terry_thatcher
Terence Thatcher
Jim, a few years back, you described applying HDMW (or something, not good at remembering) to your rudder post to take up slack in the gudgeon. How did that work out? How is the plastic holding up? Thanks.
Hi Fellow Morganeers...Terry
I'm sure this is all in the archives but I'll give it a go. My memory is about as good as yours. For a few years of sailing the rudder would occasionally clunk when pressure was shifted as we sailed or motored or even sat at anchor with a slightly chop. I checked everything and tightened what there was to tighten without finding a solution to the clunk. The rudder itself was new so it wasn't an internal problem. One Spring when I took the rudder down to change the cutlass bearing, I took a digital caliper to the shaft and the inside of the gudgeon opening. My numbers showed that the gudgeon opening was about 40 thousands of an inch larger then the shaft. It doesn't sound like much, but it was enough to produce an audible clunk when the rudder shifted. I looked at three options: have a new gudgeon moulded ($$$$$), Have the gudgeon opening filled with bronze and machined back to proper specs ($$$), and filling the gap with some kind of shim material ($). Of course I decided to go with the ($) solution. On one of the online hardware outlets (I don't remember which) I found the HDMW, high density molecular sheets in various thicknesses with sticky back. If I can remember the numbers, I think I needed about .020 in thickness to fill the gap. When the rudder went back in with the new bearing in place the shim stock was added to the shaft at the gudgeon. No more clunk. It's been two seasons so far and there doesn't appear to be much wear on the shims. I will try to dig into my records to find where I ordered the stuff from. The posted photo shows the shim with a wood plug the proper diameter of the shaft.
Jim
Jim, thank you so much for your wisdom. This has cleared up lot of my doubts. One more question. Do people put some sort of vaseline or lubricant on the shaft ?Lucas
Looking at your video, it appears you have both issues to address. There appears to be a large amount of play in the round opening of the gudgeon. If you look at the photo I posted on my 17 May 2020 post, you will see the UHMW sheet installed to fill the gap created by the wear. The other is the weight of the rudder is causing the fiberglass of the rudder to rub and wear on the bronze of the gudgeon. In that case one of those plastic washers needs to be placed on the shaft above the gudgeon to absorb the weight. It's really amazing, I have written so often about the boats gudgeon that I no longer have to look up how to spell it.
Jim