H33C: Am I the only one with a corroded packing nut?

[Sylvain]

Good morning folks,
I had to drop the rudder because my packing nut was corroded right through.

Am I the only one that has/had this hurdle? Surely after 32 years in a marine environment these parts have to be replaced.

I called Buck-Algonquin on Thursday and asked if they have something that would fit a 1.9 inch pipe with 11.5 threads for a 1.5 inch shaft. The guy was going to check and call me back but he hasn't yet.

It's launch minus 6 days and I got a piece of 2 inch bronze pipe with 1/4 wall to machine and silver solder on the hex nut once I slice off the original housing.

Anybody out there has had to replace the packing nut?
If you didn't, check the state of your rudder box or port stuffing nut.

 

[Redbeard33]

I havn't gotten a chance to repack mine yet but i will report the condition when I get into that project. But as a side thought, would it make sense to add a zinc to the top edge of the rudder somehow bonded to the shaft? maybe a half dollar sized zinc with a "jumper cable" that would fit between the hull and rudder body to the shaft

 

[Stephen Trapani]

Just repacked mine recently while in the water. The nuts didn't have a hard time breaking loose and as far as I can tell, no corrosion. Now, my stern tube corroded to bits recently, but the rudder assembly seems fine.

 

[Stephen Trapani]

I havn't gotten a chance to repack mine yet but i will report the condition when I get into that project. But as a side thought, would it make sense to add a zinc to the top edge of the rudder somehow bonded to the shaft? maybe a half dollar sized zinc with a "jumper cable" that would fit between the hull and rudder body to the shaft

That does make sense. One good way to do it is to run a bonding wire from the engine ground to the bolts on your strut (which is right there in the bilge directly in front of the shaft and needs bonding even more than the rudder) and then wire from the strut to the rudder shaft less than two feet away. Then your one set of prop shaft zincs will protect all of it.

 

[Sylvain]

It would have to be magnesium as I'm on Lake Ontario.
If I can find a 1/2 inch thick ring for a 1.5 inch shaft, I probably will do that.

 

[Ed H]

Mine was corroded and leaking very badly but I could not get it to budge. I soaked it with that rust blaster periodically but still no luck... Finally gave up and had the yard fix it. Nice to have a dry bilge again. Ed H

 

[Sylvain]

Mine was corroded and leaking very badly but I could not get it to budge. I soaked it with that rust blaster periodically but still no luck... Finally gave up and had the yard fix it. Nice to have a dry bilge again. Ed H

Ed,
Do you know what they (the yard guys) used as a replacement?

 

[Ed H]

Ed,
Do you know what they (the yard guys) used as a replacement?

I do not know what they used... But the number there is 804-758-474 and the yard master is Paul Anderson. You can mention that I was bragging about him on the forum. Ed H

 

[SamLust]

I encountered this about 12 years ago. Short story,
Buck Algonquin in Delaware made one up for me from my sample. About $60 back then. Hunter was of NO help.

 

[Sylvain]

My machinist/engineer/bass clarinet player just dropped the repaired gland.

He had two choices: Make one from bronze I had supplied or replace the parts that were corroded.

He chose to cut save the threaded nut by cutting off the top part and use a stainless pipe as stock to bore out at the right size. He then made a groove on top of the nut to sit the SS ring at the exact location before welding it in position. He also reused the top of the original nut instead of making one from scratch. It looks fine and will be installing my rudder back today. He's alos making me a spare nut out of the bronze stock I gave him. That might take a few months.

I'll post photos of the result.

 

[Steve Dion]

Maybe it was not such a bad idea when Hunter used nylon packing glands?!