P26 Rudder tube question

[drumbeater]

I'm not sure what its supposed to look like. I dropped the rudder today and the bottom bushing is intact. It looks like the the top of the rudder tube has worn away where the bushing rides. Should there have been a washer or something between the bushing/retaining collar and the rudder tube? And do I have to rebuild the tube now or at least add epoxy to the top of it?

 

[PopeyePittsburgh]

Check out Dan Pheiffer's website.

http://dan.pfeiffer.net/p26/rudder.htm

On my p26 there is a bushing on top (essentially a very big plastic washer). I followed Dan's repair process, using West epoxy with graphite. Works well, but my bushing are a little tight, I sand them down a little more each year...! Next for me is to put some epoxy in the hole at the top of the rudder, to eliminate the slop of the tiller.

 

[drumbeater]

Do you have a measurement of the total length of the rudder tube? That's not on Dans website.

And do agree that the top of my rudder tube is damaged?

I get the idea of the bushing and shaft repair, just can't find much info on the tube itself.

 

[drumbeater]

For anyone who needs to know in the future:

My rudder tube measure's right around 20-1/4" from the bottom of the boat to the top of the tube in the cockpit. That does not account for any wear at the bottom, I can't appraise that because the boat is in the (cold) water.

While at home with the rudder on my work bench I measured the distance from the bottom bushing bearing surface to the top bushing bearing surface and it was just over 20-1/4". My locking collar has several holes drilled in it that allow the position of the collar on the shaft to be adjusted up/down 1/8" or so.

I presume from my measurements that 20-1/4" +/- 1/8" is the correct length for the rudder tube. The little extra I guess provides for some up/down play of the rudder shaft.

My rudder tube is worn down on top about 1/4" so I ordered an extra thrust washer from D&R with my bushings to take up this slack.

Hopefully if anyone ever searches for this again, this may help some.

 

[PopeyePittsburgh]

Hi Drumbeater - I jut made it up to my boat last weekend, and I measured the rudder tube to be 20.5", including both bushings. Sounds like your measurements and mine are the same. (Rudder is out of the boat, but the bushings are epoxied into place in the tube.)

 

[drumbeater]

Went to install the lower bushing last night and it will not fit in the tube. Must be some old epoxy on there. Fits in the top fine. I think I'm going to have a hard time doing this with the boat in the water.
We're going to go back up with a piston hone and an extension and try to sand it from inside the cockpit with a drill. I hope those stones on the hone can do it.