Rudder Bushings?????

[woodster]

i will be replaceing my rudder bushing on my s-2.....the shaft dia. is 1 1/2 "....my question is ....is it exceptable to have one that has a zerk fitting for the purpose of lubing it ...i am not to fond of doing that ....in the first place it never makes a full rotation ...just travels back and forth aprox...120- 150 deg from full left to full right .....it has a stuffung box to isolate it from the sea water where the shaft comes through the hull entry.....and then has a bushing above the quadrent that is mounted to a fixed shelve glassed in the stearn...the reason i am asking this question is.... i read recently where some one was doing it with the grease fitting and that is confusing me ....

regards

woody

 

[RichH]

If your bearings are made from any polymer (delrin being the most common for rudder bushings or 'plain' bearings) you have to be REAL careful with 'lubricants'. Such polymers when in contact with 'hydrocarbon' lubricants, including 'vaseline', can easily swell and soften when in contact with 'grease'.
If in fact these are 'plain' delrin, etc. bearings the best method of 'lubricating' is to put a very high polish on the shafting where the bearing contacts the shaft. This will decrease the abrasion and will decrease the 'transfer' of the delrin, etc. to the shaft.

Such polymer bearings are common on production boats of the 70s & 80s. Many owners groups of these boats have found out that they can DIY make a 'better' bearing than delrin, etc. for ruddershafts with WE$T Epoxy filled with carbon powder and chopped teflon 'dental floss'. If this is close to what you want, then go to Pearsoninfo.net, etc. or do websearch: Pearson 26 + rudder + bushing, etc.