Small leak from rudder post...no packing nuts?!

[Slycat]

Hi all,
I've a very small (one drip per 10 seconds) leak from my rudder packing. I'd expected to see a packing and locking nut when I went to tighten/replace packing or the setup with two vertical bolts to tighen down the packing but instead my setup on my Feeling 1090 is as per these pictures.

Is anyone familiar with this setup and can advise as to how to address a small leak? I assume theres still packing material in there somewhere? I cant see how any vertial pressure is exerted to compress if there is!

Many thanks,
Chris

 

[DinghyMan]

Would have thought it more normal to have a seal, possible two one top and one bottom of rudder tube rather than an adjustable gland

Are you sure there isnt a seal under the thrust ring?

 

[Slycat]

Not sure, was hoping to avoid taking the entire thing apart in case it ends up leaking more!
I was wondering if someone was familiar with the setup if tightening the horizontal nuts was likely to help the small leak

 

[Tranona]

As suggested almost certainly a lip seal in the top of the tube. Not sure which horizontal nuts you are referring - but there won't be any adjustment. Traditional stuffing boxes such as you describe are very rare for rudder stocks - used to more common in older British boats, but lip seals are pretty much universal these days.

 

[DinghyMan]

Not sure, was hoping to avoid taking the entire thing apart in case it ends up leaking more!
I was wondering if someone was familiar with the setup if tightening the horizontal nuts was likely to help the small leak

The horizontal nuts are to hold the fitting together, nothing to do with sealing it

Take it in bits and you might find a seal under the thrust washer or more likely the top bush may be a T shaped bush with no seal and its just worn out allowing the leak

You could get a custom top bush including a seal like:

These are some custom ones we made for a Westerly W22 and added the seal into the T shaped bush where it didnt have one originally

 

[Slycat]

Ahhhh, quite close to launching so feels like a job for next year, take out the bush and send it to get a like for like made

 

[DinghyMan]

Bague sup. safran could be useful

 

[Slycat]

As suggested almost certainly a lip seal in the top of the tube. Not sure which horizontal nuts you are referring - but there won't be any adjustment. Traditional stuffing boxes such as you describe are very rare for rudder stocks - used to more common in older British boats, but lip seals are pretty much universal these days.

Thanks for this info. Does that mean pretty much always removing the entire rudder stock to replace the seal?

 

[Tranona]

Post#7 shows an O ring as a seal in the top bearing bush rather than a lip seal. That looks more likely. So, yes I would think you have to drop the rudder so that you can remove the bush and replace the O ring (and maybe the complete bush)

 

[DinghyMan]

Post#7 shows an O ring as a seal in the top bearing bush rather than a lip seal. That looks more likely. So, yes I would think you have to drop the rudder so that you can remove the bush and replace the O ring (and maybe the complete bush)

The owners club link I posted shows an O ring in the upper seal, it does look from the write up that the top bush is in a carrier that might be removable with the rudder stock in place - but the owners club info doesnt match the OP's photos above

Personally I'd fit a double lip seal rather than an O ring

 

[Tranona]

The link you posted I think shows a tiller steered boat or it may be the emergency tiller mount for a wheel steered boat. The Op's is wheel steered so the photo is the top of the rudder tube with the stock emerging, going through the steering quadrant and then up though the deck. So to get the bush/seal out of the tube the rudder will need to be dropped. Replacing the O ring with a seal would be a good idea.

 

[Slycat]

Thanks a million for the info guys. Will keep an eye and plan to drop stock next year.

 

[Concerto]

I bought new a Feeling 286 and found the top of the rudder tube was not sealed. I had the tube extended to the deck to stop any potential leak. So Slycat what you have is standard build quality for Feeling boats of this period.

I also found the hull lip when trimmed was trimmed too close to the topsides and the a number rivets holding the toe rail, deck and hull together had no connection with the hull. Worth checking for this as well.