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Leaking a rudder posts

Discussion in 'Carver Yacht' started by Jnicholas, Jul 17, 2022.

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  1. Jnicholas, Jul 17, 2022
    #1
    Jnicholas

    Jnicholas Member

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    Long beach ca
    I am experiencing slight leakage around both rudder posts. Very minor amount. About a quart on a two hour run. While in the water, I have pulled and pulled on the rudders and no movement.

    there does not seem to be a packing gland that is serviceable. I’ve reviewed several videos but can’t find anything that looks like mine.

    any adjustments I can make without Pulling out in the yard? D79D5337-3087-4AD6-9209-5B9F6113BABC.jpeg
  2. Capt Ralph, Jul 17, 2022
    #2
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    This is an old attempt of perfect flat surfaces forming a water lubricated face seal.
    Kind of like an older Lasdrop shaft logs, before they went to a lip seal..
    The weight of the rudder is used instead of a spring loaded shaft log hose.
    However, unlike the spring loaded hose, this over gel-coated monolith to itself, is not flexible and the faces will not stay perfectly flat or clean..

    Sadly, you have the end result of a poor factory design. Oh, just looked up; Yep, A Carver.

    If the seal height is close to your static waterline, you may consider lightening up your aft.

    Un-load the weight in the aft. Invest in redundant bilge pumps and batteries.
    Or,
    You can take it all apart and re-polish the faces but while it is apart, consider having a more proper log/seal installed.
    T.T. likes this.
  3. Jnicholas, Jul 18, 2022
    #3
    Jnicholas

    Jnicholas Member

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    Wow Capt Ralph. A little more negative answer than I expected. I know Carver is not an ocean crossing exploration trawler, but my OA or Nordhaven budget is a little stressed right now.

    You’re right it does appear to be above the water line as in port it does not leak.

    so my choices are carry half my fuel in my tanks, remove my generator and put my portable Honda along with a couple of 55 gallon diesel barrels on the bow and I should be ok? :eek:

    So it appears the repair is above my ability. What I’m trying to ask is what should I be discussing with the yard? Removal of rudders, repolish shaft and faces, and just expect some leakage? Or is it possible to install a proper log/seal without re-engineering the entire aft end of the boat?

    Appreciate any advice short of selling my Carver.

    Yes I do have a new, larger aft bilge pump installed this year.
  4. Capt Ralph, Jul 18, 2022
    #4
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Sir
    Sorry you feel my reply was negative.
    I just did not apply anything nice.

    Just woke up with a thought;
    How do you preload that face seal on a slow turning collar? You can't.
    I was incorrect, that is a lip seal in there.

    Still not a nice remedy; the boat will still need to be out the the water for proper service.
    Ah, some good news, that seal should be easily available.
  5. ksbguy, Sep 1, 2022
    #5
    ksbguy

    ksbguy Member

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    Jnicholas,

    No need to sell your boat. I had to replace mine on a 444 and have since put 900 hours on it with no issues.

    That lip seal is easy to replace, tides marine sells it, probably 1.5”. Contact them, they’ll help you…

    You’ll need to haul of course.

    When I did mine I dropped the rudders (just dig a bit in the yard if on soft ground) and I used a car scissor jack to press the seal back in slowly using the upper cross brace as an upper support for the jack. It’s tricky otherwise to get the seal to press in straight. Don’t use a hammer, you don’t want it going in on an angle, it’ll jam…
  6. Jnicholas, Sep 2, 2022
    #6
    Jnicholas

    Jnicholas Member

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    I hate to be a painKSBGUY but I’m having trouble visualizing how the jack is going to push the seal in straight. Any photos of when you did repair? My yard is making it sound like the rudder shafts will need to be filled and honed as there is some visual corrosion on the shafts. Did you have to do this steps as well?
  7. ksbguy, Sep 2, 2022
    #7
    ksbguy

    ksbguy Member

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    With the rudder slid out and new seal removed you now have a flat surface there to press on. Take a look at the car scissor Jack. The base of the Jack that would sit on the ground I placed centered and evenly over the new seal with the new seal sitting on the hole evenly. Place a block of wood above the jack (where it would engage the frame of the car and that will press on the plastic cross member you have above the seal that the rudder shaft slides into - make sense? The jack sits between those two points and forces the jack to press the seal in once it contacts the upper cross member. Go slowly and make sure the seal is going in straight as you raise the jack.

    I did not have any pitting of the shaft, just some salt that I gently removed with some emery cloth, If you have deep pitting (I doubt it unless you’re letting your zincs disappear) it’ll have to be addressed.

    What model you have?

    Good Luck.
  8. Jnicholas, Sep 2, 2022
    #8
    Jnicholas

    Jnicholas Member

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    This is a carver 450 voyager. 2000

    you can see in this photo that the shaft does not look pitted to me. I think this should clean up. Guess I won’t know until it is dropped

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