Help with a Scorpion rudder

Bfbecker

New Member
Hi

I have been lurking for a while since I'm fixing up an old Scorpion (its a sunfish clone). I am attaching a couple pictures of the rudder and where it attaches (gudgeon?). Does this look like all the pieces are there? It attaches with a pin/bolt at the top but then the bottom is very loose in the gudgeon. Is this how this is supposed to work? Thanks for any help.
 

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Hard to be sure, having never seen that exact setup before, but it does look like its probably all there.

Pull the upper pin (bolt?) at the top from the part attached to the boat. Slide the rudder fitting in and line up the holes... put the pin in and lock it in place. The bottom of the rudder's part should snap past the spring at the bottom of the fitting on the boat hull.

That one will be relatively easy to get knocked up, but if the pin stays in you shouldn't have any issue with the rudder falling off.

Looks like a simple and effective way to set up a rudder mount... but as noted, probably very easy for the rudder to pop up.
 
"...Does this look like all the pieces are there? It attaches with a pin/bolt at the top but then the bottom is very loose in the gudgeon. Is this how this is supposed to work? Thanks for any help.
Like member fhhuber, this is a new setup for me. :confused: A photo with the pintal and gudgeon in close proximity would be helpful.

What type of metal is the lower spring part of the gudgeon? Can it be "re-set" to provide more tension? If it needs it, bend it around successively smaller-diameter sockets as a last resort, as it could break! :confused:

If this rudder works as it appears, it's a very clever arrangement. :cool: Perhaps over the years, too much play has developed in the horizontal bolt and the and vertical pin. Combined, the looseness could be exceptionally :oops: bad.

Since there's a lot of "meat" in the pintal casting, consider drilling the horizontal (gudgeon) mount to tightly fit a new slightly-oversized bolt. Drill and sleeve the pintal to tightly fit the new (metric?) bolt. Perhaps do the same thing for the vertical pin—if it's loose. Peening the vertical mount would be an option.

Remove all of the play—it'll work itself back to normal in short order—then, keep the "working" parts regularly lubricated with a water-resistant grease. :)
 
Just noticed this forum has a member with the name cflscorpion. Central Florida Scorpion?

Why not send him a message via this forum?
 
I looked a little closer and took the spring clip off the gudgeon. There was a nylon nut in the middle that kept the rudder from getting close in to the gudgeon. So I removed the nylon nut and bold and bent the spring clip in a little bit. It seems much better but I think I can improve it by replacing the screws holding on the spring clip with some flat head machine screws. That will allow the rudder to get even closer to the gudgeon. It seems pretty functional now.
 

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Yep... it does look like someone replaced the original screws which I would bet were flat head brass/bronze (same material as all the screws holding the hardware onto the rudder). May or may not still be signs of the beveled hole edges under those screw heads.

The normal reason to replace the screws would be the old ones wouldn't stay tight. You may need to put in an inspection port and replace the backing block that the screws are supposed to "bite" into to keep the rudder on.
 
So I removed the nylon nut and bold and bent the spring clip in a little bit. It seems much better but I think I can improve it by replacing the screws holding on the spring clip with some flat head machine screws. That will allow the rudder to get even closer to the gudgeon. It seems pretty functional now.

Unless there's a reason for machine screws (un-tapered, left image) , you'll most likely need wood screws (tapered, right image).

Better a little too long than short.

machine-screw-slotted-flat.gif
YFoVY.jpg
 
It doesn't look to me like the original setup. If you want to keep it original, I probably have the parts. I think I have a complete rudder setup.
 
The screws holding the spring clip are only a quarter inch long. They are machine threads screwed into holes tapped into the gudgeon. There are separate flat head screws holding the gudgeon to the boat. I think I'm going to sail it as is for a while. Unless I find a good deal on a new style sunfish rudder.
 

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