Grease fitting - rudder tube

[Steve]

My 1984 rudder tube grease fitting just doesn't function anymore.. Lucky to get this far. Anyone have any thoughts on replacement, as you know it's never where you can get to it easy. So my thought is to replace and insert new fitting at a point that can be reached, thus more frequent lubrication. Question, -can this be done or are the OEM fitting in a special inter-tube grease pocket. Any one overhaul this particular rudder assembly?

Thanks,
Steve
1984 35-3

 

[jgarmin098]

I replaced the fitting on my '88 32-3. Went to a hydraulic supply joint and they had the fitting. It's not a marine grade fitting.

Simply grind thin fiberglass layer holding the fitting in and unscrew it. after you replace it, apply a layer or two of fiberglass cloth wetted with West System epoxy. Piece of cake.

 

[hcpookie]

These are the same fittings as with an engine grease fitting, correct? Local auto shops should sell a whole package of grease fittings for < $10 with different orientations of the fitting.

If it is clear from moving parts, you can "permanently" connect a grease hose to relocate the fitting. Just screw the hose into the grease socket (1/8" pipe threads IIRC) and snake the hose anywhere you need it. Its as if you never remove the grease gun

In fact you can chain several tubes together or buy the long Moyer Marine extension tube (cheaper path) and trim it to fit. You could locate the hose to a more convenient location, mounting bracket, etc. so long as you keep the tube out of harm's way. Did this for my A4 water pump grease fitting and it works great.

 

[cruis-n]

What does the zirk screw in to?

What does the zirk screw in to? Is there a metal threaded bearing or does it screw into fiberglass? I'm reluctant to remove the old rusted zirk for fear of not being able to stop the water from flooding after destroying whatever it screws into. Are my fears unfounded?

 

[Loren Beach]

On our boat the zirc fitting is over a foot above the at-rest waterline. It appears to be threaded into the fiberglass laminate rudder tube. There is another zirc in the enclosed metal bearing at the top of the rudder post, reachable only from underneath, like the the one in the FRP tube.

(I spent a lot of time back in the stern recently removing the cable clamps to enable the removal of the steering sheaves under the pedistal...)


Loren in PDX

 

[lbertran]

Do you guys think...

it would work to grind out the old fitting and thread a new one into thickened West System in the existing hole? I'd wax the zirk threads so it could be backed out if necessary.
Laura Bertran
Footloose, 1985 E35-3

 

[Steve]

Thanks - this has opened a door to ponder!

I think you have all hit an issue, -what is the zerk threaded into? Perhaps my fear of the unknown to grind into the rudder tube. You wouldn't think that fg resin would be strong enough over the long run as compared metal. I would think an embedded metal stock of aluminum or SS would make sense?

My original thought was to relocate the zerk about 180' so i could reach with ease from the aft locker, now I'm not sure this makes sense. -Now my thought is to remove the original, replace and extend an external grease line aft (+- 3') terminating with a mounted zerk in my aft locker. I would need to replace the OEM zerk with a threaded pipe nipple instead, attach either a hard pipe extension or a flexible grease hose. Has anyone attempted this. I've seen this trick on large machines such as a construction backhoe where it is rather unsafe to climb the boom/arm to grease a knuckle-joint, so they run various grease lines down the arm and you pump grease safely from the ground level.

The original design has the zerk on the lower forward face of the tube, difficult to get around the hot water heater to access, and a pain to remove the aft bulkhead that separates the aft locker and feel around at the end of your reach with the grease gun.

Steve

 

[Loren Beach]

You will find that threading the zerk fitting into the frp laminate takes about the same force as would aluminum... you drill and tap the hole first...
Loren

 

[Steve]

Chock it up to fear of the unknown

Well what the heck, I'll let you know how it goes. First will be to locate a good SS or other no-rust fitting so we don't go through this again in 5 years.

 

[daynardi]

We did this repair a few years ago. The old zerk was a lump of rust. We had the rudder out of the boat for other work, took the opportunity to drill a new hole through the wall of the rudder tube, tap and install a new zerk. I think the new fitting is stainless. I'm careful to keep it greased so that I don't need to find out.

If memory serves, the zerk was threaded into the side of the fiberglass tube half way between a bronze bushing which was glassed into the top and a second one at the bottom of the tube. The bushings provide the actual bearing surfaces for the rudder-stock.

We had the yard grind down and glass over the old zerk.

Don't be mislead by the location of the zerk above standing waterline when you are at the dock. With the boat in motion, the quarter-wave sucks water clear to the top of the tube. Our boat has a packing gland at the top, which has never been serviced and which leaks. If I find too much seawater spilling over the top of the tube, I know it is time to pump more grease into the zerk. I don't overdo the grease, I've never found any outside the boat, but it always squirts messily out the top, through the crappy old packing gland. Then I know to stop pumping.

 

[Steve]

Did it !

Here is a follow-up to my e35-3 grease zerk project. The old zerk was gone, I replaced with a simple grease gun hose and a ss zerk, as mentioned in a number of posts above. This will allow for easier access from my stern locker.

Steve

 

[cawinter]

what was it screwed into?

Steve,

You seem to have backed out the old zerk fitting after grinding it 'free'. Did you use the old hole to screw in the new one?

 

[Steve]

larger fitting then OEM

yes, actually tapped out larger to 1/4" pt to fit the bushing for the grease gun hose. You could fill the old hole with marinetex or FG resin and glass over, then redrill and tap.

Since the last photo I glassed over the fitting to the hose as a safety in case a blockage caused back pressure to strip out the fitting. The next fix would require a full grind, glass, and tap again.

Steve