I'm looking for opinions on the rudder condition.
My E38 has been out of the water since late May this year. I've been monitoring the rudder shape because there have been two lumps on the starboard side since we bought it 11 years ago. It went through the hot part of the summer ok, but since the weather has cooled down the profile has changed, mostly on the starboard side. I also found a crack in the paint that needs checking. Pictures attached.
Several years ago, I found water inside the shaft and sucked it out, along with a couple tools that were down there. I added a new gasket to the cover for the top bearing in the cockpit floor and solved that problem.
Attached also are pictures of inside of the shaft today. It looks like there is a screw in the bottom of the shaft and that the foam or glue is visible and doesn't look like the shaft bottom is closed. These LED lights are really good at illuminating the space compared to incandescent bulbs. Is this what the bottom of the shaft should look like?
Finally, I have tracked down a water leak under the cockpit to the bearing fitting in the floor of the cockpit that the top of the shaft fits into. So, it looks like another delay while I drop the rudder down to re-bed the fitting.
Thanks,
My E38 has been out of the water since late May this year. I've been monitoring the rudder shape because there have been two lumps on the starboard side since we bought it 11 years ago. It went through the hot part of the summer ok, but since the weather has cooled down the profile has changed, mostly on the starboard side. I also found a crack in the paint that needs checking. Pictures attached.
Several years ago, I found water inside the shaft and sucked it out, along with a couple tools that were down there. I added a new gasket to the cover for the top bearing in the cockpit floor and solved that problem.
Attached also are pictures of inside of the shaft today. It looks like there is a screw in the bottom of the shaft and that the foam or glue is visible and doesn't look like the shaft bottom is closed. These LED lights are really good at illuminating the space compared to incandescent bulbs. Is this what the bottom of the shaft should look like?
Finally, I have tracked down a water leak under the cockpit to the bearing fitting in the floor of the cockpit that the top of the shaft fits into. So, it looks like another delay while I drop the rudder down to re-bed the fitting.
Thanks,