If I remove the top rudder post bolt from my Catalina (1983) 30 with Edson pedestal stering will the rudder fall out?
Rudder post bolt
- Thread starter jeffmacdonald
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rudder post
Jeff,
Fear not pal.
The rudder is foam filled & floats and attached to your quandrant so it won't drop out. I had to change out the original cast alumunum rudder adapter on my boat always finding myself whacking my shin bone bumping into it. I went and got a 2" pvc pipe cap, drilled matching holes thru it and bolted that in place. I attached the cast piece to my emergency tiller and leave it all in my line locker in one piece.
What I did with the pvc cap was to score a rudder position indicator line perpendicular to the bolt holes on the cap top and used an indelible marker to color it in. It works real great just looking down to view rudder angle while sailing without the bumps & bruises from the original cast piece.
Let me know if this helps pal....
CR
Jeff,
Fear not pal.
The rudder is foam filled & floats and attached to your quandrant so it won't drop out. I had to change out the original cast alumunum rudder adapter on my boat always finding myself whacking my shin bone bumping into it. I went and got a 2" pvc pipe cap, drilled matching holes thru it and bolted that in place. I attached the cast piece to my emergency tiller and leave it all in my line locker in one piece.
What I did with the pvc cap was to score a rudder position indicator line perpendicular to the bolt holes on the cap top and used an indelible marker to color it in. It works real great just looking down to view rudder angle while sailing without the bumps & bruises from the original cast piece.
Let me know if this helps pal....
CR
Wow! what a great idea! After I tied up the rudder under the boat and attached both lines to my rear cleat I removed the top cap and inserted the mylar shims to stop the play as described in the Catalina Owners Assosiation web site. I discovered it was actually the tube that the post runs threw not the post itself that has play. Can you advise on that?
rudder post
Jeff,
I see you have the shims. Cool. What you need to know, is that at the bottom of the rudder post where it exits right above the water line is another shim. It's the bottom shim that's most likely the other culprit.
The play your getting is probably due to that shim wearing out, cracked or completely gone. You need to inspect that area and see if the play is due to this.
Unfortunately if that's the case, the real proper fix would be to drop the rudder post which is a bitch..or, an interum fix you may wanna try to cut the shim in one place and see if you can spread it open enough (without it splitting) to slip around the post. Or, go to a plactics shop have some made with s more pliable compound.
You can use a Stainless steel hose clamp to secure the shim tight around the rudder post pushed up tight to the fiberglas housing, holding it in place. this could help until you get to the yard but it's still just a band-aid fix. You don't want to allow it to continue because you will wear or hog out the hole opening on the bottom.
They make a better 316 s.s. hose clamp now. it's not a crimped type but spot welded. It should hold up longer. But check right above the waterline to make sure. Hope this answers your questions...........
CR
Jeff,
I see you have the shims. Cool. What you need to know, is that at the bottom of the rudder post where it exits right above the water line is another shim. It's the bottom shim that's most likely the other culprit.
The play your getting is probably due to that shim wearing out, cracked or completely gone. You need to inspect that area and see if the play is due to this.
Unfortunately if that's the case, the real proper fix would be to drop the rudder post which is a bitch..or, an interum fix you may wanna try to cut the shim in one place and see if you can spread it open enough (without it splitting) to slip around the post. Or, go to a plactics shop have some made with s more pliable compound.
You can use a Stainless steel hose clamp to secure the shim tight around the rudder post pushed up tight to the fiberglas housing, holding it in place. this could help until you get to the yard but it's still just a band-aid fix. You don't want to allow it to continue because you will wear or hog out the hole opening on the bottom.
They make a better 316 s.s. hose clamp now. it's not a crimped type but spot welded. It should hold up longer. But check right above the waterline to make sure. Hope this answers your questions...........
CR
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