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sailboat rudder bushings

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14-08-2023, 17:00  
Boat: 15' Catboat, Bristol 35.5
bushing material? The lower existing bushing is . There is a lot (1/4") of slop in it. I'm thinking of reaming the female bushing and inserting a bushing to match the size of the pintle. Any suggestions?
14-08-2023, 17:39  
Boat: 50ft Custom Fast Catamaran
14-08-2023, 18:26  
Boat: Mariner 39
 
15-08-2023, 00:25  
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)







15-08-2023, 00:29  
, mine is 15 years old.
15-08-2023, 01:02  
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
or POM-H (homopolymer l) is part of the POM material , the other POM being copolymer acetal (POM-C).


Vesconite has much higher wear resistance, higher load carrying capacity and higher surface speed limits than acetal, together with better dimensional stability and lower friction.

Vesconite can be used with much finer tolerances and clearances, owing to much better dimensional stability.

Vesconite's chemical resistance to acids and solvents is much better.

Vesconite machines more easily.



Tensile yield strength = acetal 65MPA / Vesconite 80

Design loading = acetal 25 MPa / Vesconite 30 MPa

Thermal expansion = acetal 10 mm/mm/oC x 10-5 / Vesconite 6 mm/mm/oC x 10-5

absorption (saturated) = acetal 0.8% / Vesconite 0.5%

Maximum operating temperature continuous = acetal 100oC / Vesconite 100oC
15-08-2023, 01:46  
Boat: Pearson 365 Sloop and 9' Fatty Knees.
15-08-2023, 03:49  
Boat: Cheoy lee perry 48
bearings ,nothing else comes close .⛵️⚓️
15-08-2023, 04:52  
Boat: Mariner 39
.
The same size cylinder of Vesconite from Gallagher Fluid (in my home state of PA, USA) is listed at $212 before tax and .
15-08-2023, 05:06  
Boat: Belliure 41
name. Not a material specification. Delrin is also a name, not a material specification.

Manufacturers tend to use specific materials and may make some specific adjustments to then give their produced product a "twist" and then give it a "trade name". Or they may just use a commercially available material and sell it under their trade name....

The industry is littered with this kind of thing. Polymers are particularly prone to this kind of , although it happens in metallic alloys also. The reality is, there is no such thing as a specific "marine grade" material. All materials are made to industry standards and the materials selected within a given industry have been shown to perform well in that industry.

Acetal is a good material for what you need. You could also use UHMWPE if your bearing has no UV exposure. Both are easy to machine.

Bronze would also be a good choice. But you would do well to know what bronze alloy you are sleeving and get that same alloy or a compatible alloy for your sleeve. That may be more difficult than it's worth so going with acetal is an easy solution. Depending upon your pintle, gudgeon and rudder design, the "best" (In my opinion no such thing actually exists) would be to match bronzes and sleeve with the correct bronze (likely) alloy.

dj
15-08-2023, 05:22  
Boat: 50ft Custom Fast Catamaran
(in my home state of PA, USA) is listed at $212 before tax and shipping.
15-08-2023, 05:24  
Boat: Belliure 41
at it's finest!

dj
15-08-2023, 05:26  
Boat: 50ft Custom Fast Catamaran
15-08-2023, 05:30  
Boat: Belliure 41
 
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rudder bushing replacement

  • Thread starter nick
  • Start date Aug 30, 2005
  • Hunter Owner Forums
  • The Cherubini Hunters

I have some play in the rudder, making it knock badly in prop wake and cause the shaft to leak through the stuffing. I'm about to haul out and attempt to replace it, but wanted to check beforehand and see if anyone else on here has done this job and might have some advice for me. Hunter can't give me any specifics on my rudder, though they said typically the bearing is in the hull tube. Any help is appreciated.  

Just completed on my Legend 37 I just relaunched my 37 after replacing the bearings. Job was not too bad, just ackward removing/replacing the rudder and removing the old bearings. I had two helpers to drop and lift the rudder due to the weight. My bearings were sleeve type made of plastic. I had to cut out the old ones using a hole saw then epoxy in the new ones. The new bearings had to be hand measured and custom ordered. When epoxying the new bearings, you have to install the rudder at the same time to ensure bearinsg set in the correct alignment. I now have a very nice smooth rudder rotation with no play. Turned out great!  

