Charlie, I will send a more detailed email later but grease fittings would make a nice upgrade since our boats' rudders have a stainless shaft riding in delrin bearings glassed in a fiberglass tube. Something is wearing; the delrin or the stainless. Grease can fill the gap and provide great relief reducing all friction and wearing. A temporary fix would be any lubricant that works with plastic bearings and stainless: Harkin MacLube.
At a minimum; schedule the yard to drop the rudder to check for wear at the shaft and bearings. Seal the joint where the SS shaft enters the fiberglass rudder with a flexible waterproof epoxy. Drill the bearings to add grease fittings that can be used to pump grease into the wearing surfaces. Your Edson pulley plate under the pedestal is probably close to the end of it's service life and needing to be replaced. The newer Edson design doesn't fit our boats but Garhauer c an probably build a better one. The steering chain and cable is due also. Chuck S > On August 19, 2019 at 1:56 PM Charlie Nelson via CnC-List > <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > Hello all; > > The rudder on my 1995 C&C XL/kcb has started 'squeaking' a little and my > recently installed hydraulic auto-pilot motor has sent motor overload > messages via the controller. Many years ago, I had a wheel pilot (since > deceased) that worked well but I have hand-steered for the last 15 years or > so. > > While these issues may not be related, I figure I should have the rudder > 'serviced' by the yard--I prefer to have pros do any work that involves > really important stuff--rigging, rudder, etc. > > My rudder seems to ride on at least a pair of bearings that rotate with > the rudder on top of a plate of some kind--whatever else is involved is > unknown to me. > > My questions for the list: > > Is there something specific that I should point the yard to look for > other than inspect the rudder mechanism and replace/repair/grease as > necessary? I'd prefer not to send them on an fishing expedition looking for > problems that don't exist! OTOH while she is on the hard, now is the time to > do anything required. > > Should I have them install zerc grease fittings somewhere assuming there > are none there currently so that it can be greased regularly in the future? > > AFAIK the mechanics of the rudder have never been serviced, aside from > ensuring that when the boat is on the hard rotating the rudder by hand to > confirm that the wheel turns is possible nor have I ever had any problems > with it. > > Any suggestions would be welcome--this is probably the only 'system' on > the boat that has not (obviously) needed any work since she was new. > > Thanks, > > Charlie Nelson > Water Phantom > 1995 C&C XL/kcb > _______________________________________________ > > 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 > >
_______________________________________________ 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
