911SE top rudder bearing specifications?

[gregshay79]

Hello there,
Does anyone have any spec details on the top rudder bearing for a 911, or do I have to first disassemble and measure?

Rudder post OD? Seems to be 2.5"

Too to bottom height? (Standard or low profile?)

Compatible replacement bearing vendor part number? My top plate shows Harken, but don't know if that is just a plate or the bearing assembly itself.

New owner, very happy with the boat 2mos so far.
Thanks
Greg

 

[Slick470]

Congrats on your new to you boat! Olson 911's are a lot of fun. I saw that you also joined up on the Facebook page. I'm the admin for that group. There are several Olson 911 and Olson 34 owners here and this site is a great source of knowledge for all things Ericson. Ericson used a lot of common parts between the 911, 34, and lots of the other Ericson designed boats built around the same time.

I know that rudder bearings have come up a few times, but I'm not sure if an answer to your specific question has. I'd also ask on the Facebook group. My rudder has a little bit of play but not enough that I have spent a lot of time researching new bearings. I did dig around tonight and found that Harken no longer makes replacements for these, but also found this from Jefa https://jefa.com/body.htm if you scroll down to the bottom it looks like they make replacements for the Harken, here is their drawing for a 2.5" assuming that is the size... https://www.jefa.com/ftp/rudder/7T000_top_and_bottom_bearings/7T25S.PDF

On the Facebook group there are a few upgraded rudder drawings saved off that may also have some of the dimensions you are chasing.

 

[gregshay79]

Thanks for the response, Andy. On the Facebook group I did find the rudder design drawing, actually
posted by the prior owner of my boat, "Racing Storm".

The bearing I am looking for appears to be a Delrin (or equivalent) sleeve, 2.4" ID, 2.875" OD and 5.5" length.
I may fabricate, or have one fabricated, as I am unlikely to find exactly these dimensions in an
off the shelf part.

Greg

 

[Slick470]

If you go to the Media tab and then Albums, there is an Album with a couple other rudder designs. One shows the shaft diameter as 2.5" That said, the one you posted was designed by the boat designer, so maybe more accurate...

 

[G Kiba]

I think I have the same rudder bearing and it is likely a Harken product. That's about all I know there. My friend has owned his 88' 911SE since 1989. Original rudder bearing is totally different. He did tell me that he changed the rudder to the deeper 34's rudder. I have sailed it and it steers wonderfully. The rudder is deeper than the keel.

 

[G Kiba]

There are a few old posts (Sailing Anarchy) about how Harken, in the past, continued to supported that product with replacement parts. Might be worth a call?

 

[Slick470]

Grant, I saw those threads as well, however I saw that it is very limited support and maybe only on fresh water. I also saw a note where Harken sold that product line to Edson, but I wasn't able to find anything relevant on their website... then on to Jefa, where I found that bit I posted above where they make direct replacements. Not sure if these are based off of the Harken, or Edson sold them to Jefa, but it's promising. Edit. they are are a re-design using self aligning bearings.

I don't recall what our top bearing looks like on our boat other than the gray flange with screws, and I don't have a great picture of it, but I know it's original. So probably Harken as well. I'll try to remember to look next time I'm at the boat.

Thinking about the two replacement rudder designs and the differing dimensions, I wonder if the one that Greg posted shows dimensions assuming new rudder shaft and new bearings in one package (not a bat approach) and specific new, non-stock bearings were in mind as part of that. Where the one from Foss looks to be a drop in replacement that would match up to the existing bearing design. Just a guess.

 

[G Kiba]

I will try to get some pictures of the bearing plate from mine and my friends boat. He knew right off that my was different from his. He says that my tiller moves smoother and without any backlash or noise.

 

[Charlie B.]

I have an Olson 34 that has Harken bearings. Last year the lower bearing was replaced by a Jeffa bearing which fits the J105 rudder. The rudder shaft on my boat has s/s sleeves fitted to match the ID of both types of bearing. In my case, my shaft OD is 2.859” and the sleeve increases it to 3”. If your boat has a sleeve that matches the J105 bearing , you might be able to use a standard J105 bearing.

The sleeve on the upper bearing has holes drilled in it that match the Allen head set screws found on the collar of the upper Harken bearing. When the rudder shaft is inserted through the bearings, only the lower sleeve is affixed to the shaft. The upper sleeve is added from above and held in place by the set screws. The set screws serve two functions: they keep the rudder from floating up and down, and it secures the inner bearing collar to the rudder shaft. It is a good idea to put a bit of locktite on them, on my boat they became loose and the sleeve dropped!