I recommend you check the stuffing if your rudder feels tight.
I just pulled the rudder shaft from my '76 MT 36. The rudder was tight and rotated with difficulty. To get the shaft free I had to pull the packing seals from the stuffing box. I was shocked to find 6!! (yes, 6!) packing seals jammed in there. The shocking part was when I pulled the fourth, I assumed I was done as the pick I was using felt like it hit bottom. Fortunately, I kept digging. The last two seals were hard as a rock and the grease(?) was hard too. I am guessing that the last two were in there for decades and became petrified.
I plan to re-stuff with Duramax Ultra stuffing once the shaft is re-installed.
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