Dougy
Well-Known Member
Hi All
I did this yesterday and maybe the problems I found will help others with, what seems a common problem, bearings... and its not too bad a job!!
Rudder off:
The rudder is simple and if like mine it is really tight its just a case of hitting it. take of the tiller undo the locking collar (bolt through the rudder pole) and it should just drop out, mine didnt, a hefty thump with a block and mallet did it. Remember to have the boat about 20 inches off the floor or dig a pit under the rudder about 20inches deep. If you haven't got access to a hoist or the boat is on concrete you cant take the rudder off.
Bearings out:
Simple....I used a round piece of broom handle cut off and a mallet and they came out first time.
Rudder tube out:
1: unless you have an 8 year old you can throw in the aft compartment after taking out the fuel tank, cut a hole in the cockpit deck about 15cm back from the rudder tube and leave the tank in. (I removed the tank which was unnecessary) The cockpit floor has two skins and I have yet to figure a way to put these back (do I glass them back in or try and make an inspection hatch for future probs down there?)
2: Cut a hole big enough to get an arm in about 20cm by 20cm and about 10cm back from the tiller. Have a look underneath as there is a strengthener running across the underneath of the cockpit floor about 50cm back from the base of the tiller.
3: undo all bolts top and bottom. I used mole grips to hold the top nut on the bottom plate as I was on my own.
4: This is the bit that got for me for an hour....The top of the tube is threaded!! unscrew the plate in the cockpit anticlockwise, that was so bloody annoying ....
5: the next hour was took up by taking all the sikoflex off and breaking away all the filler someone had used to try and stop the leak at the base of the tube where it goes through the hull.. A piece of wood, a mallet and a hefty thump and the tube finally came away along with a large amount of filler.]
All good? NO
I now have the tube and bearings out and a hole in the bottom of the boat which is significantly bigger than the tube, hence the previous owner with the filler and sikoflex maybe. Now have to find out a way to make the hole the right size or find out if this is normal and the bottom plate and lots of sikoflex is the seal.
Without the time wasted on sikoflex and the screw threaded top I reckon it would take an hour maximum and thats having a cuppa in between.
New bearings:
Now I am going to take the tube, old bearings and rudder to trafalgar yachts (they seem to be the best and most approachable as they have replied to all my questions) and fit the bearings there because every thread I have read says the new bearings are all too big and they have to be machined down. Trafalgar yachts say they will turn them if necessary, I think they can even make them to order so with the tube and rudder there it shouldn't be a problem to get the right size. Ill keep you posted.
There is no need to remove the tube to change the bearings, I did so because I had a nasty leak from the plate on the bottom of the tube. The bearings came out very easy but it does seem, from most the threads I have read, that the replacement bearings are the wrong size and you have to get them machined to fit.
Next job: Beta 14 oil leak and full service... then sails repair then hull sanding then repaint then....... take up golf!!
I did this yesterday and maybe the problems I found will help others with, what seems a common problem, bearings... and its not too bad a job!!
Rudder off:
The rudder is simple and if like mine it is really tight its just a case of hitting it. take of the tiller undo the locking collar (bolt through the rudder pole) and it should just drop out, mine didnt, a hefty thump with a block and mallet did it. Remember to have the boat about 20 inches off the floor or dig a pit under the rudder about 20inches deep. If you haven't got access to a hoist or the boat is on concrete you cant take the rudder off.
Bearings out:
Simple....I used a round piece of broom handle cut off and a mallet and they came out first time.
Rudder tube out:
1: unless you have an 8 year old you can throw in the aft compartment after taking out the fuel tank, cut a hole in the cockpit deck about 15cm back from the rudder tube and leave the tank in. (I removed the tank which was unnecessary) The cockpit floor has two skins and I have yet to figure a way to put these back (do I glass them back in or try and make an inspection hatch for future probs down there?)
2: Cut a hole big enough to get an arm in about 20cm by 20cm and about 10cm back from the tiller. Have a look underneath as there is a strengthener running across the underneath of the cockpit floor about 50cm back from the base of the tiller.
3: undo all bolts top and bottom. I used mole grips to hold the top nut on the bottom plate as I was on my own.
4: This is the bit that got for me for an hour....The top of the tube is threaded!! unscrew the plate in the cockpit anticlockwise, that was so bloody annoying ....
5: the next hour was took up by taking all the sikoflex off and breaking away all the filler someone had used to try and stop the leak at the base of the tube where it goes through the hull.. A piece of wood, a mallet and a hefty thump and the tube finally came away along with a large amount of filler.]
All good? NO
I now have the tube and bearings out and a hole in the bottom of the boat which is significantly bigger than the tube, hence the previous owner with the filler and sikoflex maybe. Now have to find out a way to make the hole the right size or find out if this is normal and the bottom plate and lots of sikoflex is the seal.
Without the time wasted on sikoflex and the screw threaded top I reckon it would take an hour maximum and thats having a cuppa in between.
New bearings:
Now I am going to take the tube, old bearings and rudder to trafalgar yachts (they seem to be the best and most approachable as they have replied to all my questions) and fit the bearings there because every thread I have read says the new bearings are all too big and they have to be machined down. Trafalgar yachts say they will turn them if necessary, I think they can even make them to order so with the tube and rudder there it shouldn't be a problem to get the right size. Ill keep you posted.
There is no need to remove the tube to change the bearings, I did so because I had a nasty leak from the plate on the bottom of the tube. The bearings came out very easy but it does seem, from most the threads I have read, that the replacement bearings are the wrong size and you have to get them machined to fit.
Next job: Beta 14 oil leak and full service... then sails repair then hull sanding then repaint then....... take up golf!!
