Slack Tiller

[F_McMillan]

Our E Boat has a stern hung rudder where the round section aluminium tiller slides into a casting on top of the rudder and a pin stops it sliding out again. Problem is that there is a lot of slack between the casting and the tiller.
What is the best way to reduce the slop and still be able to remove all the bits?

 

[fireball]

As noone else has answered .....
Assuming it isn't too loose:
You can either shim it out - little bits of old sail battern are good for this - just thin them down and slide them in on 3 points around the circumference ...

You can add tape to the tiller - gaffer/duck tape or electrical - these aren't so good as they goo up and can trap water

 

[Evadne]

Two methods spring to mind:
1) shims. Messy and not all that easy if you want to take the tiller on and off regularly, but thin sheets of material (beaten aluminium coke can?) wrapped around the tiller as it is shoved into the casting would reduce the slop. If it doesn't work then you've damaged nothing.
2) drill and tap a couple of holes in the casting (not where they'll weaken it!) and fit a couple of grub screws to clamp the tiller in place once it's in. Two holes at either end on the top or the side would be my first suggestion. The bolts should be the same material as the casting, but if its aluminium this could be a problem. If there is a lot of slop then this might not be a good idea either as the screws will put a lot of localised stress on the casting.

Obviously you should check that it's not because the tiller has become worn, and needs replacing. A new tiller is, I suppose, the third method, perhaps a (slightly tapered) wooden one?

Hope this helps.

 

[aitchw]

There are lots of items of packaging waste from daily household food purchases that serve well as shim materials. Food trays of the type designed to be cooked in are one of the best and strips of this can wrapped around the tiller tube to achieve the desired thickness. If you lose a bit dismantling just cut another bit. Old plastic ring binder covers are another gold mine source for plastic shims.

Would not recommend an overly engineered solution. Any idea why the slop has developed or has it always been there?

 

[F_McMillan]

Thanks both,
We shimmed it last year with a bit of success but looking for a more long term solution. will probably try a variation on this theme for the start of the season, will beer cans work as well as coke cans? ;o) <note to self, start preparing shims>

We have to remove it after every sail as we're on a drying mooring.

I think in the long run it's going to be a new tiller, a nice wooden one as you say.

 

[fireball]

Beer Cans better than Coke Cans

Beer cans do work much better than coke cans ... you better start collecting them! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[aitchw]

How much of a gap is there?

If you want to buy yourself some time and have a semi permanent solution you could mark the tiller so you know exactly which bit goes in the housing and then build a collar of epoxy onto the tube. File/sand back to a good fit, lather with silicone lub and enjoy. It'll probably last years.

Not as much fun as beer cans though.

 

[F_McMillan]

Ta for the suggestions for shims, I had thought of bits of plastic milk carton.

Only had the boat for a year so still finding things out on it, I'm guessing that the slop is just wear and tear on the casting over the last 30+ years. There are no cracks in the casting so I don't realy want to go drilling any more holes in it.

 

[Evadne]

Sounds like the way to go. I only suggested coke cans 'cos they're aluminium and you could leave them in for a few months without electrolysis taking place. I didn't think of non-metals, which would be better as corrosion couldn't build up and crack the casting.

 

[shamrock]

There may be some really good reason why this is a daft suggestion, but here goes....

why not sheath the worn tiller end in resin / glass fibre then sand back to required size and redrill the hole for the pin. Might need to score the worn tiller first to make sure the resin grips.

Small repair packs easily available from chandlers.

nick

 

[Thistle]

[ QUOTE ]
We have to remove it after every sail

[/ QUOTE ]
In that case I think I'd go for a couple of collars made up of electricians plastic tape: easy to apply, adjust and replace and no loose bits to fall out and get lost.

 

[Matrosen]

Beware the aluminium beer cans! I put one down near my compass which then swung by ten degrees. Very few cans are aluminium any more. Steel is much cheaper now that they have found out how to rust proof it. Just take a magnet to the supermarket and buy the beer can it doesn't cling to.