Droping the rudder on a Pearson 33-2

Sabre66 · #1 05-17-2008

We need to replace the rudder bearings on the new, to us , P 33-2. I cant figure out what is holding the the rudder post up! It comes through the hull and up through a moulded 18"+ - fiberglass "well" then I can see a hose clamp around a bearing? Six inches further up is the pulley and cable that run forward to the wheel. Any thoughts?Any sketches?
I hired a guy from Marblehead trading to look at it, and he had no clue as to what was holding the rudder in place.

deniseO30 · #2 05-18-2008

is it a edson? if so it's most likely a split hub quadrant (big pulley) and a bolt goes through the rudder post and through the hub too, In my boat that hub rides on the rudder bearing tube. Hope this helps.. there are many posts on the forum showing how it comes apart.

Sabre66 · #3 05-19-2008

I removed it yesterday. There is a metal collar riding on a pvc washer with a single 1/4" set screw into the rudder post. The quadrant is another six inches higher up and was easy to remove.
The problem I now have is that there aren't any rudder bearings Just a PVC pipe glassed into the hull which the rudder stock slides into. I have excessive play in the rudder so I'm going to try and fabricate two thin sleeves that will fit into the tube.
I was also quite surprised at the weight of the rudder (135 pounds) although it is nearly 5' long. I'm hoping there's no water in it.