Beneteau rudder top bearing

It will almost certainly be UHMWPE or a polyacetal one brand name being Delrin, bedded on resin or a sealant adhesive. If you don't find someone who has changed one on the same boat to help you post a photo as it will be similar to other models. Nylon isn't used as it absorbs too much moisture. When you get the old one out you'll need to measure the hole (carrier) and the shaft accurately so a new one can be made up to the correct fit and with the right clearance.
 
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Thanks. I'll look at getting one made or purchased.

The real thrust behind my original post was my surprise that this bearing seems to be glued/glassed/sikaflexed into the hull 'step'. I guess I'm going to have to saw it to get it out without damaging the glass-fibre surround. I'd wondered if I had missed something as it seems a very crude way of mounting what should be a replaceable part.

That said, the lower bearing (which is at least metal) is also glued into place - but looks to be much more easily removable. In fact I suspect it may even be slightly loose, which is probably the cause of the wear in the first place...
 
Carduelis said:
Thanks. I'll look at getting one made or purchased.

The real thrust behind my original post was my surprise that this bearing seems to be glued/glassed/sikaflexed into the hull 'step'. I guess I'm going to have to saw it to get it out without damaging the glass-fibre surround. I'd wondered if I had missed something as it seems a very crude way of mounting what should be a replaceable part.

That said, the lower bearing (which is at least metal) is also glued into place - but looks to be much more easily removable. In fact I suspect it may even be slightly loose, which is probably the cause of the wear in the first place...
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Obviously different by model and or year - on my Beneteau First 38 1984 - it's removable and both top and bottom is made of some type of "plastic"
Top bearing sitting in its holder
IMG_1608_zps384e85be.jpg


Thrust bearing with it's locking ring
IMG_1609_zps99ed09ac.jpg


Top one is made of this white material

The bottom one is in a black plastic material
 
Yes, that is rather how I would expect it to look! Mine just has the 'plastic' bit, without the metal holder ans stuck directly into the 'step'.

Looks like Bene did a better job on the earlier boats. "Value Engineering" no doubt. Maybe I can upgrade...
 
Did mine. Cables oof, Quadrant off, drop rudder, new bottom bearing sikaflexed in. Top bearing knocked out with a long wooden drift from below. New one tapped in. Rudder replaced. Bottom bearing slack taken up by wedging before sikaflex sets.

Easy peasy.
 
nimbusgb said:
Did mine. Cables oof, Quadrant off, drop rudder, new bottom bearing sikaflexed in. Top bearing knocked out with a long wooden drift from below. New one tapped in. Rudder replaced. Bottom bearing slack taken up by wedging before sikaflex sets.

Easy peasy.
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So your top bearing is "glassed in" as on the OP boat?
The Bearing does not stick to the grp?
 
Carduelis said:
Yes, that is rather how I would expect it to look! Mine just has the 'plastic' bit, without the metal holder ans stuck directly into the 'step'.

Looks like Bene did a better job on the earlier boats. "Value Engineering" no doubt. Maybe I can upgrade...
Click to expand...

May I ask what Beneteau model you have? My 2002 B361 also has the bearing glued at the top of the rudder shaft tube (in fact part of it is sitting on the tube so cannot drop into it even without the glue; but of course it's glued so it doesn't turn) and on top of it it's that metal collar with the pin going through it and then the quadrant.
 
cmedsailor said:
May I ask what Beneteau model you have? My 2002 B361 also has the bearing glued at the top of the rudder shaft tube (in fact part of it is sitting on the tube so cannot drop into it even without the glue; but of course it's glued so it doesn't turn) and on top of it it's that metal collar with the pin going through it and then the quadrant.
Click to expand...

It's a 36CC 1997.

I've ordered the replacement bearings and will start knocking the old ones out tomorrow. It feels a bit scary, but I shall adopt NimbusGB's approach of whacking the top one from below.

I'll report back idc.
 
..and it did come out ok. The top bearing has a thin "top hat" which sits in a recess in the grp and is fixed in place with something like Sikaflex. Crude, in my opinion, but seemingly effective.
 
I had a 361 and the rudder became very stiff. It had the "top hat" plastic bearing which had swollen probably through moisture absorbtion. I removed by cutting the bearing into two and knocking out the smaller piece- it was bonded in (sealant type adhesive) and very difficult to remove the first piece after which I could apply a peeling force to break the bond and remove the other piece.

I have a new metal bottom bearing surplus to my needs if of use to anyone.
 
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