Half skeg rudder removal.

[Simon F]

Hi All,

I want to remove the skeg hung rudder on my Ridgeway marine Pandora 700 so I can recondition it and replace the bushes at the same time, but getting it off is proving difficult. The skeg has a metal casting at the bottom which supports the rudder tube and it appears to be screwed into the skeg from underneath by three screws that I just can't shift. I'm considering drilling them out, but drilling upwards without the bit veering off seems like it would be a tricky task - or I could cut the skeg and screws as close as possible to the bottom which would only shorten it a little, and then reattach the casting in a different way; perhaps through bolting it to a couple os stainless steel plates which could be attached to the skeg. Or there's replacing the skeg, which seems to be held on by some equally unshiftable screws. I'd patch up the rudder in situ, but it's a bit cold for the epoxy to cure etc. Does anyone have any better suggestions?

Thanks

Simon.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

If the screws are into GRP then use a powerful soldering iron to transfer heat into the GRP via the screw head. This softens the GRP and allows the screws to be backed off; tip is from Gudgeon Brothers Epoxy Building / West System Repair Manual, I have never tried it. Alternatively try an impact wrench on the screws if you have the space.

 

[Daydream believer]

Surely you only have to drill the head of the screws off. Then you should be able to get a wedge between skeg & casting to loosen it then tap the casting down wards. To drill the head try starting with small drill bit then a larger one to remove the head which is probably just a countersunk one.
If it works you will be able to grip the screws with mole grips & remove them later.

 

[vyv_cox]

Your pic is not good enough for me to see, but will the rudder drop out with the plate removed? On the Sadler 34 it will not as the stock is tapered: the skeg needs to be removed as well. In which case it might be easier to remove the skeg and have the whole thing on a bench for full refurbishment.

 

[Graham_Wright]

The casting on my Countess 33 embraces the skeg and needs to be dropped down a good couple of inches for it to become free.

 

[Stemar]

Is the skeg timber? If so, considering the cracks, I rather think I'd want to get it off to sort out properly. If the only way to do that is to butcher it, so be it; at least a new one sheathed in glass cloth & epoxy should mean you'd never have to do the job again.

 

[awol]

I think the OP's finger is on the rudder and the cracks are why he wants it off to fix it. Soldering iron/heat gun onto screw driver/kitchen butane torch onto screws/large hammer - try them all before drilling but when the heads are ruined that is the final step.

 

[Dipper]

Get a handheld impact driver and whack it several times with a lump hammer (or other heavy hammer). It's sprung so won't damage anything. These are just the sort of stubborn screws that my 30+ yo impact driver has removed on numerous occassions and saved me a lot of grief. If it doesn't work you will still find it useful for other stubborn screws some time in the future.

You can get one for £15 from Halfords here.

 

[Simon F]

If the screws are into GRP then use a powerful soldering iron to transfer heat into the GRP via the screw head. This softens the GRP and allows the screws to be backed off; tip is from Gudgeon Brothers Epoxy Building / West System Repair Manual, I have never tried it. Alternatively try an impact wrench on the screws if you have the space.

Hi, thanks for the suggestion. I'll have a go.

 

[Daydream believer]

Does one really think that a soldering iron is going to get a tip hot enough to heat a screw though a lump of cast iron 20mm thick, (acting as a giant heat sink) & into a GRP skeg. You are going to need a blow lamp with a fine flame if going down that route. Then with luck ( or rather, no luck) you will crack the CI whilst doing it