Removing tiller?

[Clodi]

I need to remove the tiller to get it to a blacksmith as the brass tiller are is seized on and I want a bit welded on.

My question is:

Can I safely remove This NUT and lift it off?

I once did a similar thing on a yacht in a French port only to lose the entire rudder in an instant. I know that's not gong to happen but I'd like some reassurance.

Thanks in advance

 

[mrsmelly]

8 minutes ago, Clodi said:

I need to remove the tiller to get it to a blacksmith as the brass tiller are is seized on and I want a bit welded on.

My question is:

Can I safely remove This NUT and lift it off?

I once did a similar thing on a yacht in a French port only to lose the entire rudder in an instant. I know that's not gong to happen but I'd like some reassurance.

Thanks in advance

 

Yes.

[Clodi]

Thanks, I think the heat is starting to get to me as I've been staring at it since 8.30 

 

[alan_fincher]

Nothing bad is likely to happen, though whether it will come apart easily is a quite different matter!

[OldGoat]

7 minutes ago, Clodi said:

Thanks, I think the heat is starting to get to me as I've been staring at it since 8.30 

 

Tha' may need a Birmingham Screwdriver to loosen it....

[MtB]

18 minutes ago, Clodi said:

Can I safely remove This NUT and lift it off?

 

They are usually a taper fit so massive hitting with pairs of sledge hammers is sometimes necessary after removing the nut. But in your case it doesn't look quite like the normal taper-fit design. 

 

If you are paranoid about losing the rudder there is usually a bit of the rudder above the waterline with a hole through it. This is for you to tie a rope on as insurance, prior to any work like this.

[Clodi]

52 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

  

They are usually a taper fit so massive hitting with pairs of sledge hammers is sometimes necessary after removing the nut. But in your case it doesn't look quite like the normal taper-fit design. 

 

If you are paranoid about losing the rudder there is usually a bit of the rudder above the waterline with a hole through it. This is for you to tie a rope on as insurance, prior to any work like this.

Brilliant thank you, I know its not very likely going to fall & my mooring is shallow anyway & yes nut removed no chance of getting the bloody thing off anyway?

[mrsmelly]

3 minutes ago, Clodi said:

Brilliant thank you, I know its not very likely going to fall & my mooring is shallow anyway & yes nut removed no chance of getting the bloody thing off anyway?

As Mike says its more often than not a case of dont force it use a bigger hammer!!

[OldGoat]

3 minutes ago, Clodi said:

Brilliant thank you, I know its not very likely going to fall & my mooring is shallow anyway & yes nut removed no chance of getting the bloody thing off anyway?

IIRC I tried hammers and in the end used a series of bars (heavy duty rectangular tyre levers to create a wedge and then judicious use of a hammer on the rudder boss.

Just walloping it with a hammer only vibrates the whole assembly.

[Ray T]

Would whacking the boss on opposite sides simultaneously work?

Does with a car tapered track rod end. 

[Clodi]

I think I may have an old hub puller in my shed, trouble is the sheds in Wales and I'm on the Kennet 

[bizzard]

7 minutes ago, Ray T said:

Would whacking the boss on opposite sides simultaneously work?

Does with a car tapered track rod end. 

This is it. Two club hammers. But they do need to come together at exactly the same moment. You'll probably achieve that in about one out of six blows.

Edited June 26, 2018 by bizzard

[Onewheeler]

I have completely failed to get mine off, despite using big hammers and a three-legged puller. The only plus side is that I'm now fairly sure there's no bearing underneath to replace, and I can get grease in from a grease gun.

[OldGoat]

57 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

I have completely failed to get mine off, despite using big hammers and a three-legged puller. The only plus side is that I'm now fairly sure there's no bearing underneath to replace, and I can get grease in from a grease gun.

Umm - your original question was how to remove the tiller arm? Now you've moved to 'bearing'...

There is a bearing and it's in the plumber block (that's not the right term as it's really an end bearing block and is should hold a (possibly) sealed bearing - which is what the grease nipple is for. These get quite wet, so I hope it's still intact (mine wasn't) so bung a lot of water resistant grease into it - the same as you should be using in your stern tube greaser (unless you've got one of those fancy Vetus eater type ones)

 

Just saying...

