rudder post details

Mark Maulden · Nov 13, 2012

If this were my boat, I'd haul it immediately. Drop the rudder and replace the gland and the cross brace. The cross brace is so corroded that part of it's missing. The rudder was either mis aligned or is dropping apprent by the cable aligment to the quadrant.

Mark Maulden · Nov 14, 2012

Didn't mean a "part". It is so corroded that some of it is nonexistent which you stated in ur original post. Rusting away....

gpdesign · Nov 14, 2012

The stuffing box is below the waterline. I think your rudder post stuffing box itself is probably fine - its bronze and will clean up. The mounting bolts themselves are what is rusting. The bolts bolt into the base piece on the hull which is made up of a wood block that is then glassed over. This wood block is most likely soft and saturated with water. The bolts are probably almost rusted away. The Lower rudder bearing is a flanged bronze tube that fits in from underneath the hull and goes through the hull/wood/glass block to meet the stuffing box. I think your upper cross brace is just surface rust and can be cleaned up. Your rudder post may have slipped down a little bit, or the quadrant itself if there is any cable mis-alignment. I don't see any missing pieces.

To fix, you'll have to haul the boat. Drop the rudder. Remover the stuffing box/bearing. Dig/grind out the wet wood. Build and replace what you've removed. Refit bearing with lots of sealant. Re-bolt with stainless. repack stuffing box. Its a big job - don't ask me how I know this!

BobM · Nov 15, 2012

Man that is ugly (sorry). That is motivation for me to work on mine, which isn't a tenth that bad, but I know the box is leaking a little. Si Bronze is STUPID expensive (I found $45 each for 5/8 x 3 inch, but only as an example). To make matters worse that place had a minimum order of $25! Maybe if you call a specialty fastener shop like http://www.chesfast.com/ but DON'T go to HD...the cheap Chinese stuff isn't the way to go even if it is stainless.

BobM · Nov 15, 2012

http://www.deepblueyachtsupply.com/search.aspx?q=rudder stuffing box is a good source if you decide to go with new. They have something which looks similar.

gpdesign · Nov 15, 2012

Its been years since I did mine, so my memory isn't the best. I believe the lower bronze bearing/tube goes all the way through the hull/mounting block and meets and connects with the stuffing box to form a watertight seal. (I wish I had taken pics). I used stainless lag bolts and lots of sealant. Especially where the lower bearing tube exits the hull as this is where the water is getting in.
If your wood block were in good shape (not likely) then the job would only take half a day. You will have to haul and drop the rudder. Rebuilding the wood block and glassing is what will take the time. If I were to do it again I wouldn't (woodn't?) use wood, maybe something like starboard or stacked and bonded fiberglass plates.

woodster · Nov 17, 2012

in your pics posted it looks like the plastic bushing that fits in the iron cross brace has worn out on its flange and dropped down below the brace...this bushing is supposed to be between the bronze tiller arm and the cross brace (mine was in the same shape...i made a new one and drilled the correct size hole for the bushing) i found that s2 had use a torch to cut the hole originally witch is not cool in metal work some times...as far as the stuffing box through the hull for the shaft you need to drill the lag screw holes and fill them with thickend epoxy and redrill to proper size to accept the new ss lag screws.... they only need to be 1 1/2 half inch long and 3/8 dia screws to work well..... here is some picsof the new cross brace.....

woodster · Nov 17, 2012

Bergovoy said:
thanks for the pics. I was wondering abiut that plastic piece. wasnt sure wth it was. makes sense now.

and wow, that new sst cross brace will last longer then ur boat

that new cross brace is steel not stainless it has been bead blasted and i them galvanized it ...it to will last a long time as the old one was 32 years old and was never coated with anything ....i made a new nylon bushing for it on my wood turning lathe that will be better than the original one

regards

woody

woodster · Nov 17, 2012

Bergovoy said:
Tim in marathon, fl. service and supplies are not readily available... any suggestions...

you will have to have this made by a fab shop

ill ospho and sinc chromate amd enamel my cross brace and be comfortable with that...

you can have the old one sand blasted and then put libral coats of cold galvanize spray on it

if I was in los angeles, I could get the bushing from a bunch different sources..

have a local machine shop make it and have it over sized on the outside diamature

that brace and byshing set is the pits...

its really not that bad a setup just was crudely made

what keeps the bushing from getting cut by the jagged edges of the brace

have the bushing hole drilled out over size and use the new over sized bushing made over size to the new drilled round hole for a snug fit...it will be fine ...ther is a block of wood above the metal cross brace that also has a bushing in it as well ...with the three bushing pionts (stuffing tube..cross brace bushing ...and the wooden block bushing ) it will be fine

hope this helps

regards

woody

woodster · Nov 18, 2012

Bergovoy said:
after lookin at the new pics...

are you talking about the wood at the top of the rudder post? that is a plywood shelf... and I dont have a bushing there at all... hmmmm...that would prolly help.. but again, I need to locate a source for bushings...

on the top side of That plywood shelf is a 1 1/2 inch thick block of teak that has a hole drilled in it with plastic bushing in it that keeps the top of the rudder shaft stable...it is fasten down to a 1 inch plank that runs front to rear in the locker compartment ..i made a new block for mine and installed it to replace the old one.... as far as the plastic bushing is concerned you can have a machine shop make them as well and then fab your new block of wood and cross brace to accept the new bushings ....i made mine out of nylon ......the factory ones are very thin so i made mine 2 OD with a 1 1/2 inch bored hole 1 1/2 inch long with a 2 1/2 inch flange 1/4 inch thick...
also, a side question...

the limit bar/tab... can I use that for rudder position sensor??? or autopilot / linear drive connection..??

yes you can......it is about an inch and one half to short to use the rudder ball on the position indicator but i added a SS 3/16 plate on the top of the bar to make it the proper lingth.....as far as using a liner drive setup you may have to have one made by Edison or you may contact general propeller and have one made by them i think they are very close to you

regards

woody

Edison sells a part for $500 and does the same thing...

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woodster · Nov 18, 2012

Bergovoy said:
i was wondering if there was other 'bearings'... my 'wheel' has a lot of slop... I can see the top of the rudder post thru an access in the lazerette on the stern... and see that it is wobbly..

open your locker lid on either the right or left of the beckson access port to your rudder shaft and you will see the block

I dont see a piece of wood above the brace.. but then again, I can only see what is or isnt on the pictures.. I cant fit down below...

if you look real close at the pic on the right you can see a bolt sticking down below the wooden shelf ...that bolt is one of 4 that holds the wooden block

I will be sharing all this info with the service guy that is doing the work though...

and for info.. Marathon florida doesnt have media blasters, or machine shops... closest would be in Miam area, some 60 miles away...

find a motor cycle shop they usually have a blast cabinet

i hear that media blasters can come here and do work but the costs are really high...

for that little bit of work i wouldnt bother

I would love to find a small garage that has a blast it all cabinet... the brace isnt that big...

I am not a fan of cold galv spray... for small bits that arent accessible to get painted maybe,, but for steel, I love zinc chromate.... I highly suggest it but it needs to be top coated, as do most primers.. primers are typically porous to allow finish paints to grab/bite...

use what ever coating you like as it lasted 30 years now with out anything and i am sure even rustolem will do the trick and will out last you and me

i found a couple more pics to look at...

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rudder post details

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