CD33 rudder drip underway

[amit]

Hi Folks,

During the survey it was noticed that there is a drip from the top of the stuffing box (gland packing nut) very close to the key of the quadrant. ( 1 drop every 10 sec)

This was of-course motoring under power. Is this normal for CD33?

We looked at the area again the next day and it was dry. Basically there is no drip or leak when boat is not in motion ( in the slip) dont know what happens on sail. (maybe prop pressure/ upthrust is the cause or just plain waterline)

On this forum there is some mention of folks on CD22/27 but their connection of rudder is entirely different.

Main concern I have are :
There seems to be no access to remove the packing stuffing box to check for pitting on the rudder shaft without dropping the rudder. ( seems like a big job)

Also, even for changing the packing ( stuffing box like material/GTO) the key seems to be very much in the way to get the nut loose beyond a few turns.

Any advice? Someone been though such a situation before.

Thanks in advance
Amit

[Zeida]

DSC02600.JPG

Amit… pix of my steering quadrant and rudder stuffing box. Mine has never dripped. Have you tested it for tightening? Could it be a bit loose? Can you loosen it up if you wanted to? As you can see, mine has a green patina around the turning nut, but I do clean it most of the time and make sure everything around it looks solid and clean. I have never tried to do anything with it (if not broke, don't fix it), but I am constantly down there working on the engine and all else. To repack it for sure would be a job! or maybe not… the rudder post could be pitted in that area, but I don't know how you would be able to tell without taking everything apart, as you mention. Also, make sure you have no leaks in your fuel tank.

I do keep a drip going in the prop shaft stuffing box - mandatory, since otherwise, the SS shaft would end up pitted because of the lack of oxygen. I do not have a dripless stuffing box there, so I must live with the drip, which I hate. What engine does your boat have? Mine came with the Universal 5424 24hp. 3 cylinders, on three motor mounts, which were totally disintegrated when I bought the boat, which consequently ended up ruining the transmission because of engine vibration and movement under power… My Universal still works fine and has never let me down, but I have had to do some repairs on it and baby it constantly. It does vibrate more than others, in part because it sits on only 3 mounts. Hope this helps you some.

[Paul D.]

Amit, I PM'ed you my thoughts on the rudder tube.

I second Zeida's checking the engine mounts and other mild steel down there like the steering block mounts. Once again Zeida, your engine room puts others, including mine to shame!

[Russell]

You should not have to drop the rudder to remove and inspect the stuffing box, you will have to remove the quadrent. I did this on my 36 a couple years ago to replace the stuffing box hose, it was a full day job to disassemble everything and reasseble everything. Other then being crammed into a very tight space for it all, it ultimately was not that difficult.

But 1 drip every 10 seconds is really not that bad, just tighten the stuffing box nut. Repacking it should be pretty easy as well without having to remove anything.

[amit]

Thanks folks. The engine is Volvo 24 HP. The prop shaft seems to have rust/pitting. Here are the pics of rudder stuffing box, prop shaft and quadrant.

Any suggestions appreciated.

[tjr818]

Zeida,
It looks like you took the wall to wall (bulkhead to bulkhead?) carpeting out of the engine room. Still that is the cleanest room I have seen except perhaps for the Delta Queen. Very nice.

[Zeida]

Ahoy Tim…. the wall-to-wall carpeting is in all 3 cockpit lockers… never had it in the engine room - ( yet!) It was a good day today, and I got to take Bandolera out for a while… great to be out there. Z

[Zeida]

Amit… looks like you have a lot of clean-up work to do in that engine room…. you better have a new prop shaft, new cutless bearing, new clamps, etc. in order to get rid of all that rust… you are inviting a most unwelcome leak at any moment… if It was me, I would replace all the hoses, clamps, etc. that entire area looks like it has been really neglected. Get a big reduction in price, so you can use the $ to do the work you need down there. That's just me.

zeida

[amit]

Thanks Zeida, Interestingly the shaft and cutlass etc were replaced in 2011, the shaft looks okay from the outside. ( underwater ) see attached pic, and the bearing feels okay as well.

[Neil Gordon]

Zeida's right; you should use the results of the survey to negotiate a price reduction for those items that came as a surprise. The surveyor should be helping you here... distinguishing between items that are neglected and/or broken vs. normal maintenance items.

[moctrams]

Zelda is correct about the engine shaft stuffing box. I think you're in for some big expenses fixing the engine stuffing box. I would pull the engine to work on the stuffing box and I'm pretty certain the shaft log is in terrible shape. You are looking at around $5k or more pulling the engine, new stuffing box, fiber glass work and the biggest expense; labor.

[Jeff and Sarah]

I have pulled the shaft, stuffing box and cutlass bearing on my 33 twice and have never removed the engine. It also didn't cost $5k. I do think these could be good tools for negotiating but a savvy seller will know that it is nowhere near a $5k job. The shaft log could be a tough job- is there any reason to suspect it is bad?

[moctrams]

I was referring of the $5k fee if the yard did your work. Of course, if you have the time, skills, tools and patience to do the work it will cost you considerable less. Most yards in Maryland charge at least $80 to $90/hour. At that rate, it will not take long to get to the $5k figure. