What grease on rudder ball joint?

[KenM]

84 MS Mark III. boats out of the water, looking at the ball joint below the rudder, would like to grease it while I can. Question is, if I just push grease into the top of the joint will it flow down with use, or should I spray silicon grease in, which will definitely flow down to the entire ball joint?

 

[Delfin]

84 MS Mark III. boats out of the water, looking at the ball joint below the rudder, would like to grease it while I can. Question is, if I just push grease into the top of the joint will it flow down with use, or should I spray silicon grease in, which will definitely flow down to the entire ball joint?

They usually aren't lubricated, as bronze on bronze slides pretty well. Spraying your favorite liquid isn't going to hurt anything and grease certainly won't find its way into the socket, IMO.

 

[Jeff F]

I can't say with certainty what yours looks like, but on my M1 it's not a ball joint. Just a pin sitting in a hole on the strut. I had my strut off recently after I hit a rock and bent it. The socket and rudder pin didn't have any signs of unusual wear or stress after 40 years.

 

[KenM]

Jeff, ya, after looking at it, it is not a ball but a pin... just going to spray some silicon grease into it before re-splashing it. As Delfin says, it can't hurt.... BTW the strut bolts were a little loose, so I tightened them up a bit.