Paul Akers

Did mine a couple of years' ago And I ran into the same problems as the other Paul did (1988 L37). So be prepared to have the boat on the hard until the new bearings come in. And be sure of your measurements. Hint: Remove the rudder while the boat is in the slings. Otherwise wou will have to dig a hole to remove it. You'll have to dig a hole, anyway, to replace it, but it'll be easier to dig if the rudder's not in the way.  

thanks thanks guys; I really appreaciate it. It sounds like I'm dealing with a bearing and not a bushing, huh ... as for hauling/dropping the rudder, I have it worked out with a local boatyard to keep it in the slings while removing the rudder. two questions arise now: 1. how long did it take you to epoxy it back in, paul? Is it something i can do by having it in the slings from close of business and overnight? 2. do either of you have any suggestions of where to look when ordering the new bearing? Did you go someplace local, or could you refer me to someplace nat'l? And if you had to take a stab, how long do you think it might take from the time I place the order? Sorry, I lied; More than 2 questions.  

I was lucky Nick, fortunately, I had a friend who managed a factory in Mexico. He is an engineer and did the measurements with a caliper. He measures the rudder post (stock) and then measured the opening in the hull. Hunter could not provide the the specs. It was during the early spring and the boat was already hauled so they had to dig a hole to get the rudder out. He managed to get the parts mfg'd in a relatively short time. It cost me $40 for the bushing/bearingm but expect to pay more. The rudder was then fitted when the boat was launched and in the slings. This gave me time to sand & paint the rudder in the yard shed. Total time was about 4 weeks. Idea: Maybe the rudder mfgr (Foss Foam) in Florida can help you with the specs? Foss Foam 4480 126th Ave. N. Clearwater, FL 33762-4701 727-577-0478.  

same boat? hey Paul, mine's an 82; do you have relatively the same year/model? If so, do you still have the specs for the bearing? and was it a sleeve bearing like the legend 37? I'm trying desperately to cut down on my time on the hard because I live aboard, and though I can deal with couching it for a while, too long would get to me quickly. thanks  

Sorry - no specs *cry Maybe the other Paul?  

Other Paul's response... Hi, Unfortunately, you'll need to drop the rudder and start taking measurements of what size bearings you actually need. Like my follow sailor Paul said, I too carefully measured the rudder post with clippers and in the inside hole diameter. I rebuild by upper bearing support to make stronger so my job was not a simple drop out and replace job. From what I have wittnessed, the old UHMW plastic sleave bearings are epoxied in place. The top one I was able to break free and easily remove. The epoxy does not stick to the bearing plastic...it is there to take up the extra space between the rudder post and bearing itself. This allows you a chance to properly align the rudder as the bearings seat and epoxy kicks. My bottom bearing was pretty well intergrated in the hull from the factory. I used hole saw to cut out old one but it was a very slow process to be sure the hole did not extend into the rudder post itself. I would plan on being in the yard at least 2-3 weeks. You will need to take out rudder, remove old bushings bearings, take measurements, place an order.....wait for delivery, then reinstall....wait for epoxy to set...then maybe you are ready to go. An over night job will not be enough time in my opinion. My boat is a 90 Legend 37. I am very happy with the repair results. Looks great and I think, Better than new! I do not know what your exact design looks like, but from the boats I reviewed in the yard during my 6 weeks on the hard, they all were similar. Good luck. Its not a hard job...just takes time and some man power especially when the rudder gets heavy.  

going at it thanks for the advice. I'm pulling her in an hour or two here, will get a good look at it once the rudder's off, consult some marina technician buddies, and maybe keep everyone posted, as I'm sure I'll be stumped in the process a time or two. I found a machine shop near locally - in Annapolis - that could get a day or two turnaround, so that should cut out a lot of my wait time. I'm hoping to have it done in a week, but I realize that's optimistic. We'll see. Thanks again.  

the latest ... well for anyone interested, here's the latest: it looks like the bearing/bushing system in my boat is nothing like what's been described to me by just about everyone involved. The stuffing portion and the shaft tube are all one piece of 1/4" thick, foot-long bronze that starts at the stuffing nut, and ends flush with the bottom of the hull. And over time, it's worn, but maybe not enough to add a even a thin shim. I used lab calipers to measure both, and the shaft is 1.5" exactly, while the tube is 1.538" - seems a tiny difference, but that's just in the bottom 1/2" of the tube where I could measure. So my options are: 1. (offered by the local marina's head tech): drill two grease fittings into the top of the tube near the stuffing, replace the shaft, and inject heavy grease, which will keep it from knocking back and forth and will need to be re-injected every couple of years. 2. somehow remove the tube (which I'm told nobody in their right mind would want to do) and have an entirely new one machined. The end result of this would be another 12 inches of bronze-against-stainless friction problem. So I'm debating. Anyone have any experience with a system like this before?  

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