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Liverpool rudder bolts


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The rudder on our Liverpool has worked loose. It's happened before and I tightened the two bolts whilst in dry dock.

I have it booked into a slipway next week and thought it a good idea to have some spare bolts handy to replace the current ones if too worn. Does anyone know the size of the bolts that go through the shaft and rudder plate on Liverpool shells?

See pic

post-5303-0-29499100-1444659201.png

Thanks

 

Steve

 

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Hi Steve

 

19mm on my Liverpool 2006 build.

 

Just been dry docked for blacking and tightened up the three bolts.

 

As they work loose within months I took the decision to have rudder tack welded to the shaft.

 

I know people will say ah well if you have rudder issues you will need to have your boat out of water to make repairs. But it is not possible to access the bolts via the weedhatch anyway and I aren't too clever at holding my breath under water!

 

All the best for dry docking.

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You can put 19mm locking washers on, like these (these are the wrong size - M19 you want smaller, M12 I think to go with 19mm spannered heads):

 

http://www.conrad-electronic.co.uk/ce/en/product/138481/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=sea_shoppingWT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=google_search_UK&scamp=shopping&saddg=tools&gclid=Cj0KEQjwtO2wBRCu0d2dkvjVi5cBEiQAMEIVGZ6GjzYs9ih5d2Djwmhc-ltbjWyr5i57cBUhvxq8cT0aAhnX8P8HAQ

 

or if it is a nut and bolt then put two nuts on, one tightened on the other

 

or locking nuts like these

 

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/product/6655628/?grossPrice=Y&cm_mmc=UK%7CShopping-_-Google+PLA-_-RS%7CLocking+Nuts-_-6655628&kpid=&istCompanyId=f7e7b05b-2daf-4c0e-8825-3633baf8113b&istItemId=xitmaqqwr&istBid=tztx&gclid=Cj0KEQjwtO2wBRCu0d2dkvjVi5cBEiQAMEIVGaRDWGIwT-U_k0VxXWacCgq7MfbFxdu0Ba0vrI339_caAuez8P8HAQ

 

but, having said that, I think most are welded, and I can't say I've ever wanted to take the rudder off a boat.

Edited by Tiggs
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My boat is not a Liverpool, but very similar. The bolts kept working loose, but I managed to remove them afloat working from the dinghy, wrap the threads with PTFE tape, and replace them, They have remained tight for 500+ hours cruising.

ps nearly certain mine were 12mm thread.

Edited by Guest
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if you want a semi permanent fix (out of the water to do this) I try this - put epoxy on the bolt thread and screw back in. If you ever need to undo it, heat it you with a blow torch to about 150c the epoxy will go all soft and loose its grip. Might work with superglue as well.

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The rudder bolts on my Liverpool Boat are 10mm diameter. Not sure about the length. Also not sure where the 19mm above came from? Are you talking spanner size?

 

I also tack welded the rudder to the shaft. It's going to be a pain if I ever want to get it off, but I think I'd rather that than have the bolts shear and lose steering when I'm on a river.

Edited by blackrose
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The bolts that go through the rudder don't do a great deal to stop it flapping. Once they get a little bit of movement it soon goes oval and the metal you are trying to tighten is pretty thick. The one that does the work is the third one which is tightened up against the rudder stock (in fact it should be into a small hole) and held in place with a locknut. I tightened mine with a spanner using my tiller tube as an extension, then tightened the lock nut up similarly.

 

For a belt and braces approach, a little squirt of tig weld on the top helps and is easy to grind off if the rudder needs ewmoving.

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The one that does the work is the third one which is tightened up against the rudder stock (in fact it should be into a small hole) and held in place with a locknut. I tightened mine with a spanner using my tiller tube as an extension, then tightened the lock nut up similarly.

 

For a belt and braces approach, a little squirt of tig weld on the top helps and is easy to grind off if the rudder needs ewmoving.

 

Dor

Do you mean the one circled in the pic ?

I hadn't noticed it until you mentioned it,then went back and looked at the pics I took when we last blacked.

post-5303-0-68881500-1444726672_thumb.png

Steve

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Dor

Do you mean the one circled in the pic ?

I hadn't noticed it until you mentioned it,then went back and looked at the pics I took when we last blacked.

attachicon.gifrudder2.png

Steve

forgive me for butting in on a question to DOR, but that is the one I put PTFE tape around the bolt.

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Dor

Do you mean the one circled in the pic ?

I hadn't noticed it until you mentioned it,then went back and looked at the pics I took when we last blacked.

attachicon.gifrudder2.png

Steve

 

Hi Steve

 

Yes, that's the one. It does all of the work in holding the rudder tight on the stock. It should be quite a coarse thread so can take a good bit of torque. It goes throgh a nut welded to the rudder with a lock nut. Slacken off the locknut then tighten the bolt as much as you can, then tighten the locknut down. Be careful not to catch the welded nut when tightening the locknut - you don't want that coming off!

Edited by dor
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The rudder bolts on my Liverpool Boat are 10mm diameter. Not sure about the length. Also not sure where the 19mm above came from? Are you talking spanner size?

 

I also tack welded the rudder to the shaft. It's going to be a pain if I ever want to get it off, but I think I'd rather that than have the bolts shear and lose steering when I'm on a river.

 

The 19mm quoted was the socket size I used to tighten all three bolts. Regarding length of bolts I guess a 75mm would suffice and you could always trim to size with an angle grinder.

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Make sure any new bolts are at least A2 stainless. The original ones on my rudder fitted by LB are. No doubt someone will warn about having dissimilar metals in contact underwater, but that's going to be the case with any bolts you use, so may as well use stainless and you'll be able to remove them if you need to.

 

My rudder still looks fine after 10 years - no corrosion around the bolts.

Edited by blackrose
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