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Turning the rudder gudgeons upside down

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Thierry Msika
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Turning the rudder gudgeons upside down

Post by Thierry Msika »

My gudgeons are getting quite worn.
Is it possible or a good idea to turn the gudgeons upside down to get a fresh bearing surface for the rudder head pintles?

Cheers, Thierry
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Liam
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Re: Turning the rudder gudgeons upside down

Post by Liam »

You could put tap washers on them instead.
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Charles
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Re: Turning the rudder gudgeons upside down

Post by Charles »

Good question Thierry & good, cheap solution Liam.

I must say I've looked at various boat's worn gudgeons / pintles and generally thought "It's taken them 20yrs to get to this point, think I'll leave well alone!" :lol:

However, the wear, particularly if uneven could potentially very slightly affect the geometry of the rudders.

As far as I can see on my boat, the gudgeon castings are symmetrical, so turning them over seems a good idea & perhaps also implement Liam's suggestion to minimise future wear. Adding washers will be easy on the bottom pintles as gravity will keep them there. A bit of glue probably necessary for the top sets.
Charles
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