Good news! Lee came by this evening and his mechanical ingenuity enabled us to get the rudder collar off.
The yard lent me two pipe wrenches - one large one and one really huge one. I had been trying to use them to unscrew the donut by pushing and pounding with a rubber mallet, but the secret Lee discovered was putting the really huge one on the donut and then smacking it with the large one. I didn't have doubled up set screws, but could tell the set screws had done a bit of damage to the threaded rudder post. After getting the rudder nut off it became clearer - the threads of the rudder post are actually deformed / dented, and the nut was having its threads sheared off. No amount of lubrication would've helped with that - only brute force can shear off SS threads. I really don't like set screws now - they're fine for dodger/bimini tubing but not something this big. I'll take the advice of using a spacer behind the set screws when I reinstall. (looking into getting a replacement collar nut now) Here are some pics: https://goo.gl/photos/tcBkJny4uuqqFnRN9 On Tue, Apr 19, 2016 at 9:26 PM, <cnc-list-requ...@cnc-list.com> wrote: > *From: *"Patrick Davin via CnC-List" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > *To: *cnc-list@cnc-list.com > *Cc: *"Patrick Davin" <jda...@gmail.com> > *Sent: *Tuesday, April 19, 2016 11:45:29 PM > *Subject: *Stus-List Rudder collar "donut" removal > > I have my boat hauled out now and am trying to drop the rudder. > > The stainless steel donut that holds the rudder up, above the thrust > bearing in the cockpit, is very much stuck. I removed the two set screws > and am attempting to unscrew (counterclockwise), with the rudder propped up > (enough that that delrin bearing under the donut is free spinning). > > This is the donut pictured on Wally's page: > http://www.wbryant.com/StellaBoat/Projects/steering/bearing/sole/bs02.jpg > http://www.wbryant.com/StellaBoat/Projects/steering/bearing/sole/ > > He got it off with just an oil filter wrench + exhaust hose on past > occasions, and later with that strap wrench. I've already applied far more > force than a strap wrench with no luck. :( > > I had planned to have the yard (Seaview) help with this, but apparently > they have plenty of fiberglass guys but not enough mechanical guys, and are > backlogged on anything mechanical. So if I want this to go faster I can > keep trying to do it myself. And saving money by not having them bang away > at it for $105/hour is probably good anyway. Though honestly I would > happily do that now if they could get it loose. > > I know Frank of S/V Cool Change had a bear of a time with the set screws: > http://cnc-list.com/pipermail/cnc-list_cnc-list.com/2007-March/009523.html > (but I guess the donut wasn't a problem?) > > And I know another owner who used a huge pipe wrench with some padding, > and yard assistance, but ended up damaging it and needing to get a new one. > > Things I've tried: > - PB Blaster, every day for 4-5 days, around the top, into the set screw > holes, and around the bottom. > - Loctite Freeze + Release > - oil filter wrench with rubber pieces to grip > - threading a bolt into the set screw holes and hammering on that - > quickly abandoned this because it started to bend the screws and I realized > it would strip the set screw holes. > - C clamps > - Heat gun (I don't have a torch - however I don't think heat will be very > successful because the mated parts are both stainless steel) > - Large hose clamp tightened around my rubber gripper ring and hammering > on the hose clamp screw. I really thought this was the genius idea that > would finally work. Nothing budged, even with heavy pounding. But the hose > clamp does the best job of pressing my rubber gripper onto the donut and > had no slippage. > > Is there anything I'm missing? Has anyone else had this hard a time > getting the donut off, or found anything else that worked? > > The Edson radial drive bolts are also seized, but I have some more things > to try there still, and as last resort it can be cut off and order a new > one ($500). > > If I can get the rudder out I might also consider changing the stuffing > box, because that is also seized (looks original and probably hasn't been > adjusted in 5 years). > > -Patrick > 1984 C&C Landfall 38 > Violet Hour, Seattle, WA >
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