The J/109 Class Association Forum

Hello All,
When we hauled out in the Fall I noticed a bit of play in the rudder. My guess is the bearings need adjustment or replacement. This is something I'm going to tackle in March. Are there any online resources outlining checking / replacing these bearings? Any help here will be appreciated.

Thanks,
-Christopher
sweet caroline # 239

Sadly I don't know a lot about this except for the recent quote I received from DMS in Annapolis. Their quote was an astounding $7,100 to replace the rudder bearings in my J 109. This included about $4500 for the bearing, custom made with a brass sleve from the Shuster Corporation and the rest in labor. They mentioned that Edison also has one but the sleve is aluminim which they said would only be good for 3 to 5 years. Apparently the Shuster bearing will last a life time. I'll provide more info as this project progresses.

Yikes! That's pretty steep. The rudder looks fairly easy to drop down so I wonder if there is a lot of work involved with removing the bearing. Maybe for the custom bearing there is some glass work involved? In the manual there is a diagram with Edson part numbers. I'll give them a call and see what they want for new bearings.

I checked the rudder play on two other 109's and a couple of 105s in the yard and mine seems about the same. So I might wait another season before tackling this install.

My yard contacted Edison. They have 4 rudder bearings left, and they cost $2,500 each. I'm told Edison did not make the rudder bearings so they bought out what was left and now there are 4. Actually 3, I just bought one as insurance. I don't know what you do after the last 3 are gone but I'm guessing something custom made.

Frank Albert

Update to my earlier posts on the J 109 Rudder bearing issues. In 2014 I had a small leak that was manageable. In 2015 after a hard race over 29 miles my leak became a serious problem taking on gallons of water. I tried the Edison maintenance suggestion of adding Teflon grease to the rudder post. This worked extremely well for one hour long race in big winds. The next race in very light winds I was back to taking on gallons of water. The replacement bearing and a gator that comes with it to cover the bearing and shaft is $2336 for the bearing (less than an Edison replacement at $2500) and the gator is $183. Shuster Corp, the maker, says it takes about 16 hours of labor to replace the bearing. Total cost with tax in Maryland is going to be about $3900 but it will permanently resolve the water intrusion issue. The new bearing is bronze so there should be no lingering problems with salt water corrosion. James Doe (really) is the POC at Shuster. Special note for Chesapeake sailors note my earlier post where DMS of Annapolis quoted me a cost of $4500 for a rudder bearing from Shuster that they described as custom made.

Frank,

I noticed salt water accumulating in the bilge after operating in a race about a month ago with big winds and seas. When you checked the rudder bearings, is there any way to verify leakage with the boat at the dock? I have the gator installed around the top and don't see a sign of water there.

Finally got the password thing worked out.
In early Sept 2015 we raced in a long 29 mile race and with the original rudder bearing in a 12 year old boat. It was almost all upwind in 14 to 17 knots with 3 foot seas. We were on a port tack for 4 hours. We took on nearly 50 gallons of water. There was water everywhere. I first tried the edison maintenance issue adding Teflon grease to the bearing. It was West Marine stuff and it washed out after a one hour race. I then used the DuPont Teflon grease and that worked remarkably well. In addition I built a wrap around neoprene gator for the shaft and that seemed to stop the leeks. However I realized that I had reached the end of the road with this bearing and decided to replace it because I just couldn't trust it anymore. I've had the boat hauled and it didn't take the yard very long at all to remove the rudder. The replacement bearing is sold by Shuster Corportation (POC John Doe, that's his real name). The replacement is bronze and cost $2,336.00 with a 20% discount if it's bought by a marina. In addition they sell a neoprene gator that goes around the rudder shaft for and additional $180. Repair time is 16 hours of labor. All together it's about $3900 which is fairly expensive but that will resolve the lower rudder bearing issue for good and it's about the same cost as one new sail.

In addition to that the boat was constantly talking on just a little water. When we hauled the boat we found a small crack at the back of the keel/hull joint with just a few drips of water coming out of it (from the bilge). The yard will grind that out and re-glass that area. Don't know the cost of that yet but I should wind up with a bone dry boat next year.

