Lube the rudder

SoDoWarts

New Member
the rudder on my (new) '73 is difficult to move up and down. I'm concerned that is won't flip upon coming ashore. It is common to lube the wood where its screwed in replace. If so what do you recommend to use?
 
the rudder on my (new) '73 is difficult to move up and down. I'm concerned that is won't flip upon coming ashore. It is common to lube the wood where its screwed in replace. If so what do you recommend to use?
Two things - first, it is better to proactively raise the rudder when you get to shore instead of letting it automatically kick up when it runs aground. The reasons are that running aground will wear the varnish off the rudder leaving bare wood. And when the rudder pops up after a good hit against the bottom, the blade is prone to splitting along the grain. If you gently rotate it up yourself, you eliminate both problems.

Regarding it being very tight and in need of lube - the usual solution is to just loosen the pivot bolt in the rudder cheeks a bit. I think that is going to work better than greasing your blade, which will get all over everything. I have seen lots of people adjust the pivot bolt, have never heard of anyone lubing the thing.

BB
 
I have seen lots of people adjust the pivot bolt, have never heard of anyone lubing the thing.
To add one more thing to BBs sage advice, might you be missing the plastic spacers that function as a dry lube?
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can I make plastic spacers? Mine had seen better days when I took mine apart. Then, is there a trick to getting them all back into place? mine was too tight andI couldnt keep the holes lined up.
 
can I make plastic spacers? Mine had seen better days when I took mine apart. Then, is there a trick to getting them all back into place? mine was too tight andI couldnt keep the holes lined up.
Similar plastic washers are dirt cheap from the hardware store.

Did you remove the springs and leave them as the last thing to put back on?

Might need to bump the washers into place with a putty knife, but I've never had any other trouble lining things up so I could drop the pivot bolt in.
 
I made mine from a couple of butter container lids. Once you put it together, no one can see 'em anyway. Regarding assembly, turn the rudder flat on its side (so you're not fighting gravity) and slide both spacers into place. It shouldn't take long to get them lined up and insert the bolt.
 
Thanks everyone....the real problem is getting the bolt loosened.......its frozen like every other thing that screws on this '73!
 
maybe its just thickness due to my coats of varnish, but mine is tight. I'll look at Lowes or make some, thanks.
 

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