I need to replace the steering quadrant on my 1976 Irwin 28. I am looking for information on a two-piece replacement unit that doesn't require pulling the rudder shaft to replace.
Tom Wood responds:
In all the years that I’ve been slithering through bilges, I’ve only come across a few steering quadrants that needed replacement. They are usually some truly robust hunks of bronze, although a few aluminum ones that I have seen do have scoring and corrosion.
It’s possible, depending on what is wrong with your quadrant, that it might be salvageable by a machine shop. Bronze is quite easy to work by metal standards, so sleeving and re-boring shouldn’t be a problem.
If yours is beyond that point, replacement, whether one piece or two, is no problem. Since you are looking specifically for a two-piece replacement, I have to assume that the upper rudder-shaft bearing is above the quadrant. Even in this case, it isn’t necessary to remove the rudder from the boat to exchange the quadrant—only that the boat be lifted high enough so that the rudder can be dropped down from the top bearing far enough to slip the quadrants between the bearing and the top of the shaft.
Now, after saying all that, the people you want to talk to are at Edson International, 146 Duchaine Blvd, New Bedford, MA, 02745, phone (508) 995-9711, FAX (508) 995-5021, and e-mail info@edsonintl.com. You can also visit their web site at www.edsonintl.com.
Before you make contact with them, however, you will need to assemble the facts, and this might call for a good pair of calipers, a wire gauge, and a tape measure. Edson will need to know the diameter of the quadrant and may want to know the diameter of the steering cable. They definitely will need the diameter of the rudder shaft, the size of the keyway, and its location in reference to forward.
After you’ve gotten a part number from Edson, you should look into ordering it from a SailNet representative at 800-234-3220—you’ll save a little money by doing it this way.
Connect with Facebook
