Marinette Boat Forum

..."Jeff, Do you agree that those shafts should be straight?"

Absolutely!

Jeff

Hi, I had new stainless rudders fabricated 20 years ago with the help of several local small companies, bought sheet steel and rods at Speedy Metal, they sent me to water jet cutter shop to cut plate, then went to small machine shop that milled stainless steel rod stock to match old rudder, then stopped at buddy's garage that welds for a living and installed the new rudders. cost around $150 bucks, a dozen donuts, few cases of beer and 2 salmon fishing trips. they are slightly larger than originals, work well with autopilot and do not need zincs (Capac reads little over 9 with only bar zinc on keel and trim tabs and zinc on shafts, Fresh water Lake Michigan). The original owner had hit a river stump and bent one that made me tackle the replacement. Hope yours works out. no pitting the photo does show some surface spots. Shafts are straight.

Great replacement job. Assume your rudder shafts are isolated, as engine shafts are isolated. If not, keep an eye out for pitting (which may never happen). And, as you probably have engine shafts isolated they should not need zincs. I did as you do - zincs on the shafts - but they never needed replacing because, I'm certain, isolation was working,

They look great!

I recall removing mine in Winter; had to dig a trench with a screw driver to get them out!

On the packing glands...you can tighten them way up since the shafts don't spin like the prop shafts.

Jeff

The site appears to have problems again!

opps just nobody inputting any information

bill

(I don;t see site problems, Bill. Just, no current postings)

Mine were straight until I hit a submerged pier. Then only one was straight.

I had a machine shop duplicate the straight one in Stainless. Both still straight.

BlueSkye wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 8:29 pmI had a machine shop duplicate the straight one in Stainless.

can you share what it cost to do that with the group?

Joel,

It was ten years ago, but I think it was about $400 for the pair.

As I recall, the rudders should toe in about 1/2 inch.

Been a while....

Jeff