Frank,

Thanks for the update. I located the source of the leak on Vento Solare. It turns out the forward seal on the raw water pump leaked, but only when the engine was running. I located this after I changed the oil this fall. The boat was only in the water for a week after changing the pump, but I believe that was the root cause of my seawater problem. An additional source of water was the seal on the rectangular deck cover behind the helm leaked when it rained - confirmed by spraying a garden hose on it. That was removed, cleaned and the lip sealed with Boatlife Caulk. Keeping my fingers crossed that all the water stays out of the boat now.

I did inspect the rudder bearing after the boat was hauled and it appears good. The boat already had the gaitor installed around the rudder post. I adjusted the cable tension to take minor play out of the helm. Now just waiting for April so we can launch and go sailing again to try everything out.

Did your boat get the warranty fix to strengthen the keel sump? There was a recall that addressed an issue with insufficient resin infusion. Make sure you have that, or you may end up with a bigger problem than the crack behind the keel.

I don't know if my boat ever had the keep sump reinforced however the boat is now 12 years old and there are no cracks in the sump area or on the outside. I think if I was going to have a problem it would have developed by now.

Update on the rudder bearing replacement. I had the rudder bearing replaced in the spring of 2016. The total cost was nearly $4000 and I no longer have any water problems inside the boat. After doing all this and getting the gaiter that wraps around the base of the rudder and the top of the rudder I think everyone with only water problems to first just get the gaiter. Although the rudder bearing can be a problem the gaiter resolves all water intrusion issues and is a relatively easy fix. You just drop the rudder, slide the gaiter over the rudder stock and then bring the rudder stock back up and re-attach everything. That will usually resolve all of the water problems. This would be the preferred (and much cheaper) fix if there is no actual rudder problem.

Frank - That is my plan. I spoke to James Doe a Schuster and he provided a temporary solution that had me unclamp the gaiter and peel it inside out. clear silicone caulk was rubbed on the inside of the gaiter, then it was restored over the rudder post and clamped. It significantly reduced the water from the rudder until I can pull it and install a new gaiter when I haul the boat this fall.

FYI, I had to replace the gaiter this spring because over time it became cracked. I purchased the gaiter from PYI Inc. Did not have to drop the rudder. Just requires a few c-clamps and careful gluing. Accessing via the rectangular deck cover behind the helm made things easier. See the link below to determine if they may have an option that works with your hull #.

Hull 251

http://www.pyiinc.com/jefa-rudder/sealing-systems.html

As a follow-up to my previous post and the information that Frank and Matt provided, I'm providing information on the rudder bearing inspection and gaiter replacement performed on Vento Solare (Hull 266)

Bottom line - The rudder bearings on hull 266 are Delrin made by Jefa. There was absolutely no wear or corrosion. The gaiter was replaced, and since the rudder was out, the gaiter purchased was already glued in the conical shape required. If the rudder was left in place, a split gaiter can be purchased and replaced by gluing a seam once it is wrapped around the rudder shaft. Since this is the first time the rudder has been pulled on hull 266, I now have piece of mind knowing that unless there are future symptoms of a rudder bearing problem, I do not need to remove the rudder. and if needed, can replace the gaiter in place.

Here is a view from below of the lower Delrin rudder bearing


Procedure to Remove the Rudder if the Jefa Rudder Bearings are used (may differ for Edson Aluminum Bearing installations). This assumes the boat is hauled and on a keel block 6 inches tall.

Gaiter
The gaiter is held on a hose clamp on the rudder shaft and another on the rudder tube. Loosen these clamps.

Tiller Arm - this is only installed if you have an autohelm driven below decks
Picture of the tiller arm on hull 203 that was cracked, but shows the bolt arrangement.

1. If you have a rudder angle sensor, it is most likely attached to the tiller arm. The sensor must be disconnected from the tiller arm in order to remove it.
2. The autohelm connection is made via a rose joint. Pull the locking ring and washer and slide the drive mechanism off the rose joint. If the rose joint is stuck, you can unscrew it from the tiller arm, and once removed clean and service the rose joint.
3. Loosen the autohelm tiller arm (if installed) which is located below the radial drive wheel and above the top of the gaiter. Typically the tiller arm is held on with four 9/16" hex head stainless bolts that join the two split sections clamped around the rudder shaft. There are two additional 9/16" bolts that lock the arm on the shaft to prevent it from twisting. Remove these bolts too.
4. Once all the bolts are removed, tap the tiller arm with a rubber mallet to separate it from the rudder shaft.

