[C38] Mother of all steering quadrant battles!

[Max Soto]

For all of you that are planning to remove the rudder for the first time,
hopefully, this will help a little bit:

Taking down the rudder was the mos painful job I've ever performed on
Estancia... The quadrant on the rudder shaft is located a few inched from
the packing gland, and after 29 years of getting wet with salt water, all
the stainless bolts were welded to the quadrant except for the two small
ones on the sides.
After heating, massaging and applying wd40, two of the four bolts on the
sides gave up and I was able to take them out, one broke in the threads so
It wasn't a problem, the other one , plus the one that goes on the middle
from side to side broke their heads.....
Before taking David's approach and get the grinder, I decided
to keep trying, and after lots of ours, and four days, I was  finally able
to take it apart.... If I was able to take out the center pin, I would have
been able to loosen the quadrant a little bit and slide the rudder shaft
down, and take out the quadrant in one piece, but that bolt was stubborn.. I
took the nut on the back side and kept tighten it and adding a stack of
washers every once in a while so it will come out, until the corroded bolt
got stuck and the hull angle didn't let me apply leverage.... At least I was
able to move  the bolt about two inches, so the front halve of the quadrant
wasn't touching the bolt. The one on the side stood against every trick in
my hat, but when anger, pain and desperation took over me, I grabbed a drill
and  started drilling on the side, perpendicular to the remaining bolt...
Somehow I drilled exactly through the bolt and cut it in two...  I put a
screw driver on the side, hit it gentle with a hammer and the two halves
became apart from each other... I heard some angels singing  next to me!!
The good thing is that a shop took the bolts out without any damage to
the halves.  I also requested not to weld the hole that I drilled.. Is not
going to affect, and it will be easier to lubricate the bolt in the near
future, in case that it seizes again....
I'm 36, and I have never had such back pains as the ones that this quadrant
did.... Not worth it to fight for days.. If having same problems, don't
waste time, get the drill, get it done, and let the shop take care of the
rest...
The pics shows the corroded and twisted bolt on the middle, the bolts with
broken heads, and the lateral hole that I drilled...
Hope this helps to avoid someones back pains!!!!!

Regards,

Max Soto
C38 #198 ESTANCIA
Puntarenas, Costa Rica
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