[C38] Rudder post packing gland, must remove steering quadrant
Steve Smolinske
SSmolinske at rainierrubber.com
Sun Aug 16 23:30:57 EDT 2009
Paul,
last year I pulled all three hatches and repainted them myself. The process goes as follows: sand down to aluminum, you can use sand paper and work it as if it were wood. the secret is that once you have sanded you have to zinc chromate right away. Aluminum will oxidize very quickly and then nothing will stick for very long. The zinc chromate comes in a spray can and is yellow in color. let that dry then use a primer interlux 4280 (grey) after it has dryed you can sand out the bubble and uneven spots and coat again. Then you finish with the top coat I used interlux (couldnt find the number but it was white). I am pretty happy with the hatches and they still look good except for a few dings, I have been debating to do the pedestal as well, if you have access to a sprayer it would yield a much better result I brushed on the primer and top coats.
I sent my depth and knot back to signet for repair (round style) and was pleased with the service, I ended up replacing the depth with a new round and was not happy with the dim lighting the new one has compared to the old. I called and asked if it was normal, they said yes but at the end of the season to send it back in and they would add LEDs to make it as bright as the older style at no charge. They were also unaware that the newer ones were dimmer than the older and are looking into modifying new production. I also added the round wind instrument with wind angle and led indicator for speed. My only complaint and Signet says it can not be corrected is the the led display for the wind speed is not backlite so at night you can not easily read wind speed.
I stayed with signet when I added my Garmin radar and chartplotter based on the advice of the foreman at the boat yard, I was considering raymarine throughout and all connected. His comment was that he routinely replaces new raymarine instruments with replacements or other instruments because in his experience he has seen them fail at a higher rate than any other.....others with raymarine should be better able to comment. He also said and it is true in my experience the signet are pretty much bullet proof, turn them on and they work.
Steve
Peregrine #312
Seattle
________________________________
From: listserve-bounces at catalina38.org on behalf of PAUL NOTTE
Sent: Sat 8/15/2009 9:35 PM
To: Catalina 38 Listserve
Subject: Re: [C38] Rudder post packing gland, must remove steering quadrant
I'm thinking of removing the pedestal this winter to have it re powder coated or is there a paint that will work as well ? and oh yah my wife is starting to find recipes for some of the other thing I've "found necessary" I need ,or at least I think I need a wind instrument .The one on impulse has a broken tail . Should I stay with signet or another brand. when the wind blows hard enough it does give me the quarter it's blowing from also doesn't start to show on the scale till it gets above five or so knots and I think it under reads. I have no illusions of being a world class sailor just an old gunk hole explorer having a good time .It would also be a good time to replace the knot meter it needs a new paddelwheel kit unless anyone else has had good success with the signet one I'll have them repaired . Ps I found a kick ass barbeque under three hundred you can cook dinner for four and still have room left over. made locally and guaranteed for as long as you own it
Paul Impulse
----- Original Message -----
From: Don Strong <drstrong at ucdavis.edu>
Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 6:36 pm
Subject: Re: [C38] Rudder post packing gland, must remove steering quadrant
To: Catalina 38 Listserve <listserve at catalina38.org>
> Dear People:
> I failed to tell you that I had removed the steering quadrant
> before the
> operation described today.
> Removal and replacement of the quadrant doubles the fun! The
> first time,
> you will find frozen nuts, and more!
> Grease those nuts and bolts before replacing.
> I also have the steering arm from the below deck hydraulic autopilot.
>
> Don
>
> Richard West wrote:
> > Hi Les,
> >
> > My quadrant has either been raised or lowered and I can't
> remember
> > which - lowered I think. This was done to make room for
> a separate
> > steering arm that is operated by my below-deck hydraulic
> autopilot.
> > This really makes it tight. The only way I can get
> to the packing
> > gland is to remove the quadrant (two piece aluminum). I
> don't think
> > servicability was utmost in Mr. Catalina's mind with this
> design! ;-)
> >
> > Rich, Legacy, #360, San Diego
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 3:38 PM, Les <hlhowell at pacbell.net
> > <mailto:hlhowell at pacbell.net>> wrote:
> >
> > JACE has the triangular plate type of
> packing gland also. In
> > addition,
> > the rudder quadrant is in the way, and
> I don't see either the quadrant
> > or its collar in the photo. I
> was wondering what you did to get under
> > it?
> >
> > I know that there is a better way, but
> I don't know what it is. Rich,
> > you sound like you have the same
> design I do. Is your quadrant
> > (actually a disk I think) immediately
> above the packing gland?
> >
> > Regards,
> > Les H
> >
> > On Wed, 2009-07-29 at 14:24 -0700,
> Richard West wrote:
> > > Wow, for what it's worth, your
> packing gland is very different from
> > > mine. Mine has triangular
> plates with thee screws and just enough
> > > room for about one ring of packing
> and no real cutout to hold it in
> > > place. Equally hard to work on
> though!> >
> > > Rich, Legacy, #360, San Diego
> > >
> > > On Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 1:49 PM, D.
