Rudder "housing" removal??

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I dont have enough experience at this stuff, this was my first time, to be that bold. All I could picture was a foot diameter hole in the back of my boat.   Well, that and I really didnt feel like removing my gas tank, (at one point I was fearing it might come to that)  so I did the whole thing in cockroach mode.  Not sure if Rick's tank is still in or not.

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75 Tique Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: August-12-2004 Location: Seven Lakes, NC Status: Offline Points: 6107	Post Options Post Reply Quote 75 Tique Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December-17-2021 at 6:25pm
	I dont have enough experience at this stuff, this was my first time, to be that bold. All I could picture was a foot diameter hole in the back of my boat. Well, that and I really didnt feel like removing my gas tank, (at one point I was fearing it might come to that) so I did the whole thing in cockroach mode. Not sure if Rick's tank is still in or not.
	_____________ “So, how was your weekend?” “Well, let me see…sun burn, stiff neck, screwed up back, assorted aches and pains….yup, my weekend was great, thanks for asking.”

KENO Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: June-06-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 10718	Post Options Post Reply Quote KENO Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December-17-2021 at 4:50pm
	With all that vertical space between his tank and the rudder port, I bet he can get a helluva swing, especially with a BFH

TRBenj Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: June-29-2005 Location: NWCT Status: Offline Points: 21131	Post Options Post Reply Quote TRBenj Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December-17-2021 at 4:41pm
	Have removed a number of rudder ports, some of the advice above is baffling. After removing the bolts and cutting the sealant with a utility knife as best you can, a BFH and a block of wood on the top side has always made pretty quick work of it. Even on a <5yo 5200 job.

MrMcD Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: January-28-2014 Location: Folsom, CA Status: Offline Points: 3604	Post Options Post Reply Quote MrMcD Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December-17-2021 at 3:44pm
	Another removal technique is to hit your local hardware store and pick up a package of Wooden Door Shims. These are about 1.5" wide and 8-10" long. The pack will have about a dozen in it. Usually about $4. The shims start at a very sharp point like a chisel. They widen to about 3/8" at the end of the 10" run. Tap the sharp pointed shim into the gap between your hull and the rudder port. Add another shim next to that and just keep adding shims. Tap each in a little at a time going from one to another slowly increasing the pressure to split the rudder housing away from the hull. My boat had 5200, the hard stuff, and the shims popped it right off. It worked for me and the wood did not damage the fiberglass. Once the port is removed I took a very sharp automotive gasket scraper and cleaned the rest of the old 5200 off the fiber glass to prepare for the new install.

75 Tique Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: August-12-2004 Location: Seven Lakes, NC Status: Offline Points: 6107	Post Options Post Reply Quote 75 Tique Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December-17-2021 at 9:42am
	Wow, reading your post was like an exact accounting of the same process I just went through a couple weeks ago, right down to the trepidation of prying the piece out. Like you, all went smoothly to that point. Connections off, rudder out, four nuts off, inside plate off, and with a little persuasion, (they were gooped in there pretty good) the four screws out. Now the rudder port, ugh. Thought that was the end of the project unless I got some great epiphany on how to get it out, or called on minds smarter than mine. I was in the exact same spot as you, on my back, under the boat, not wanted to nick or chip the fiberglass. I used the time and patience approach. For what it was worth, (probably not much) I took a utility knife and cut out all the goo that was squeezed out along the edges and to the extent possible, scored the seam between the plate and the hull. Then I "VEEEERRRRRYYYYYY GEEEEENNNNNNTTTTTTLLLLLLYYYYYY) used a screw driver to ever so slightly pry a little bit at a time, going around it like you would open a paint can. Eventually, after several laps around it, if finally started to budge, breaking the seal ever so slightly. Kept looping around and it finally came. I dont think a direct downward vertical approach is the answer, as that would be attempting to break the whole seal at once. I cant comment on the heat approach, but since it came from Ken, I am guessing it is a reasonable idea.
	_____________ “So, how was your weekend?” “Well, let me see…sun burn, stiff neck, screwed up back, assorted aches and pains….yup, my weekend was great, thanks for asking.”

wetskier2000 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: September-07-2005 Location: New Hampshire Status: Offline Points: 367	Post Options Post Reply Quote wetskier2000 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December-17-2021 at 7:57am
	Not yet... I decided to slide the rudder back in to get as much leverage as I dared, but no luck... I like your heat gun idea. I thought about heat but figured the hull might not appreciate acetylene. The strut was off before I even knew it. The fins took very small amount of convincing. I think plan B will be just goop the bolts and put them back in, but obviously I'd rather reseal the entire piece since I know it's leaking.
	Current: 1997 Nautique Previous: 1987 Nautique 1964 American Skier

KENO Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Grand Poobah Joined: June-06-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 10718	Post Options Post Reply Quote KENO Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December-17-2021 at 5:09am
	You get that rudder port out yet? I'd try some heat from a heat gun to soften up the sealant and instead of prying or driving wedges or chisels around the edges, like you might do on a fin or strut, use a slide hammer through the rudder port to get some good downward force. It's probably pretty tight in the hole. It's most likely the same sealant as your strut if they were both original and the strut came off easily from the sounds of it.

wetskier2000 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: September-07-2005 Location: New Hampshire Status: Offline Points: 367	Post Options Post Reply Quote wetskier2000 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: December-16-2021 at 10:23am
	Next up, resealing the fitting that holds the rudder and rudder stuffing box. I disconnected the steering, got the rudder out and all 4 bolts. I removed the plate inside the hull but can't easily move the outside piece. I pried a little but am afraid of damage to the FG. Maybe a pipe or something to shove into the hole previously occupied by the rudder for leverage? Concerns about gouging up the inside of that piece? What say the experts?
	Current: 1997 Nautique Previous: 1987 Nautique 1964 American Skier

Rudder "housing" removal??

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