Hey Lee It has been said a few times now - sacrifice what is left of the VS trailing edge (rudder post) by drilling loads of holes into it and breaking it out (carefully) bit by bit - leaving the overlapping ply sides and Fuselage 5/8" spruce untouched and free of adhesive.
Start off with the replacement post a fraction over size and work it down until it fits neatly. Use the old top part as a template for re-locating the hinges. Measure three times - cut once. Don't forget to static balance. I stared at the pic but cannot see what you were pointing out - what is (was) wrong with the hinges - loads of slop? Good luck Steve J
