RudderStock Bearing (Liverpool Boats 2006)

[andybarrett1]

Hi all

 

Just wondering if anybody could advise on my possible rudderstock bearing issue.... I think it has failed, lots of side movement, very rattly on move, water coming through it when on load.

 

Am guessing needs to be replaced..... but anything better than standard steel bearings ?  Grease often ?

 

Any suggestions on keeping water out.... Splash cover ?

 

What ball park cost am I looking at ..... Will it be better to live with it till boat out of water later in year for blacking if can ?

 

BR Thank you for reading

 

Andy

 

[matty40s]

There are two Allen key head grub screws in all that muck, try tightening them .

[Just Heaven]

We replaced the bearing on our Liverpool boat a couple of years ago. The new bearing isn't expensive, but you do have to get the boat out of the water as it entails getting the rudder off. We did ours on the slipway above Broadmoor lock on the Oxford.  It should only take a couple of hours.

 

As matty says make sure you regularly tighten the grub screws.

 

Steve

 

[andybarrett1]

Just read about the grub screws on another post..... Will nip them up at weekend.

 

Thank you 

 

 

[blackrose]

Water coming up the stern tube and out at the bearing at higher engine revs in gear is pretty normal. Unless it's excessive that doesn't necessarily indicate replacement is necessary.

[jonathanA]

And I don’t see why it has to be out of the water.

 

did mine several years ago in the marina. 

 

But not familiar with scouse boats, so long as you can get the swan neck off should be no need to be out of the water (with care) 

[andybarrett1]

I hope the grub screws will sort the issue.

 

10 years of owning the boat was not aware of them at all.

 

Always learning :-)

 

Thank you again all

 

Andy

 

 

 

 

[adrianh]

If you spend a little extra all of these bearings can be overhauled by just replacing the bearing insert with a non rusting stainless steel type. With the shaft removed completely if the hole below is big enough just twist the insert to vertical in line with the casting slots and lift out. These all come in 2 sizes of OD relative to the bore , which can also  be imperial or metric, so check before ordering. Also all bearings come in cheap Chinese reduced quality or European / far east better quality

Edited August 9, 2019 by adrianh
typo

[Just Heaven]

19 hours ago, jonathanA said:

And I don’t see why it has to be out of the water.

 

did mine several years ago in the marina. 

 

But not familiar with scouse boats, so long as you can get the swan neck off should be no need to be out of the water (with care) 

The swan neck is usually welded onto the rudder shaft on Liverpool boats. Hence the need to get the rudder off and pull the shaft up out of tne bearing.

 

Stefe

[andybarrett1]

Ok .  So today nipped up both the grub screws as found hiding under the grease.

 

Still a fair bit of play left though.... 

 

How tight should they be on the inner  shaft ..... It looks to me as if they have never butted up tight. That is assuming they should be ??

 

Andy 

 

[Just Heaven]

They should tight enough to make sure that the shaft and inner bearing dont move relative to each other.

 

Steve

 

[andybarrett1]

21 hours ago, Just Heaven said:

They should tight enough to make sure that the shaft and inner bearing dont move relative to each other.

 

Steve

 

Hi Steve 

 

So the grub screws should be tight onto the shaft ?

 

BR

Andy

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, andybarrett1 said:

Hi Steve 

 

So the grub screws should be tight onto the shaft ?

 

BR

Andy

Yes, that part of the bearing should move with the the shaft, the bearing, which should be greased regularly via the nipple on the side of the outer, is the horizontal bit.

[andybarrett1]

23 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Yes, that part of the bearing should move with the the shaft, the bearing, which should be greased regularly via the nipple on the side of the outer, is the horizontal bit.

Hi

 

If that is the case the grub screws aren't anywhere near close. 

 

I am thinking now they are there just to adjust the slack on the tiller.

 

I can liken the scenario to a M10 bolt in a M16 Nut if that makes sense

 

 

Andy

 

 

[bizzard]

Also the rudder may have come loose on the shaft. The shaft-stock passes through a tube off centre in the rudder and secured to it by a through bolt and nut and one or two pinch bolts. Not uncommon to come loose on Liverpool boats.  Waggle the till bar horisontally whilst watching the rudder tip sticking up in the water. If loose there would be a clank, clank from side to side as well.

[andybarrett1]

Back at boat soon

 

Can check out

 

Thank you all 

 

Andy

[matty40s]

On 12/08/2019 at 16:03, bizzard said:

Also the rudder may have come loose on the shaft. The shaft-stock passes through a tube off centre in the rudder and secured to it by a through bolt and nut and one or two pinch bolts. Not uncommon to come loose on Liverpool boats.  Waggle the till bar horisontally whilst watching the rudder tip sticking up in the water. If loose there would be a clank, clank from side to side as well.

The fix for this one is definitely out of water, and as the two bolts(top and bottom) usually come loose again after tightening as the rudder  stock wears/rusts), involves drilling through the rudder and rudder stock, sliding a bolt through, and lock nuts either side. 

This is often augmented by welding the top and or bottom.