Replacing the lower rudder bearing

[grahamdouglass]

Has anyone replaced a lower rudder bearing on a Taiwanise Trawler that has a skeg?

What are the steps, a picture would be helpfull.

 

[O C Diver]

I don't have a TT, but I replace the one on my Downeaster. If nobody with a TT can help you, PM me and I will walk you through the general process which should work for your boat.

Ted

 

[jleonard]

I replaced one on an old Mainship with a bronze skeg. I just used a bronze drill bushing and pressed it into the hole I had bored in the skeg (skeg was removed).
IF I had to replace the one on my current boat which has a fiberglass skeg like yours, I can think of a couple of approaches.
I'd want the bushing to be the same or similar material as the rudder. In my case that's stainless. I think I would overbore the hole and epoxy the bushing in place. Make the outside of the bushing oblong or keyed or rectangle so it could not rotate in the skeg.
Just thinking aloud here since I have never done that repair.

 

[Brooksie]

I helped my friend replace his on a Marine Trader. The hole was badly worn so after driving a piece of dowel into the old hole, I redrilled with a holesaw to accept a piece of cutlass bearing which was epoxied in b/4 putting everything back. There should be 1/2" a hole through the bottom of the skeg to let sand out thats how the old hole got so worn, the stock just sat in sand and wore the hole larger. My friend reported quieter operation with the cutlass lined hole.

 

[grahamdouglass]

how to gain access to the lower rudder bearing

I guess the best way to gain access to the lower rudder bearing on the skeg is to use an hydraulic jack to raise the rudder off of the skeg. Then you can just insert a bearing in the skeg when you take out the old bearing out.