Has anyone replaced the rudder post on a 33, I have the rudder out and the post look's bad bad and bad. It looks like a piece of galvanized pipe with a brass bushing in it.
rudder post on 79 33
- Thread starter bugaloo
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If you have the rudder out why are we looking at the post in the boat? Do you have pictures of the rudder with its post outside the boat? There should not be any galvanized pipe anyplace so far as I know. Paul F will know.
I took the pic's before I took the rudder out. I should have known someone would comment on it. being everyone on here is perfect except me.
Well yes we are, thank you. But my comment was not meant to me critical. It would just be easier to understand what you are seeing with the post on the ground. And to compare with what we are seeing in the boat.
Ed the rudder is being fixed at a local machine shop owned by a cousin of mine right now, It's the tube I am concerned with now. I have to replace it and I am not sure how to go about it. It looks as if electrolysis has about eaten it up. I am just glad I checked it out before I go back in the water.
So you are asking about the rudder tube in the boat that the rudder post rides in. Wonder where Paul F and Sam L are, probably sailing. They both have H33s and have posted many times about the rudder. Here is one thread and there are some pictures: http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=689839&highlight=rudder. My tube is a fiberglass stub, no metal can be seen between the hull and rudder stuffing box. I thought we were looking at your rudder post but I guess that is the tube. It looks like galvanized pipe for sure.
Thanks Ed, I am going down to the boat now and cut out the shelf that holds the rudder in place and then I can see just what I am dealing with I can always glass it back in or replace it with stainless. Not a pretty picture any way you look at it.
If I'm seeing what I think I 'm seeing that is one ugly mess. My problem was with the packing nut on top, but it certainly appears your tube has mostly rotted away. The fix of course is simple. Replace the tube. The reality of it is not so simple. How do you get that thing out of there with minimal damage to the surroundings. My first thought is to get in there with my air powered chisel as a hammer fromk above and see if I could break the tube free and drive it out downwards. I believe the tube is smooth walled so it might not be that major a chore to drive out. Then you have to find a replacement pipe. It appears to be standard stainless steel pipe. Not impossible to find. Your local pipe supply house should be able to supply it already threaded on the top. Best I can say to you is what we say up here. "Better you than me!" I know there are guys who have dealt with this one. maybe they'll chime in.
Thanks Ed,Sam : I have the tube solved, The pic's look a lot worse than it wound up being. I took the packing nut off and cleaned up the rust and found a stainless tube that was in perfect condition. The rust was coming from it leaking and rusting the bearing above it. There was no packing in the packing nut and I don,t feel like it had been packed since it was new. I will post pic's after I finish cleaning and painting the area around it. WHEW!!!
Good news! Strange but I had written something to that affect after Sam's last post. But I must not have posted it properly. Wrote that on close inspection the tube looked like it might be OK if was truly stainless. Looks like just the stuff around it needed cleaned up. So that tube goes to the bottom of the hull and your rudder post rides totally inside of stainless? Most Hunter rudder tubes are fiberglass.
re packing
this seems like a good place and time to ask about the rudder packing - what is the best way to get in there and do this job? (have an '81 33) i noticed a little water coming from the tube near the end of the (short) season. . . thanks in advance for any help/advice. . . Pat Greene
this seems like a good place and time to ask about the rudder packing - what is the best way to get in there and do this job? (have an '81 33) i noticed a little water coming from the tube near the end of the (short) season. . . thanks in advance for any help/advice. . . Pat Greene
Ed, The stainless does go thru the hull and the post rides inside stainless. I still haven,t had a chance to clean and paint but this is what it looks like with the post removed.
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