Olson 34 Rudder Bushing Removal

To address rudder play, I dropped the rudder on my Olson 34.

• rudder tube is fully enclosed and has bushings at the top and bottom (tiller steering)
• top bushing looks sort of like a phenolic or epoxy tube, smooth all around, possibly impregnated with graphite
• bottom bushing is a cutlass style having a grooved rubber bearing surface, then a plastic sleeve, then a bronze support which appears to be integral to the hull
• neither bushing moves a bit when struck with a drift improvised from steel rod stock - they may be glued in somehow, not sure

A picture from the bottom is linked below. The top may have a bronze support, but it is painted and I cannot tell without marring the finish.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/...7/6527675243038462546?authkey=CMy0rabhgYju4wE

Any advice on removing / replacing these bushings?

Please don't recommend gap filling work around solutions - I'm spending a good amount of DIY time and money on general refit and need the rudder to be as bullet proof as possible.

This seems like a good replacement bushing: https://www.vesconite.com/vesconite-hilube/
However, i'm open to suggestions on that point.

Picture rez is good, but I took me a minute to realize that I was looking up from the bottom. Perhaps.
My uneducated guess is that someone added some rudder bearings to your boat in the past. Is the rudder post tube original? One way to tell might be to look at the glass work inside that joins it to the hull. Ours is gel coated uniformly across the inside of the aft hull.
IF... the rudder bearing was added, they might have changed out the original frp tube for a larger diameter one. I recall asking a local yard about bearings once, years ago, and they said that's what they do. For them it's routine to just saw the old tube out of the bottom and glass in a new larger diameter tube. (!)

When I find some significant $$ under our couch cushions I would like to put a bearing system in there. Our rudder has some noticeable stiffness.
Or, I just need to become less lazy and crawl back there and shoot a tube of grease into those zerk's again.

Do you have some pix of the inside of the boat in that area??

FWIW, someone here once talked favorably about installing vesconite for their rudder post.

Regards,
Loren

ps: what is your hull # and year?
pps: another thread focused more on the stock rudder fitting.
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...-rudder-gland-replace-amp-glass&referrerid=28

Update from the trenches...

View from bottom - link in original post.

• top inside: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/...07/6528714568205953618?authkey=CJKaht7rtf3IIQ
• top deck: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/...7/6528714695562550850?authkey=CNSvsKeCnP_3lQE
• tube bottom: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/...07/6528714795756338114?authkey=CPO4jaPxm5yZIw
• tube up: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/...7/6528714877987509794?authkey=CIn48KTX2KDCoAE

No bolts, quadrant, etc.

Feedback from Vesconite is to machine out the old bearings.

Yard feedback is to [carefully] make two vertical cuts in the bushing ~1/2" apart, pry out the slot, and hope the remainder can be peeled out. Otherwise if glued in let swearing and gnashing of teeth commence. Possible to loosen glue with heat? I've seen this method proposed in other forums and it makes sense for pressed in bushings.

Since I have no sure fire way to machine out the bushings and maintain alignment, I may touch base with a local machinist to see if he has encountered this issue.

Rudder bushing

Ken
I replaced my rudder about 7 years ago and got an eyeshot of my lower bushing. It was not cutlas style as yours is, it is a simple bushing with a zero fitting inside that allows great injection (the zero is boogered up and not usable). This was the factory install.

I recall your boat and recall it being on the market out of NC. Yours is the very last O34 to be made. In fact, it was not completed and sold by Ericson as a unfinished hull- no outfitting had been done. Your window ports are the tell tale that it is different from others.

I suspect the original owner, who outfitted the boat, installed this bushing. My recs are to cut it from the inside and replace the tube. THis will likely save some futile labor persuading it out.

Keep posting pix. We’re all interested, because we will all ultimately face the same need to replace this bushing.
Thanks
CTO
(formerly of HYC)

Bushings removed

I was able to remove the old bushings - cutlass in the case of the lower - with relatively minimal fuss. I used a reciprocating saw to cut a notch out. Fortunately no glue or hidden set screws were used so with a little coaxing using a chisel and screwdriver they are out!

View from top - bottom bushing is same measurent:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/...7/6534640418037954594?authkey=COWssu3OoZWY8wE

The old bushings are out:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/...07/6534640991774135922?authkey=CMz95pO4puanXQ

Replacement should be a matter of machining and pressing in new bearings. My yard manager says this is fairly standard way to fit rudder bushings, so I'm feeling better about the project.

Now, on to inspect the rudder itself...

Rudder inspection

I sanded the old rudder and drilled a few small holes and a couple of larger holes. So here's a question...

Does this interior shot of the rudder post look Good? The hole is ~1/2" and drilled about 6" below the top of the rudder.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/...7/6535868268045740578?authkey=CJfOnv3vw8-i7wE

I was able to see a tiny bit of liquid in a couple of other holes. This dried up quickly and 15 minutes later I could not see it. I might add that I have seen a saturated rudder before and it leaked for days after haul out even before I dropped it and drilled holes! This rudder never displayed any weeping after haul out.

I'm fairly convinced this rudder is in decent condition. However...

• Will I realize $$$$ benefit from a new rudder?
• Who can I trust to make a good one for a reasonable price?

Unless otherwise advised, I will let it stand for a few days, patch up the holes and any other surface defects, lay a few coats of Interlux 2000e on, and polish up the post with emery cloth and a buffing wheel.

Rudder

Nice work getting this apart.

I pulled Loki's rudder about ~6 years ago and replaced it because it was sucking up water. I used Foss Foam out of Newport Beach CA since they made the original rudder. They're reputable, and will make an improved, updated rudder for you. Mine is a higher aspect ratio and about 6" deeper.

After pulling the old rudder, it took only a few months for it to dry out while storing inside. Knowing I could dry out and reuse the old rudder, I would have still chosen to replace with new because the performance is improved, big time. Not speed, but handling ability in a breeze. no more round ups!