Stiff Rudder - Not the Cable
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=50859
Printed Date: January-15-2025 at 4:03pm
Topic: Stiff Rudder - Not the Cable
Posted By: dshack
Subject: Stiff Rudder - Not the Cable
Date Posted: August-23-2022 at 7:48pm
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I could use some help problem solving why my rudder is stiff. The steering cable and helm has less than 50 hours. If I drop the rudder and grease the rudder post, the steering feels amazing for about the first 30 mins on the water. Then, it gradually gets stiff again. It seems the grease is temporarily hiding the binding issue and then when it washes away it comes back. One theory is that I've got the top bolt too tight (the one that gets the safety wire, not the packing nut), which is causing excess friction. Another theory is that the packing nut is sitting slightly too high, which means the tiller arm rubs on the packing nut. Could these be the issue? Any other ideas? |
Replies:
Posted By: MrMcD
Date Posted: August-23-2022 at 9:09pm
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I am guessing your packing nut is too tight. Once you overtighten the only solution I have found is to remove all the packing and start over. Yep, been there and done that one. Learning the hard way but trying to share. Install the packing bring the nut down by hand till it touches the rope packing, add maybe another 1/4 turn and stop. This is usually enough. 6 years after replacing mine i need to go back in and tighten it a little. When camping with the boat on the water for 3-4 days straight 24-7 I get maybe a little water in the boat but it used to be near zero. Once you overtighten there is nothing to make it loosen even if you back the nut way off the rope stays tight. ------------- |
Posted By: dshack
Date Posted: August-23-2022 at 9:19pm
| Thanks, you are probably right. The top of the packing nut was sitting a little high and I cranked it down to try to get it flush with the "shoulder" on the rudder where the tiller rests. Should I have instead used 1 less wrap of rope (currently have 3)? Or should I have just left the packing nut a little high? |
Posted By: dshack
Date Posted: August-24-2022 at 11:20am
| After a little more research, I'm thinking maybe my issue is that when I replaced the steering cable, I also replaced the rudder packing with 3 wraps of 1/4" packing (the same number of wraps as what was in there). However, it looks like my 2001 likely used 3/16" packing originally. I'll grab some 3/16" packing and redo it and just hand tighten the packing nut. I'm betting that will solve it. Thanks! |
Posted By: uncle-buck
Date Posted: August-27-2022 at 1:59pm
I have a NOS package of 3-16" packing you can have for $10 shipped.  ------------- 1990 Ski Nautique (original owner) PCM 351W with D.U.I. |
dshack wrote:Posted By: dshack
Date Posted: August-30-2022 at 12:44pm
| Thanks for the offer, I was able to find the same product locally last week. Pulled and reset the rudder and it worked perfectly all weekend. Thanks for the help! |
Posted By: MrMcD
Date Posted: August-30-2022 at 2:18pm
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Glad you got it fixed up. ------------- |
Posted By: uncle-buck
Date Posted: August-30-2022 at 2:30pm
------------- 1990 Ski Nautique (original owner) PCM 351W with D.U.I. |