Stopping tiller 'slop' in gudgeon/pintles.

[fredrussell]

My tiller has a bit of annoying play that I'd like removed. The pin is a M12 bolt that passes through gudgeon and pintle and is retained by a nut. Over time the bolt has 'ovaled' the holes in the part attached to boat (pintle?) as well as the delrin insert in the part attached to rudder (gudgeon?).

I'm thinking the easiest way to set this would be to get the gudgeon and pintle drilled out to M14 and fit a new m14 pin/bolt - there's plenty of metal in the pintle to do this. But would it be better to get some harder wearing bushes (brass?) machined to M14 and inserted in pintle top and bottom?

Due to imgur's awful user interface I have yet to work out how to post a pic, but the following is a link to a pic of my gudgeon and pintle:

https://imgur.com/a/6CoxMJx

 

[lw395]

I had this problem on my Impala, except the dimensions were different.
At anchor, the rudder would 'clonk' with every wave.
I sorted it by boring out the rudder to 10mm from 3/8 IIRC.
The gudgeons on the hull, I reamed the top to 10mm and tapped the bottom M10.
Then assembled with bolts and lock nuts, so the bolts don't move relative to the hull.
So the bolt only moves in the rudder fittings, not the hull fittings. Half the slack, even if it wears.
These days I'd machine some bushes and press them in. Or get bits TIG welded on.
It's essential to get the alignment right if you get rid of all the slack!

 

[William_H]

As OP suggested going to a bigger bolt size is a simple answer. Look around for rod or bolt that is just a little bigger. ol'will

 

[GHA]

Due to imgur's awful user interface I have yet to work out how to post a pic

In the link menu copy the 'BBcode' and paste into the post. Windows snipping tool works well as well, ctrl v straight into the new post page and copy bblink, takes a few seconds

 

[Ardenfour]

I had similar sloppy pintle. I slipped two lengths of 15mm copper pipe slit lengthways over the little. Result - No more knocking and banging

 

[Poignard]

lw375 is right. The bolt should not be able to rotate in the in the part attached to the boat. He suggests tapping the lower hole and using a lock nut to prevent it rotating and that would

Other options would be to file the top hole square and use a coach bolt, or use a hexagon-headed bolt and drill a small hole next to one flat of the head and drive in a roll pin or taper pin to prevent the bolt head turning.

 

[Sniper]

I had similar sloppy pintle. I slipped two lengths of 15mm copper pipe slit lengthways over the little. Result - No more knocking and banging

+ 1. Recommended by surveyor and cheap, easy, effective ( but would make an engineer cry, no doubt)