Rudder removal - E31

[David Vaughn]

We are hauled out for bottom paint and a couple of other things, but I have run into a complication.

The E31’s rudder’s leading edge, below the waterline, partially resides in a concave indentation in the hull. This means I can’t remove old paint or apply new to that area, of the leading edge of the rudder, without removing the rudder. The complication is the steering quadrant passes through a small opening in the transom. It’s the middle pintle looking piece in the photo. The quadrant looks to be too wide to pass back out through that opening.

I’ve found some threads on 31I and 36C rudder clunk, and think I understand the basics of removing it. But, for E31 or E36C owners that have removed theirs, any tricks or tips before I disconnect the quadrant from the rudder and then remove the rudder? Can the quadrant remain attached to the steering cables or is it better to remove them?

 

[Kenneth K]

Man, I don't think I'd drop the rudder just to paint that small area. Or, if so, maybe once every third haul out or so (and to do some routine rudder, cable, and sheave mx), but not every time.

The concave side could probably be sanded and prepped by running sheets of sand paper up/ down along the surface. The concave side with sandpaper pressed into the curve by foam blocks.

If you can't fit a paint brush in there, a paint-soaked wash cloth would work.

All of that would be quicker, easier, and cheaper than dropping the rudder.

Also, that prop looks like it extends out pretty far past the strut. I think 1 to 2 times the shaft diameter is considered ideal. My prop originally extended past the strut by about 4" so I had the prop shaft shortened when I replaced the PSS.

Too much shaft extension is hard on the strut and cutlass bearing, and it can increase drivetrain vibrations.

 

[David Vaughn]

I’d like to take your advice Kenneth, but as far as I know the paint that we’re removing is probably 7 or 8 years old, and this fall we’re headed to saltwater, so I want to prep and repaint that area to preempt something setting up housekeeping in that space.
I also want to check the shoe that the bottom pintle rests in for wear. We don’t currently have the “clunk”, but I’d like to see if that’s in our future and deal with it early rather than later.
So for those reasons, I’m okay dropping it. We’re in a DIY yard so not really much extra cost involved.

As for the shaft, I was under the impression that’s by design. The way the hull curves down toward keel before it gets to the strut doesn’t leave much room to shorten the shaft and maintain tip clearance without reducing the prop diameter.