Rudder "housing" removal??

You get that rudder port out yet?

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.

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.

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.

yes, tank is still out.. I was planning on using Boatlife  LifeSeal that I've used on other hull fittings.... Not the right stuff?

Well, will ya look at that, like most things in life there's more than one way to do the job. Some might be easier than others 

As mentioned above, shims and tapping them in,  spraying brake kleen speeds up the job considerably and using it has never cost me any gelcoat.   

yes. 

Rick

Beautiful project, my buddy is building a COE also, he bought an original with a flatbed on it for hauling cars then he bought a low mile motor home with a 460 Ford powertrain.  He is blending the two, it will have the Old Look with the modern Ford 460 powertrain and running gear from the motorhome.  ( motorhome had an on board fire that totaled it so he got the package cheap but had no engine or running gear damage ) 

I don't know if my buddy has a site for his build, he did just finish a 73 buick 455 Stage 3 car, they are usually the ugliest body Buick ever made but his is so straight and the paint so pretty, a dark red and every single part looks like it just came out of the factory.  You could not build one this clean for $75,000 It is gorgeous, he did not drive it 200 miles and gave the finished car to his 40 year old son.   Heck of a deal, he just likes doing the build and he is retired.  I will ask him for a picture of his truck.  Last time I saw it the truck looked more like the one in your picture of the flat bed than a finished truck.

I understand the "like the build then give it away mentality"... I used the same theory on several Jeeps for my nieces and nephews... Buford, however, is staying with me for the foreseeable future... As my buddy calls him, he is truly an attention whore. Doesn't matter what I park near at car shows, people just flock to him. The only vehicle that stood a chance so far was a beautifully done 1941 Dodge COE.

What a great boat hauler that truck is.  Gotta say you had a lot of vision when you started that project.  Envious of you guys that have the time-space-talent-resources to take on those kinds of projects.  I've got a friend back from my MA days (also on H.A.M.B so you may have seen him there) that has done a few cool projects.

... and a metal piece to protect the hull that my wife suggested.... I sliced, then pried, it hinted at moving. I used a BFH (deadblow), didn't seem to do much... Went back to prying, ever so slowly it started to move but even down an inch or so it still didn't just fall out... continue prying, eventually I could twist it a bit and get it loose enough to pull down on and out...