[dmr]

1 hour ago, Onewheeler said:

I have completely failed to get mine off, despite using big hammers and a three-legged puller. The only plus side is that I'm now fairly sure there's no bearing underneath to replace, and I can get grease in from a grease gun.

Ask the local boatyard for help, they will make it look easy and have the various carefully selected bits of steel to hand, but expect some damage to the nearby paintwork. I got mine off with a puller but it was a proper hydraulic type puller and it only just managed it.

This sort of thing:

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/products/3497227/?grossPrice=Y&cm_mmc=UK-PLA-DS3A-_-google-_-PLA_UK_EN_RS_Pro_Tools-_-RS_Pro|Pullers_And_Extraction_Tools|Hydraulic_Puller_Sets-_-PRODUCT+GROUP&matchtype=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_9zg58Xx2wIV4bXtCh2y-AU_EAQYASABEgJr6PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

.............Dave

[Onewheeler]

1 hour ago, OldGoat said:

Umm - your original question was how to remove the tiller arm? Now you've moved to 'bearing'...

There is a bearing and it's in the plumber block (that's not the right term as it's really an end bearing block and is should hold a (possibly) sealed bearing - which is what the grease nipple is for. These get quite wet, so I hope it's still intact (mine wasn't) so bung a lot of water resistant grease into it - the same as you should be using in your stern tube greaser (unless you've got one of those fancy Vetus eater type ones)

 

Just saying...

Nope, the original question was someone else's. The "bearing" in mine appears to be a crude affair of rudder stock in a steel hole and there's no nipple. Rather like David Bowie as Newton the alien in"The Man Who Fell to Earth".

[MtB]

4 hours ago, bizzard said:

This is it. Two club hammers. But they do need to come together at exactly the same moment. You'll probably achieve that in about one out of six blows.

 

Mine took two blokes with proper sledge hammers. 

 

The first time their blows actually coincided  it popped off oh so sweetly. Took SOOOO long though and the paint was wrecked. 

[LEO]

I hope it comes off easily, don't forget to tie a rope to it in case it does and drops into the canal.

 

Boat looks well made and looking at the picture you have grease nipples at the ends of the weed hatch hinges!!!.

 

L

[ditchcrawler]

11 hours ago, OldGoat said:

Tha' may need a Birmingham Screwdriver to loosen it....

I would say two, applied in opposition 

[Guest]

Did mine recently, lift rudder up remove bolt blocks of wood under your 'big grey bit' get a drift and knock the shaft down, its on a taper, i tried hammers as suggested, a puller, nothing shifted it, an engineer told me how it worked a treat. Don't need to lift it up very high. This worked for me. Good luck

[Clodi]

9 hours ago, LEO said:

I hope it comes off easily, don't forget to tie a rope to it in case it does and drops into the canal.

 

Boat looks well made and looking at the picture you have grease nipples at the ends of the weed hatch hinges!!!.

 

L

It's a Castle Boat builders and every single hinge n board has a grease nipple

 

[Clodi]

Tiller is still in position. I think the Blacksmith will have to come to the boat rather than the other way round.

[LEO]

2 hours ago, Clodi said:

It's a Castle Boat builders and every single hinge n board has a grease nipple

 

Excellent, I noticed these as a poster a few days ago was having problems with his gas locker lid and applying lubrication.

 

Removing the tiller - I would try to get some old fashioned wood splitting wedges and ease one under each side if the round boss. tapping each to try to force the tiller off, having got these tight a sharp tap on the boss nay free it.

 

L

[MtB]

2 hours ago, Clodi said:

Tiller is still in position. I think the Blacksmith will have to come to the boat rather than the other way round.

 

Why does it need to come off in the first place? Not sure you have mentioned this.

[ditchcrawler]

3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Why does it need to come off in the first place? Not sure you have mentioned this.

I need to remove the tiller to get it to a blacksmith as the brass tiller are is seized on and I want a bit welded on.

3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Why does it need to come off in the first place? Not sure you have mentioned this.