Is it easy to tell when the drill bit penetrated the fiberglass tube? Approximately how thick is the tube?Gave this zerk replacement project a go today Christian, and thank you for posting in such detail. Was unable to find a 1/2 inch, unfortunately, so my grease pumping tomorrow will take longer than yours, I’m sure. Hope it works.
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I took Christian’s advice, and plunged right in with the drill, remembering how difficult it was to drill a simple hole in my 1” stainless steel cockpit rail. Considering that, I wasn’t worried about penetrating the stainless steel rudder post. The drill cut through the glass, and I could tell by feel once it hit the stainless post. I then lowered a lighted mirror down to get a better view of the hole and could see the post. Not sure exactly how thick it was, but I wouldn’t think more than two inches.Is it easy to tell when the drill bit penetrated the fiberglass tube? Approximately how thick is the tube?
Should note @jtsai that I also used a larger bit to just get deep enough for the zerk threads, then finished with a smaller bit to the rudder post. (As Christian suggested). I did need to tap the zerk in lightly with a hammer to get it flush, as the best drill bit I had was slightly smaller that the thread size.I took Christian’s advice, and plunged right in with the drill, remembering how difficult it was to drill a simple hole in my 1” stainless steel cockpit rail. Considering that, I wasn’t worried about penetrating the stainless steel rudder post. The drill cut through the glass, and I could tell by feel once it hit the stainless post. I then lowered a lighted mirror down to get a better view of the hole and could see the post. Not sure exactly how thick it was, but I wouldn’t think more than two inches.
BTW, I wonder how many hours of frustration @Christian Williams has saved people on this forum by going down this path first and finding the fix. @bsangs, it looks like your rudder bearing seal has given up it's hold and would leak regardless of the state of the packing material. One of the previous owners of my boat wasn't lucky enough to have Cristian's blog as a guide and spent some time down there fiber glassing the packing gland to the rudder tube. They were a bit careless with their work and ended up wrapping glass between the two pieces, above the whole fitting, and around the bolts.
Not at all. Actually the opposite and I plan on doing the same. Christian detailed his work that started with resecuring the packing gland and repacking it but still ended up with a leak. It was the work you've done that actually stopped the water coming in. I was just saying his blog saved you and others from focusing on the packing gland and still having a leak.Wait, are you saying I just wasted my time and energy with this project @trickdhat?
Whew! Yeah, his post was invaluable. I’d have never had the confidence level to do such a job this soon in my boat ownership life without having come across it.Not at all. Actually the opposite and I plan on doing the same. Christian detailed his work that started with resecuring the packing gland and repacking it but still ended up with a leak. It was the work you've done that actually stopped the water coming in. I was just saying his blog saved you and others from focusing on the packing gland and still having a leak.
Yes. The drill bit will hit the stainless rudder post and stop. It won’t hurt anything. The rudder tube is probably 1/4” thick, maybe a bit less?Is it easy to tell when the drill bit penetrated the fiberglass tube? Approximately how thick is the tube?
I doubt that the lower grease fitting was ever installed in the lower bearing itself (vs the upper bearing). My lower bearing seemed to be about 6" tall. Considering that it extends from below the shallow "skeg," through the skeg, then the thickness of the hull, then the built-up base of the rudder tube, I wouldn't think there would be much accessible bearing height above that to support a zerk. More likely, the lower zerk was installed in the rudder tube itself.The original design looked to have the fittings located where they would lube the bushings:
Anyone have a suggestion for clearing a jammed zerk fitting? At least I think that's the problem. The existing upper zerk will not accept any grease from my gun. It's a royal pita to access it for me, and when I finally had a successful coupling, the grease gun wouldn't pump. Took it off, made sure it was working properly, spent another 10 minutes fumbling around to make a connection, same thing. Took the gun apart, reassembled, same thing. Swore a blue streak for 20 minutes, tried again, bubkas. On the surface, the zerk looks to be in perfect shape. I fear it's seized/blocked by old dried up grease. Any other way to get grease in that area if I cannot clear the damn thing?If anybody reading this in the next ten years arrives here because of a sloppy rudder, which clunks when tacking, first check the top rudder-post bearing bolted to the cockpit floor. Typically that bearing* gets loose, causing rudder wobble not related to the bottom bearing at all.
The issue can't be seen from the cockpit, but if that's it, a crawl under to tighten the bolts is an instant fix.
*"Bronze rudder post deck flange w/grease fitting"
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Did you take the zerk off and verify it was working properly?The existing upper zerk will not accept any grease from my gun. It's a royal pita to access it for me, and when I finally had a successful coupling, the grease gun wouldn't pump. Took it off, made sure it was working properly, spent another 10 minutes fumbling around to make a connection, same thing.
No, I didn’t. Might have to. Unfortunately my zerk access is severely limited. Barely have enough room to get the rubber grease gun tube lined up. The zerk faces forward, and the previous owner replaced the original pedestal. The phalanx of bolts protruding down makes an already difficult task even harder. I can only “access” it from the starboard lazaret, the wall of which has my AIS & Garmin boxes attached to it, making that problematic too. No access to it from the rear lazaret, for my body anyway. 6-feet tall with broad shoulders are good for many things in life, but getting inside the guts of a 1985 Ericson ain’t one of them.Did you take the zerk off and verify it was working properly?
My experience was that the spring inside the zerk was rusted which prevented the checkball in the zerk from accepting grease. I used a socket and a couple of extensions to reach the zerk to unscrew and replace it.
I have a E32-3 and don't know how it compares to an E35-3 for zerk access. On my boat, I found I could see and access the upper zerk fairly easily (for a boat definition of "easily") after I emptied the aft lazerette and crawled in. After doing that, my eyes were roughly at zerk level and my arms bent the right way to access it.
Might be my best bet. Simple, but won’t be as easy as drilling for the lower one. Not sure if I’ll still fasten it with epoxy, or try to tap threads.Or you can leave the old one as it is and install a new Zerk in a (somewhat) more reachable position.
That does require working with a drill in the tight space, but otherwise not very difficult.