37C Rudder assembly components
- Thread starter D_Bosh
- Start date
Hi David,
I don't think you can buy any of that stuff 'off the shelf'. The lower 'bearing' is just the fiberglass tube that the rudder stuffing box sits on. I rebuilt the one on my H37C following the West System Epoxy guidelines. Dropped the rudder, waxed the shaft, and mixed up a batch of epoxy and graphite, and slathered the inside of the tube, reinstalled the rudder, and, after some clean-up...voila! New lower rudder bearing. The upper bearing is just a piece of delrin that any machine shop can make up. The 'seal' is a Perko (or maybe Wilcox-Crittenden?) stuffing box. Buy some flax packing to suit. Back in the 70's and 80's Hunter wasn't installing fancy rudder 'systems'. Good luck!
Jim
I don't think you can buy any of that stuff 'off the shelf'. The lower 'bearing' is just the fiberglass tube that the rudder stuffing box sits on. I rebuilt the one on my H37C following the West System Epoxy guidelines. Dropped the rudder, waxed the shaft, and mixed up a batch of epoxy and graphite, and slathered the inside of the tube, reinstalled the rudder, and, after some clean-up...voila! New lower rudder bearing. The upper bearing is just a piece of delrin that any machine shop can make up. The 'seal' is a Perko (or maybe Wilcox-Crittenden?) stuffing box. Buy some flax packing to suit. Back in the 70's and 80's Hunter wasn't installing fancy rudder 'systems'. Good luck!
Jim
David,
There are no detailed drawings that I know of. If you download the owner's manual from the "Boat Info" section here at SBO, you will find a drawing of the steering system on page 14, but you will notice this is just a generic sketch - the hull and rudder profile is not even that of the H37C. That said, all the components are there and correctly identified.
Jim
There are no detailed drawings that I know of. If you download the owner's manual from the "Boat Info" section here at SBO, you will find a drawing of the steering system on page 14, but you will notice this is just a generic sketch - the hull and rudder profile is not even that of the H37C. That said, all the components are there and correctly identified.
Jim
i just took my rudder assembly apart today to change the flax stuffing in the stuffing box on my 1985 Hunter 37c. Had to remove the steering radial drive wheel (the circle for the steering cables) because the stuffing box was only one inch below the wheel. I then inspected the short piece of rubber hose that attaches to the fiberglass tube. and the stuffing box. I will take some pictures of the disassembled area tomorrow to see if it helps. I also am trying to find the brand of the stuffing box, it has four screws that go through the top of stuffing box, threads are on the bottom portion. the two pieces of the stuffing box were flat against each other with no gap, the stuffing was square and seemed intact, maybe I need to add another short ring of packing to push it up into the top where the rudder post exits, to form a better seal. It also seems cracked at the bottom of the fiberglass tube where it meets the hull, maybe my water was coming in here? Im on the hard for another 6 weeks, wish I had inspected while underway, seemed to take on water only when motoring or sailing.....
Paul
Paul
Hi Boomers,
Thank you for your info re: rudder bearing reconditioning. When you found the stuffing box on eBay, did you find it by searching the dimensions or the model/boat?
BTW, I assume you’re back in the water now. How is your seal holding up?
Cheers, David
Thank you for your info re: rudder bearing reconditioning. When you found the stuffing box on eBay, did you find it by searching the dimensions or the model/boat?
BTW, I assume you’re back in the water now. How is your seal holding up?
Cheers, David