Hull / Keel / Rudder / Tiller

Catalina Direct Discussion Topics / Catalina 22 Discussion Area / Hull / Keel / Rudder / Tiller / Rudder Blade is Slipping on my Kick-up Rudder
 
 
Author Rudder Blade is Slipping on my Kick-up Rudder
Robert R. Kerr
Carrollton, Texas

Boat Name: Serenity

Model/Year: C-22, 1987

Hull No.

Hailing Port: Lake Lewisville
09/05/2006 7:11 PM Pacific Time

I have a 1987 Catalina -22 with a Kick-up Rudder for the last year when ever I have good way on and really footing the Kick-up Rudder seems to be rising regardless of the pressuer on the plates. I checked and it seems that the recommended approach is to place 2- 6" dia. disks made from water approved gasket material, 1 on each side, between the side plates and the fin. The problem I am having is getting the blasted thing apart.

Before I take the 10 pound sleg to it could some one tell me how to get this thing apart. How can you replace the fin if you cannot get it apart?

Thank you for your assistance

Rudderless in Dallas

Bob Kerr
Paul David
Melbourne Australia

Boat Name: Reflections

Model/Year: 1986

Hull No. 13369

Hailing Port: Melbourne Australia
09/06/2006 2:17 AM Pacific Time

Bob - Dunno if this helps but once you have your rudder apart, have a look at the photos in

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/c22_photos/detail?.dir=7353&.dnm=9a29.jpg&.src=ph

Mine is there and it's been rebuilt with a wider compression disk. Below the plate, the rudder is surfaced with a non-skid.

Paul
Paul David
Melbourne Australia

Boat Name: Reflections

Model/Year: 1986

Hull No. 13369

Hailing Port: Melbourne Australia
09/06/2006 2:23 AM Pacific Time

Bob - Another thing. It's possible your bolt has galled and you'll need to cut it off. No need to break anything, just cut off the bolt and insert a new one. Best to look at my rudder before going to the trouble - mine has a bolt but also has a long, custom made lever that's used to tighten the compression disks.

Paul
Aaron M Benham
33a Loomis Hights

Boat Name: Tidely-Idley: The never ending project

Model/Year: 1978 C22

Hull No. 8070

Hailing Port:
09/06/2006 8:01 PM Pacific Time

The blade is held in the casting by that one bolt that runs through the two locking disks. The reason that you can't get it apart is that corrosion has welded everything together. When I took my whole casting apart, I had to drill some of the bolts out and retap the threads because the heads sheared off in the process. You only need to remove the one bolt holding the blade in the casting. To do that, you need only three things; a good penetrating lubercant (I used Tri-flow), time and brut force. The bolt will come out even if you have to cut it and pound it out. The locking disks (those two hemispherical pieces that the bolt runs through) also come out and may need some coaxing ( I needed to use a hammer and cold chisle to brake the corrosion and get them loose.) Don't damage them in the process as they are made of soft metal. Also, replace the nut and bolt and retap the threads in the locking lever no matter how you get it apart and use good quality stainless.
Braking the hold that the corrosion has on the metal parts alone may fix the problem. But when you remove the blade, you might find that the prongs on the locking disks have worn grooves in the rudder blade. You will know what I am talking about if you see it. My guess is that this is caused either by overtightning or more likely by kicking up the rudder without loostening it enough first. To repair the grooves, I filled mine by first grinding the grooves then filling them with fiberglass cloth cut to the shape of each groove and epoxy. The end result is truly fixed. The washers might work and I might even use them to see if they prevent the problem from reoccuring.
I did not use a 10 pound sleg to get mine apart. But I did use an 8 pound engineers hammer, an impact screwdriver, and an angle grinder. But mine was an extreme case.

Good luck
Bilbo
Youngstown, Ohio

Boat Name: Sea Dog

Model/Year: Catalina 22 1987

Hull No. 13971

Hailing Port: Andover, Ohio
09/10/2006 5:23 AM Pacific Time

Actually Aaron's descrription is pretty good but I thin that the 87 model is different. The blade has a ball shaped s.s pin.on one side, a few inches from the hemispherical locking disks. This little bump fits into a hole in the one Alumunim plate. What happens is that the plate gets a groove worn in it that is particularly bad right at the hole. This groove is inside of the plate against the fiberglass rudder. Some redrill this hole and use a piece of wood dowel. They probably keep a few dowels around incase one breaks off.
You can see this hole at the bottom of the photo of Paul David's
rudder assembly at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/c22_photos/detail?.dir=7353&.dnm=167b.jpg&.src=ph
.
David F.
Abilene, TX

Boat Name: Clair de Lune

Model/Year: 1976

Hull No. 6140

Hailing Port: Fort Phantom Lake
09/10/2006 7:36 PM Pacific Time

Once you get it apart, what I did was take a 3-liter Sprite bottle, cut it up to fit around the front side of the rudder and wrap around. Glued it on with 4200 and cut out the hole for the bolt to go through. It's durable, just the right thickness for my needs and just about free.

Seems to be holding up well so far.

David
 
 
Hull / Keel / Rudder / Tiller
Catalina Direct Discussion Topics / Catalina 22 Discussion Area / Hull / Keel / Rudder / Tiller / Rudder Blade is Slipping on my Kick-up Rudder