Gentlemen-
Time to reinstall the rudders. They’re the tiny B28 type with the tiller land below the table just to add to the fun. I’m telling myself that I will upgrade to Capt Pat’s rudders when I replace the rudder table and convert to the tiller above the rudder table.. yeah, yeah, that’s the plan, yeah…
I’ve scanned the board for tips and I’m planning the following:
1- The rudders have been stripped to bare metal
2- 2 coast of Primocon on the rudder blade (leaving space under zincs bare)
3- 2 coats of Trilux on the rudder blade
4- Rudder ports cleaned
5- Three pieces of ¼†flax packing alternating the seams for the ends
6- Tighten down the cap nut until tight and then an additional ¼ turn
7- Lock cap with lock nut
8- Re-attach and re-check bonding
9- Spray it all down with CX
Forget the marine grease on the shaft. Its a slow turning shaft that the water will lube and you don't want any of that grease to get into the packing gland when you set the boat in the water and the water pressure wants to force the grease upwards into the gland.
Forget the never seize also and use tef gel. Never sieze cakes over time and is really only usefull in hi temp applications.
No reason to wait to replace the rudder table. Though that configuration is a pain in the ass, once you repack the gland, it's good for 5 to 10 years. If it seeps just a little, so what, the bilge is going to have water in it anyway.
Installing Capt Pat's rudders was one of the best upgrades I made to my boat not only for handling, but safety. A must have if you are forced to come in on one engine.
Replace the rudders and the bearing block, keep the bearing block greased and coated with Corrosion X and you will be good to go for a very long time.
Roger what Bruce & Eddy advise. My B31 had the 28 style rudders like yours and my tables, steering arms, and tie rod were perfect, so I went with Capt. Patrick's B28 style oversize rudders and they fit perfect to my old stuff....easy install and no tearing crap out, etc. The only difference is the rudder stock (shaft) - the blade area is the same on both Patrick's B31 and B28 styles.
And of course, its the best upgrade you can do to an old Bertram - the oversize rudders are simply amazing & on my boat actually gave me a little more top speed due to almost no need for toe-in...and you can actually steer the boat on one engine at any speed. And are they strong? How about my boat getting slammed down on a concrete floor during Katrina ON THE RUDDERS, and while the struts cracked, the rudders did not bend, crack , deflect, or for that matter, even scratch. Bulletproof and again, the best upgrade you can do, a no brainer.
My B31 had the rudder-arms-under-the-table set-up like yours. I just replaced the rudders and repacked, and it worked fine. Agree with UV--the best upgrade you can do, especially if you ever slow troll on one engine, which is next to impossible with the stock rudders.
There is a slight disadvantage to just replacing the rudders, and not replacing the rudders and table and going to a rudder/tiller-arm over the table configuration. A rudder to rudder type table that Capt. Pat has done with the rudder arms over the table and running to the stringers won't quite work with the under the table configuration. The higher table of the under the table configuration won't clear the exhaust hoses. I know I didn't explain it well, but hopefully you get my drift here. No matter what--get Capt. Pat's rudders.
As always gentlemen, thank you. The Never-Seez and grease are out and Tef-Gel is in.
I'm not really waiting to replace the rudder tables I'd just prefer the tiller on top configuration and given the tables are plywood they're on the list of things to replace... like the strut backing pads... Sooo rather than convert to Capt. Pat's rudders (with $$ I don’t have) and get 'em with the lower tiller lands, I'm promising myself I do it once and do it all the way right.. yeah...
John- you explained it well to anybody who's had the rush of blood to the head that comes with hanging upside down, down there looking at how things line up...
UV, did you upgrade the rudder ports and/or rudder port backing pads when you installed Capt. Pat's rudders? Or are those ports already -all the way strong- given their proximity to the transom?
By the way how come nobody uses a knee from the stringer to strengthen the strut pads? Cuts into potential fish box space?
Man, I managed to ask a lot of questions just tryin' to say THANK YOU...
No, my ports were fine, as demonstrated by the Katrina escapade. The knee is simply not necessary. You are starting with a very stout hul, at least on the B31. The Hyena Boats may not be quite as beefy, but they were all over built by today's standards.
I have the same design. Just make sure the rudder arms are secured to the square part of the rudder shaft. Seems like a no-brainer but was obviosly not something I was worried about. With the arms being right under the shelf they are not readily visible but still have room to "jump off". On my initial trip offshore everything seemed fine until on the way back in I had to reduce the port throttle when making a 90 degree turn into the intracoastal hmmm.... Then when I was backing into the fuel dock I put port in reverse goosed the throttle and thunk! thunk! thunk! swung the rudder into the prop. After pulling the props we were advised to take out 2 inches of pitch and she runs like a completely different boat. So some good defenitely came out of the situation. Have since replaced the rudder shaft packing and found the shelf to be no big deal. I love how she handles offshore and I am defenitely a hyena lover. The information and people on this forum are invaluable.
Stephan,
If your rudder port flanges are worn or out of round you might want to have some Durlyn spacers machined by your prop shop. They should be aleast 2-3" long when inserted into the port openings to do away with sloppyness and chattering noises when underway. Have them made so they fit snug on the rudder shafts. It's either that or buy new rudder flanges, it really reduces the amount of noise back there.
Also check you flange bolts for wear, if the heads look a little funky the threads are more than likely in poor shape. I have seen flange bolts that were a little suspect, when they were pulled 2 of the shafts on the bolts were about 7/8's gone from corrosion, and the other 2 were corroded all the way thru, the only thing holding the rudder flanges in place was the caulking compound and a 1/16 of an inch of material.
Pete
