Posted by tomirick (tomirick@…>)
I am new to the board and have a 1987 F-30 (for 7 years). Can you lubricate the rudder bearings, or why else is my steering so stiff.
Thanks in advance
Posted by macks011 (macks04@…>)
I have an 1986 F36 with the same problem. On my boat there are 4
zerk fittings to grease the rudder. However, lubrication is not the
problem. I discussed this with Paul Dennis of Warren River Boat
Works. His take on it was that the lower bearing was fabricated from
a plastic that absorbed water over time and swelled, reducing the
designed tolerences. He suggested dropping the rudder and CAREFULLY
increasing the I.D. of the bearing by using a drum sander and 60
grit paper. Probably no more than 1/32nd of an inch.
Over the winter, I obtained a piece of pipe which matched the rudder
stock, and laminated a 1/32" sheet of plastic to it to use as a try
piece. I dropped the rudder, cleaned out the old grease and sanded
the bore of the bearing. Worked like a charm, problem solved.
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “tomirick” <tomirick@c…>
wrote:
I am new to the board and have a 1987 F-30 (for 7 years). Can you
lubricate the rudder bearings, or why else is my steering so stiff.
Thanks in advance
Posted by JoelR (ohso2001@…>)
Great question Tom.
I have never been able to find lubrication nipples
anywhere on the rudder assembly of my F-30, and I paid
a boatyard to do it when I was having a bottom job and
they couldn’t find anything either, by looking down
through the emergency rudder access to emptying out my
lazarette.
I’ve heard some F-30s have lubrication nipples. My
does not appear to have them.
Califia
— tomirick <tomirick@…> wrote:
I am new to the board and have a 1987 F-30 (for 7
years). Can you lubricate the rudder bearings, or
why else is my steering so stiff.
Thanks in advance
\
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Posted by delig8it (tomirick@…>)
-I was shocked at such a quick reply,…many thanks!
I feel like an idiot for not knowing to lube the rudder, thought they
were just bearing races, and it seems like my steering is always
stiffer when I first start to use the boat after winter. I assumed
it was just growth on the bottom and just needed to worked out with
oversteering back and forth.
Does it matter what kind of grease you use? Does it have a different
makeup than grease for trailer bearing zerks? It seems like you can’t
over lube it…wouldn’t it come out in the water above rudder?
I saw mention of adjusting bolts for tension on the message board,
but a little nervous about messing with them. The Freedom line is
fairly rare out here in the Northwest, such not much in the way of
boatyard help.
Thanks again!
– In freedomyachts2003@yahoogon troups.com, “macks011”
<macks04@o…> wrote:
I have an 1986 F36 with the same problem. On my boat there are 4
zerk fittings to grease the rudder. However, lubrication is not
the
problem. I discussed this with Paul Dennis of Warren River Boat
Works. His take on it was that the lower bearing was fabricated
from
a plastic that absorbed water over time and swelled, reducing the
designed tolerences. He suggested dropping the rudder and CAREFULLY
increasing the I.D. of the bearing by using a drum sander and 60
grit paper. Probably no more than 1/32nd of an inch.Over the winter, I obtained a piece of pipe which matched the
rudder
stock, and laminated a 1/32" sheet of plastic to it to use as a try
piece. I dropped the rudder, cleaned out the old grease and sanded
the bore of the bearing. Worked like a charm, problem solved.— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “tomirick”
<tomirick@c…>
wrote:I am new to the board and have a 1987 F-30 (for 7 years). Can
you
lubricate the rudder bearings, or why else is my steering so stiff.
Thanks in advance
Posted by Kevin Ogden (kcogden@…>)
I have read that Freedom recommends greasing these not-too-accessible fittings every month in use! I didn’t even discover mine had two grease fittings at the top of the rudder until going thru the Med 9/10 of the way around on a circumnavigation, by which time the top bearing had worn into oblate dimensions and was allowing the top of the rudder post to “thunk” back and forth with each roll.
