O'day 26 pintle/gudgeon play

[John Stevens]

I was getting some play in my rudder, pintles were worn. I replaced them with new pintles and gudgeons. Put the boat in the water yesterday and there is still a lot of movement in the bottom pintle, I can see a gap, maybe 1/16 to 1/8 gap where the pintle slides in. Anyone have this problem?

John

 

[jfschena]

I think I have about a 1/16 play and I have some movement. An 1/8 seems excessive. I had some noises last season and found delamination in the rudder where the lower pintle went. I'm sure you would have noticed this when you changed yours. It was real obvious to me. I would check mine and report back but I'm out of the water already.

 

[John Stevens]

I spoke to DR Marine about it and Rudy is looking into a solution.

 

[Brian S]

It seems to me a nylon or delrin bushing should be standard, rather than SS pintle on SS gudgeon. I have play in my 192, and I'm dreading the day I need to put new gudgeons on the transom, because that means I'll have to install an access port in the back of the cockpit...

 

[Ward H]

I replaced both gudgeons and pintles in the spring. There is a little play in them but it didn't cause me any problems sailing.

 

[John Stevens]

Oddly, I fixed the angle of the gudgeons when I replaced them. The top was visibly off level. I filled and redrilled to make them both level. Now... the slop is very noticeable because they are sitting correctly.

Rudy's first thought was having a delrin sleeve made to go over the pintle.

I looked into a bronze sleeve, 1/2 ID, 3/4 OD. I'd have to drill out the gudgeons to accept the bronze bushing. Really not the way I want to go. I'm guessing it will weaken the gudgeons and ... I just spent over 200 for everything, now only having to drill out the new gudgeon. Hoping Rudy will find a way to have the plastic sleeve made.

I like the way Precision made the gudeons. They were made of a block of aluminum with a 1/2 hole to accept the ss pintle. If and when they wear out, you just fill the hole with epoxy and drill a new 1/2' hole, easy fix.