Rudder repair - would this work?

[ronsurf]

The play in the rudder of my Corribee was a bit disconcerting so I hauled her out to check what the problem was.
I found a little play between the bearing and the rudder stock, but most of the play is between the bearing and the rudder tube.
The bearing at the top is OK, the bearing at the bottom has the play.

Can I repair this by using epoxy on the outside of the bearing and pushing it back into the rudder tube and leaving it to set? At the moment it's not possible to remove the rudder completely.

I've attached some photos to show the situation: Here's the rudder dropped down a few inches showing the bottom two bearings. I'm thinking of putting a layer of epoxy on the bottom bearing and easing it back into the tube. I think the glass fibre has worn, rather than the bearing.


This is the rudder tube from inside the lazarette locker. It's glassed in top and bottom. Absolutely not removing this!

This is what it looks like when assembled:


Any advice welcome.

 

[jamie N]

Polymorph might be the answer? Safe and readily available.

 

[greeny]

Cleaning the inside of the tube to enable epoxy to stick will be the most difficult bit. But if your just looking for it to cure and be a shim then why not try it. Or you could just use one of the well discussed sikaflex equivalents to do the same thing. On a temporary basis of course. If it did subsequently fail you're just back to square one with a wobbly rudder.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Plain resin doesn't have much resistance to abrasion so you may be better with JBWeld for a temporary repair. In the end, you'll have to dismantle the whole thing and restore it to original. Once you get noticeable play, it will accelerate.

 

[Stemar]

I agree with the difficulty in getting everything clean enough for epoxy to stick but, unless the bearing is seized on the shaft, there shouldn't be any abrasion. If you can get thickened epoxy in, I'd be inclined to thicken it with microfibres. That way, even if it doesn't stick - not such a bad thing when the time comes to take it all apart, you'll have a pretty tough shim filling the gap.

 

[Bilgediver]

It would appear that neither of those bearings are OK. Both bearings should be firm within the tube and preferably without the use f sikaflex etc. I would get two new bearing bushes made to fit the tube and pressed into place. There should be machine shops in your neighbourhood that keep the Stock to use for this purpose . Try and find one hat describes itself as agricultural as it won't hit your pocket as one that describes itself as marine. Even members of a local model engineering club might come to your assistance .

 

[Poignard]

This any help?

https://www.westsystem.com/wp-content/uploads/Fiberglass-Manual-2015.pdf

Pages 56,57

 

[Blueboatman]

I think you should jack the boat up and/or dig a pit if possible . And drop the rudder . Then you can set new bushes and clean the shaft
It will prob be easier and certainly better in the end
Sometimes “ quick n dirty” fixes are, sadly, neither .
Corribee 900kg iirc , an easy jack up with a hydraulic jack and some barrels or wood knocked up trestles..
( writes an ex Cb owner )