Steering adjustment / maintenance

[laika]

I have a whitworth pedestal which connects via sheathed cables to the quadrant. In the last year or so I noticed the chain in the pedestal occasionally "chinking" against the inside of the pedestal when hard on one tack with weather helm. Maybe it always did it and I only recently noticed. Today I've taken the top of the pedestal off to look at the chain, and also down below have been looking at where the cables attach to the quadrant. According to Path Manly's book, the tension is about right (I can't push it any tighter than another fraction of a mm with full effort by hand) The chain doesn't (centred, at rest) have excessive play (ie it's not floppy).

Is the chain chinking on the pedestal side under the above mentioned circumstances "OK"?

Also, while the pedestal top is off, Calder at one point describes these pedestals as "maintenance free", but elsewhere suggests lubricating the chain regularly with engine oil. What is the forum wisdom on this, and would such lubrication essentially involve holding an oily (latex covered) finger against the chain whilst turning the wheel?

 

[Talulah]

Depends how you define maintenance free.
Cars have lifetime sealed gearboxes but many a forum will say change the gearbox oil at 100,000 miles.
I couldn't figure out why the rudder was so stiff to turn until with everything dismantled I found it was the shaft in the bearing that the steering wheel attaches to. With the wheel on it would appear to be ok but only because of the leverage from the wheel. Trying to turn the shaft by hand without the wheel on but the chain lifted off I could barely budge it.
So with the Binnacle apart I would also suggest you look at cleaning up the shaft in the bearings.