Installing new GUDGEON BUSHING

[Rltgold]

If you hear and feel your rudder thumping when it swivels back and forth it may be time to replace those Gudgeon bushings. I have a little simple tool that really helps. A bolt with 2 washers and a nut.
I lift the rudder / pintels out of the gudgeons which blows your mind how easy it is. This will make more sense when you go to slip the pintels back in.
First I give the bottom outside lip on the bushing a slight bevel so it help self alien the bushing as it go's into the gudgeons. I then place the bolt with 1 washer through the bushing. Place the bushing on top of the gudgeon and put the 2nd washer on the bottom of the gudgeon/bolt then screw on the nut. At that point I tighten the nut and it presses the bushing down into the gudgeon.
Lastly I place the rudder/pintels back on the top of the new bushing and to my surprise even if I use all my weight pulling down and swinging the rudder back and forth the new bushing are so tight I can't do it so I climb on board a stand on the top of the gudgeon bar and swivel thew rudder back and forth. So the pintels are down where they should be.
Hope this helps and best of luck

 

[Jacomo Sailor]

So what will you do when it's time to remove the rudder?

 

[Rltgold]

Jacomo, I did remove the rudder to install the new bushings.

 

[Jacomo Sailor]

Jacomo, I did remove the rudder to install the new bushings.

I understand that, BEFORE you installed the bushings. You stated that you pretty much had to stand on it to force the pintles into the new bushings. So how are you gonna remove it now that it's been forced into the new bushings?

 

[pclarksurf]

Was wondering along the same lines- I pull my rudder every outing and it's challenging enough without a kick up rudder...

 

[Rltgold]

I have a rudder craft system so I don't take my rudder off except to do maintenance. The bushings lasted about a year.