From: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io [mailto:main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io] On Behalf Of Gary Wells
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2019 1:27 PM
To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io
Subject: [AmelYachtOwners] Rudder Post Conjecture

Hi!

Just went through the exercise of pulling the steering crank from the rudder post as it is time to change then shaft stuffing.  Used the last sixth of a turn a couple of months ago so the big but has nothing else to give if (when) it starts to leak again. 



To my surprise there were not three, not five (as I have read is something you can do with a cool bit of modificariion) but four pieces of stuffing in there.  I'm presuming this was because either; the P.O. used different size stuffing pieces (it's hard to tell because they're all smashed now) or maybe the last time the big nut hit the stop point the P.O. just added another piece to buy some time (which means what? .. could I just have added a fifth one??)
.
At any rate, i'm just going to use the three pieces that Amel sent and see how it goes (but I'm ordering more today :) 

This is the first time I've done this job and I'll go on record as saying "wow! .. what a bear it is to get that crank off" after many years of siting and rust-welding into place.  After compulsory soakings with pbBlaster and AeroKroil and then the tugging, prying and banging I gave up and asked for yard help.  I have a puller, but it's not quite large enough for this job and a new one costs about an hour's worth of yard labor so I let them pull it apart.

After I cleaned (spelled "Angle Grinder) all the rust off and spent some quality time with the Dremel getting to the small spots the crank slipped back on very easily.

But ..  the hardest part so far has been that I purchased all new hardware (nut, bolts, washers lockpin) and one of the 14mm bolts galled a thread about half-way home.

I broke two tools trying to get it undone and finally used the angle grinder to cut the bolt hea off ..  sheesh .. didn't see that coming.

Ah well, should be finished by tomorrow .  Clean-up and de-corroding is the biggest part of the job :)

Will make.sur that the bonding circuit is good too (I just know someone was going to remind me of that :)

Gary W.
SM 209, Adagio
In the rack.