Help Rudder assembly help

[GregS]

I am doing the last touches to getting the boat ready for a trip tomarrow and I notice my downhaul is broke, so I go to replace it and the spacer drops down to the bottom of the rudder shaft.I see I can drop it out with 4 bolts but I'm a bit worried about taking those bolts out of the transom. While its out I'd like to have the holes welded up a little bit they've become a bit oval..... Anyone know about removeing this? Thanks

 

[Ed]

happened to me...

... so I took a fiberglass driveway marker rod and stuck it in the bottom and pushed the spacer out the top.Good Luck,Ed

 

[Kaizen]

Rudder spacer

Happened to me too.I used a cloth hanger to fish it out. Putting it back without dropping it again is the main challenge. It took me three times.I put electrical tape around the spacer while handling it. Once the bolt is secured, I pulled the electrical tape off.

 

[Ben]

Spacer??

What is this spacer you are talking about? I am not sure I have one.ThanksBen

 

[Kaizen]

Spacer

Ben,There is a short piece of 1/2" SS pipe across the top of the rudder tube. The SS down haul cable comes up thru the middle of the rudder tube around the spacer before it turn towards the tiller. The spacer provides a rounded surface for the SS cable to rub against so it won't chafe and break.It is a pain to retrieve if you removed the bolt and it dropped inside the rudder tube.It's only used on 26S and 26D boats with inboard rudder tube.