> R. Strong
> > <drstrong at ucdavis.edu
> <mailto:drstrong at ucdavis.edu>>> > wrote:
> >
> > In response to
> requests for my packing gland packing
> >
> > experiences.
> This is really fun stuff (sarcasm intended).
> > >
> >
> > 1. I
> tried both the classical and the Teflon packing, and
> >
> > vastly prefer
> the latter. It is tougher, takes the abuse of
> >
> > insertion
> better, and it seems logical that the Teflon type
> >
> > should last
> longer. I don't remember the size of the packing
> >
> > material;
> middle size, not the largest or smallest. I
> > removed
> >
> > the old stuff
> and the West Marine gal helped me find the
> >
> > right
> size. To save repeated trips, I bought three
> > packages
> >
> > of the
> two sizes that seemed right, then returned the
> > unused.
> >
> > WM readily
> takes refunds with receipt (because they know
> > that
> >
> > boat addicts
> cannot resist a purchase each and every
> > time they
> >
> > enter the store).
> > >
> >
> > 2. I removed
> the old packing with a tiny screw driver. A
> > trick
> >
> > taught me by
> Cree at Berkeley Marine Center is to make
> > up your
> >
> > new material
> on the exposed rudder post, up by the tiller
> >
> > attachment
> (careful, don't let the rudder sink to the bottom
> >
> > of the marina
> when you remove the tiller handle
> > attachment!).
> >
> > Or, you could
> mic the post and use another pipe of
> > exactly the
> >
> > same diameter.
> Coil the new packing material around
> > around the
> >
> > post three
> times. Cut through the coil on a 45 degree angle
> >
> > with a sharp
> razor blade; this must be pretty easy because I
> >
> > got it right
> the first time. The razoring of three wraps
> >
> > procedure
> gives you three perfect segments, all with
> > good cut
> >
> > angles. Treat
> them carefully, especially the cut edges.
> > >
> >
> > 3. Grease the
> post and the new packing material just before
> >
> > you
> begin. This will allow the material to readily
> > slide into
> >
> > the slot. I'm
> proud of having thought of this, but feel
> > stupid
> >
> > that I labored
> for hours ---butchering several packages of
> >
> > packing trying
> to get the material into the slot
> > ---before the
> >
> > Lord delivered
> the grease idea on to me (pay off for
> >
> > memorizing the
> 23 Psalm at 8). I used water proof marine
> >
> > grease meant
> for bearings on boat trailer wheels.
> > >
> >
> > 4. Insert the
> coils with 66 degrees of rotation between the
> >
> > cuts, so as to
> isolate them maximally from each other.
> > >
> >
> > 5. Use the
> ring on the sliding, unfixed, bottom half
> > (bronze
> >
> > color above
> the green base in the photo below) of the
> > gland as
> >
> > a hard tool to
> "force" ( = easy does it) the coils of
> > packing
> >
> > material in.
> Twist, pull up, and tap gently (if needs be) on
> >
> > the sliding
> half with a small (!) hammer or wrench handle to
> >
> > urge the
> insertion of the coil. DONT TAP TOO HARD OR
> > YOU WILL
> >
> > DEFORM THE
> UNIT. (Note, this is the point when your wife
> > will
> >
> > leave the boat
> owing to the language used by her lover).
> > Note
> >
> > that the
> packing material on Discreet Charm is inserted
> >
> > upward, into
> the glassed on, fixed, top half of the unit.
> > >
> >
> > 6. I worked
> from the cockpit, from the top, through the
> > stern
> >
> > lazarette. If
> you know a 6 year old with really long
> > arms and
> >
> > strong hands
> (older kids are too big) who will work from
> >
> > below, go for
> it. My first try (which failed because the
> >
> > insertion of
> the packing material was sloppy; edges did not
> >
> > line up) gave
> me a bad bruise across the chest at the
> > point of
> >
> > contact
> between me and the rim of the lazarette. Place a
> > thin
> >
> > cushion or
> towel between your chest and the on the rim
> > of the
> >
> > lazarette to
> prevent this unpleasant trophy of packing gland
> >
> > replacement .
> > >
> >
> > Love Don
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Donald & Karin
> Strong>
> > Discreet Charm
> >
> > Catalina 38
> >
> > San Fancisco Bay
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> _______________________________________________> Listserve mailing list
> > Listserve at catalina38.org
> <mailto:Listserve at catalina38.org>>
> http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org>
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Listserve mailing list
> > Listserve at catalina38.org
> > http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org
> >
>
> --
> Donald R. Strong
> Professor
> Department of Evolution and Ecology
> University of California, Davis 95616
> 530 752-7886
>
>
>
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