Ron, I've had my rudder out once and had the drive wheel off at least twice.
The lower delrin bushing at the top of the rudder and bottom of the shaft is juat a spacer. The weight of the rudder typically keeps the rudder down but if for some reason it were to have an upward thrust the bushing keeps it in place. This also prevents creating a place for ropes and bio-fouling to get caught. Removing the radial wheel is pretty uneventful. Its a bit time releasing the tension on the drive cables and getting them retensioned and centered is also time consuming. Not hard just time. Be careful though when there is no tension on the cables it is easier to slip teeth on the drive chain in the pedistal. To prevent this lock the wheel. You will also have to monkey with the cables to make sure they are returned to the turning sheeves under the pedistal during the reinstall. That's the trick part. The radial wheel is easy. Its position on the shaft is adjustable so you may want to note how the drive cables lead - how the align when entering the radial wheel. If they are good and need no adjustment then scribe the height of the radial wheel before removing it to make alignment easier during reassembly. A set of nuts and bolts on either side and it comes right off. Now is the time to bead blast it and paint. I don't know why they didn't from the factory. I found that I had insufficient washers for the nut and bolt heads. They had been eating away at the aluminum with galvanic corrosion and mechanical wear. Use tef-gel or marlube and consider a nylon washer at the pressure surface (between the SS washer and the aluminum wheel). Now for the real problem. Once the wheel is off you will want to support the weight of the rudder from above if in the water or below if on the hard. A hydraulic jack is perfect for this. The rudder weights 100 to 150lbs so lifting it is possible but holding it is impossible. With the load off the rudder the skate wheels are easy. They are held by a single bolt running through the rudder shaft. Just remove the nut and at least one should come off. They are bronze and getting new ones machined is cheap if you can't find any on McMaster-Carr. I suspect that corrosion on the SS bolt has caused the rollers to become seazed. This may complicate removal. PB Blaster, and a hammer will hopefully do the trick. TBH I'm a little surprised that they seazed at all SS and Bronze should be pretty trouble free. Make sure you look for any other cause as you disassemble. I fear that maybe the radial wheel has slipped down on top of the skate wheels and is preventing them from rolling. If you are on the hard this is actually the best time to remove the rudder and install zirc fittings so you can easily grease the shaft. I use the same lubraplate 130AA as the Max-Prop. If I was going to do it again I would install a hydraulic flex line that leads somewhere more convenient than the rudder shaft. 2 actually, one for the top and one near the bottom. Near the bottom but consider keeping it above the water line if possible. Good luck. Let us know what you find. Josh Muckley S/V Sea Hawk 1989 C&C 37+ Solomons, MD On Jan 6, 2018 8:40 AM, "Ron Ricci via CnC-List" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > I’m wondering if anyone else has run into any similar issues with their > rudder. > > > > At the top of the rudder shaft , just below the radial wheel there is a > through bolt with two skate wheels that support the rudder. The wheels > ride on a flat steel donut shaped bushing which has approximately a 3”ID > and 4”OD. My wheels are frozen and do not turn. When the rudder is > turned, the wheels drag on bushing and rotate it. I’ve tried to reach in, > turn the wheels and spray in a lubricate but no luck. It looks like I may > have to remove the radial wheel for access and possibly replace the > wheels. > > > > Given the radial wheel has been in place for 25 years, could there be > issues removing it? Does anyone know a source for skate wheels? > > > > There is also a bushing (around the rudder shaft) between the rudder and > the hull. With the boat on the hard, the bushing is free to move and > rotate around the rudder shaft. I guess when the rudder lifts up, the > bushing provides a bearing surface. Does this sound correct? > > Thanks, > > *Ron* > > Ron Ricci > > S/V Patriot > > C&C 37+ > > Bristol, RI > > ron.ri...@1968.usna.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each > and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - > use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > > >
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