[C320-list] C320 Rudder Play

[Chris Burti]

I'll add a bit of info here. As a former Cal owner and
ex list member of that group, this was the topic of
considerable discussion on our older boats.

The general consensus there was that the rudder posts
rarely wear in uniform cylindrical pattern since the
post does not rotate consistently. They tend to wear
into an elipsoid shape. As a result, the epoxy
technique was excellent in theory, but in practice it
would lock up the rudder post immovably if there was
any significant wear. 

The preferred repair was to shim the post with long
narrow tabs cut from soft drink bottles or milk jugs
and add them around the perimeter until rudder
operation was smooth. Polyethylene is
self-lubricating, so this is a low maintenance
solution. I did mine and it was holding up two years
later when we disposed of our T/2 a Lapworth designed
half-tonner.

Be aware that if you remove the emergency steering
bolt and the steering quadrant, nothing is holding the
rudder in the boat when you loosen the stuffing box. 

Older rudders may not be positively bouyant...so...


cb

--- Bruce Heyman <BruceHeyman at cox.net> wrote:

> Peter,
> While continuing to try to sort out the stanchion
> replacement I was talking
> to the technical rep here in CA (by the way they
> sure do seem to have a
> strange parts ordering process).
> 
> There are no bearings for the rudder shaft, only a
> stuffing box at the top
> of the fiberglass tube.  Technical support is
> sending me something that
> explains how to take some of the play out as the
> tube wears.  She verbally
> described a process where you fill the tube with
> epoxy and another process
> where you use shims.  I will publish whatever I get
> from them.
> 
> Bruce
> Somerset 671 SoCal
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf
> Of Bruce Heyman
> Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2006 9:05 PM
> To: 'C320-List'
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] C320 Rudder Play
> 
> Peter,
> 
> I tried to figure this out this afternoon when we
> were down at the boat.  At
> the top of the rudder shaft glassed into the hull
> there is a brass fitting
> that looks like a combination bearing and stuffing
> box.  Mine had green
> stuffing oozing out.  Thought it was grease but felt
> more like wax.  There
> did not seem to be any adjustments or grease zerks.
> There is nothing at the
> bottom of the shaft log that is accessible from the
> inside, so if there is a
> bearing as the shaft enters the hull it must be
> accessible from the outside.
> That said when I was doing the bottom paint it
> looked perfectly fair around
> the rudder shaft.
> 
> Looks like there is another bearing glassed into the
> deck which is visible
> from the aft port lazarette and from the emergency
> tiller access port. Again
> I did not see any way to make any adjustments or any
> grease zerks.
> Have you been successful in finding anything?
> 
> Bruce
> Somerset 671 SoCal
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf
> Of Peter Clancy
> Sent: Friday, September 15, 2006 1:26 PM
> To: C320-List
> Subject: [C320-list] C320 Rudder Play
> 
> When last hauled for a bottom job I found some play
> where the rudder post
> enters the hull. Does anyone know if there is a
> rudder bearing located at
> the base of the rudder shaft or does it simply enter
> the shaft? I believe
> boats might be configured either way. Better yet,
> has anyone already dealt
> with this problem and how was it resolved. Thanks.
> 
> Peter Clancy
> AROBAN  C320  #222
> Miami, FL 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


Chris Burti
"Commitment"
Catalina 320, #867, 
Farmville, NC

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