Radial Drive Wheel
Photo of radial drive wheel from above and Upper bearing lower glide ring with locking collar


Photo of radial drive wheel from below with Gaiter loosened


1. Loosen the steering cable and leave it connected to the radial drive wheel. The steering cables are terminated to eye bolts threaded through to the bottom of the radial drive wheel. On each eye bolt has two 1/2" hex bolts and a washer. The two hex bolts lock in place to prevent movement after the cable is adjusted. Unlock the outer hex nut and back it off. There is no need to remove the nut, just make it so it is loose and near the end of the threaded section. Unscrew the inner nut to loosen the cable.
2. Loosen the radial drive wheel which is located below the upper bearing and above the top of the gaiter. Typically the drive wheel held on with four 9/16" hex head stainless bolts that join the two split sections clamped around the rudder shaft. There are also two additional 9/16" bolts that lock the arm on the shaft to prevent it from twisting. Remove these bolts too. There are two 7/16" hex head bolts located just inside the outer edge that hold the radial drive wheel halves together. Remove these two bolts that are installed with lock washers and a hex net.
3. Once all the bolts are removed, tap the radial drive wheel with a rubber mallet to separate it from the rudder shaft. Position the half with the cable connected aft of the rudder tube with the cables on either side. The rudder should now be free to turn, independent of the wheel and steering mechanism.

Upper Bearing - Lower Glide Ring (these are ball bearings)
In the photo above, the black collar above the radial drive wheel locks the lower glide ring in place. The lower glide ring and collar provide a smooth load bearing surface that prevents the rudder shaft from moving upwards.

1. There are three equally spaced 4mm allen screws positioned around the locking collar. Loosen these screws so the collar is free, but do not remove the screws.

The locking collar and glide ring will slide off the top of the rudder shaft when the rudder is removed.

Top Bearing Locking Collar and Glide Ring - Final Step of Rudder removal
Caution - The rudder is free to fall out of the boat when this step is performed. Make sure the rudder is supported. This is a two person job!

Photo of upper bearing locking collar (located at Emergency Tiller attachment point) - the allen screws holding this in place can't be seen but are located around the periphery of the locking collar which is placed over the rudder shaft.


1. Block the bottom of the rudder using a scissors jack and wood blocks. Position a foam pad or towel under the rudder so it doesn't get damaged. Raise the jack so it just supports the rudder.
2. Remove the cover on deck to gain access to the rudder shaft where the emergency tiller attaches.
3. With one person below and one person above, have the person below hold the rudder and make sure the rudder supports do not slide out. The person above will loosen the three equally spaced 4mm allen screws positioned around the locking collar. Loosen these screws so the collar is free, but do not remove the screws. The rudder is now free to be removed.
4. Lower the scissors jack approximately 1 inch. If the rudder does not drop down, use a rubber mallet an tap where the emergency tiller is connected. The rudder will break free. Make sure the second person constrains the rudder and jack so it does not slide out.
5. Once the rudder is free, one person helps hold the rudder below the boat while the other moves the scissors jack and blocks so the rudder may be slid down. The rudder will slide down with sufficient clearance to remove the rudder shaft from the boat before the bottom of the rudder reaches the ground.

When the rudder is removed it is a great time to clean up and inspect all the parts. Use soap, water and a brush to clean and flush the lower rudder bearing. Do NOT use any lubricants on the Delrin bearings or rudder shaft.

Rudder installation is the reverse of the above procedure. The process requires that the rudder shaft be partially inserted in the boat so the gaiter, upper bearing lower glide ring and locking collar can be slid on. Once these are on the shaft, the rudder is jacked in position and locked in place by the top bearing and locking collar. The allen screws on the locking collars should be set with blue (non-permanent) Loctite and set so they are aligned with the original dimples that are scored on the rudder shaft. This is the same for all other assemblies clamped to the rudder shaft. Make sure the assemblies are aligned so that screws used to lock an assembly in position on the rudder shaft are precisely located to the original positions when removed.