of stainless or the design might just not have an adequate safety factor where some stress corrosion would be allowed for? Also if the material wasn't passivated after it was manufactured it will make it prone to corroding. They look like they were stamped out and then the two ears bent 90 degrees to the body. I'd suggest getting a reputable machine shop to make you a new set with thicker cross section of 316 grade stainless followed by passivation or use titanium if they have a few little blocks laying around. Should be very easy to make these on a milling machine and I don't think you'd notice if the tiller was a quarter inch or so further back in the cockpit. Replace both top and bottom so the holes stay aligned.

 

[wing15601]

Why not use bronze? It's stronger and more corrosion resistant.

 

[cbourne200]

Bought the new set from D&R when I bought boat. Original lasted 30 yrs, which will outlast me...

 

[Pat]

Where do you live in Pensacola.....I lived on the beach (Rio Vista Dr.) for my last two years of the Navy.
I enjoyed Pensacola a lot...the house backed right up to the Intercoastal Waterway....& I had my own dock and big, big screened porch overlooking the water.....pat

 

[cbourne200]

Pat - don't think I replied to this...
If you remember Pensacola, Scenic Highway runs from 17th Ave (Grafitti Bridge) up east side of city until eventually heading to Milton. We live about 1/2 mile off Scenic around Langley (Old chimney on Scenic). Been in that neighborhood since 1972...

 

[Pat]

I lived in Pensacola during the last two of my 4 navy years....on Rio Vista Drive out on Pensacola Beach.....our little house
backed up to the Intercoastal and we had our own dock, big sandy back yard, and a huge screened in porch on the water side...
We enjoyed Pensacola Beach a lot.....I was on the USS Lexington....had a lot of fun!....I wished I would have had my boat
back then with the dock.....

 

[Jackdaw]

Lower rudder bearings (or gudgeons) bear several times the load of the upper. Designers have to take this into account. If not....