sticking rudder assembly

T

thump4403

New Member
New Sunfish owner needing some advise. Have an older model(1977) Sunfish. Took the rudder off last year to clean and refinish. When we tried to put it on the hull this week, the spring (prindle?) where you attach to hull does not want to lock onto the hull bracket. I am thinking the spring mechanism is frozen somehow. Is this just a case of wd 40? Nothing looks broken or missing. thanks
 
Does it work freely off the boat?I.e. can you push the pin down against a little resistance, and does it pop back up pretty strongly? Is anything bent or otherwise misaligned? Otherwise, it's a tight fit and everything has to be lined up for it to "pop" in. It always (for me) requires a bit of a jiggle, especially if I'm not directly over or behind it.
 
thanks, The spring does not move freely. It was a bear to take off last summer. It does not seem to want to stay in the bottom hole slot
 
OK. . . That's the first thing.
1. The spring needs some force on it. If it's not pushing up, that needs to be corrected.
2. Make sure the pin is straight, and the pintles are lined up. Then check the the gudgeons for true 90 deg to the pintles (to the transom vertical) and for alignment with the pin. You might need to bend a gudgeon. When all's aligned (No burrs, right?) a jiggle should drop the pin into place.
 
Sounds like a bent pintle to me. Can you spin the pintle and then as you spin it try pushing it up and see if the spring is able to pull pin back down. Do a complete 360 spin while activating the spring and you will know if it is bent pintle. I keep mine lubed with Fluid film.
><>Don<><
 
I had a bent rudder pin making it hard to remount. I was able to straighten (in a vice, if memory serves).
 
You have a metal head - correct?
I have had problems with oxidation building up between the stainless steel pin and the aluminum bore. Spray the gap with WD-40 or Silicone and work the pin up and down until it gets loose - you may have to tap it back and forth with a small hammer to get the corrosion broken up.
If it still does not start working remove the circle clip (you need a special tool to remove - ask a motorhead: they will have the cir-clip pliers you need), remove the pin and spring and ream out the bore in the head. Use a piece of rolled up sand paper.
If the pin is bent send me a note. I have several laying around and will send you one.

dinghyone at att dot net
C.P. Burks
Fort Worth, Texas
817-266-7816
 
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