Bottom bearing had also always allowed lots of water in despite new packing and loads of grease, and when whole rudder assembly dropped and inspected, the outer 6" stainless sleeve around the lower rudder post was found to be out of round. The lower delrin bearing, which is permanently glassed into the hull, however, was surprisingly perfectly true and round. Leads me to believe the stainless sleeve was out of round from day of manufacture. MUCH labor later problem solved with good bearing fit bottom and top, and no more leaks or thunks. Huge labor though.
----- Original Message -----
From: delig8it
To: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 7:21 PM
Subject: [freedomyachts2003] Re: Stiff Helm- Rudder bearings- Can you lubricate?
-I was shocked at such a quick reply,…many thanks!I feel like an idiot for not knowing to lube the rudder, thought they were just bearing races, and it seems like my steering is always stiffer when I first start to use the boat after winter. I assumed it was just growth on the bottom and just needed to worked out with oversteering back and forth.Does it matter what kind of grease you use? Does it have a different makeup than grease for trailer bearing zerks? It seems like you can’t over lube it…wouldn’t it come out in the water above rudder?I saw mention of adjusting bolts for tension on the message board, but a little nervous about messing with them. The Freedom line is fairly rare out here in the Northwest, such not much in the way of boatyard help.Thanks again!-- In freedomyachts2003@yahoogon troups.com, “macks011” <macks04@o…> wrote:> I have an 1986 F36 with the same problem. On my boat there are 4 > zerk fittings to grease the rudder. However, lubrication is not the > problem. I discussed this with Paul Dennis of Warren River Boat > Works. His take on it was that the lower bearing was fabricated from > a plastic that absorbed water over time and swelled, reducing the > designed tolerences. He suggested dropping the rudder and CAREFULLY > increasing the I.D. of the bearing by using a drum sander and 60 > grit paper. Probably no more than 1/32nd of an inch. > > Over the winter, I obtained a piece of pipe which matched the rudder > stock, and laminated a 1/32" sheet of plastic to it to use as a try > piece. I dropped the rudder, cleaned out the old grease and sanded > the bore of the bearing. Worked like a charm, problem solved.> > > > — In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “tomirick” <tomirick@c…> > wrote:> > I am new to the board and have a 1987 F-30 (for 7 years). Can you > lubricate the rudder bearings, or why else is my steering so stiff.> > Thanks in advance
Posted by David G. Evans (dgevans@…>)
I’ve heard many version of this story. Although I have one grease fitting, nothing will go through it. Since it’s probably not threaded into the fiberglass, I haven’t tried to replace it. Some people have suggested that a petroleum-based lubricant might be bad for the delrin. So I squirt mineral oil around the rudder stock a few times a season! It either works or I’ve gotten used to the feel.
----- Original Message -----
From: tomirick
To: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 1:20 PM
Subject: [freedomyachts2003] Stiff Helm- Rudder bearings- Can you lubricate?
I am new to the board and have a 1987 F-30 (for 7 years). Can you lubricate the rudder bearings, or why else is my steering so stiff.
Thanks in advance
Posted by thomas irick (tomirick@…>)
Thanks for the tip. I was curious if a regular grease was appropriate, but it makes sense the zerk would be coroded long ago and would not rethread. With so many types of lubricants available, I thought Freedom would have a suggestion of , at least, what not to use, but haven’t recieved a response yet.
----- Original Message -----
From: David G. Evans
To: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 3:33 PM
Subject: Re: [freedomyachts2003] Stiff Helm- Rudder bearings- Can you lubricate?
I’ve heard many version of this story. Although I have one grease fitting, nothing will go through it. Since it’s probably not threaded into the fiberglass, I haven’t tried to replace it. Some people have suggested that a petroleum-based lubricant might be bad for the delrin. So I squirt mineral oil around the rudder stock a few times a season! It either works or I’ve gotten used to the feel.
----- Original Message -----
From: tomirick
To: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 1:20 PM
Subject: [freedomyachts2003] Stiff Helm- Rudder bearings- Can you lubricate?
I am new to the board and have a 1987 F-30 (for 7 years). Can you lubricate the rudder bearings, or why else is my steering so stiff.
Thanks in advance