another rudder question!

berwick · **Joined:** 21 Oct 2006 18:12 **Posts:** 325

I am working on taking out the rudder to rebuild plus do the pintle issue. Before I take the rudder down I notice I have 1/4" to 3/8" play up and down (vertical). I recall a plastic? washer above rudder before it enters the boat but it has been gone for a couple of years now. What kind of washer is it UHMW or other type? Where do I get it (Tartan?). I was thinking of getting a few so that I could get a few so as to shim out the play, I would guess there still needs to be a bit of up and down movement. How much should I have?

thanks,
Richard

Ardea · **Joined:** 19 Mar 2007 16:40 **Posts:** 195

On my pintle installation the rudder stock slips over a flanged plastic bushing on the pintle. If the flange has been worn off the bushing that would create a bit of play on the order of 1/4" or so.

Attachment:

pintle (3).JPG [ 753.82 KB | Viewed 0 times ]

berwick · **Joined:** 21 Oct 2006 18:12 **Posts:** 325

Now that I have it apart it looks like my pintle bar has a bend in it which made more vertical space for the rudder to move. Has anyone seen a bent pintle bar? It was not big but it was enough to give me more play.
Also the plate that was inside the boat was made of 1/2" or so of plexiglass and not stainless as I thought it would be.
The last thing is, the inside of the rudder has some very poor (not mixed properly) fibreglass, I think the PO had maybe tried to do some extra work in the rudder but it's ugly so I need to ripe some out before repairing it.

Richard

berwick · **Joined:** 21 Oct 2006 18:12 **Posts:** 325

Now that I have it apart it looks like my pintle bar has a bend in it which made more vertical space for the rudder to move. Has anyone seen a bent pintle bar? It was not big but it was enough to give me more play.
Also the plate that was inside the boat was made of 1/2" or so of plexiglass and not stainless as I thought it would be.
The last thing is, the inside of the rudder has some very poor (not mixed properly) fibreglass, I think the PO had maybe tried to do some extra work in the rudder but it's ugly so I need to ripe some out before repairing it.

Richard

Velera · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2006 09:38 **Posts:** 656

Sounds like someone has been in there alright. I do not recall anyone having a plexi plate on the inside of the rudder and it sounds like a very bad idea. On the poorly mixed rudder resin---are you sure that is not just some putty stuck in there to fill the gap? This was specified in the original S&S specs for fixing the rudder bearing and generally done just to fill the hole around it---it would be mixed with large amounts of soft fillers so you could sand it--has no structural value or importance. You have to chip it out to remove the rudder bearing each time you go in there--you would not want well-prepared epoxy fillers to battle. i believe the S&S diagram of the rudder assembly is on this site somewhere. If it is not, I have a copy and could add it.

Ray

Tartan37.com

another rudder question!

Who is online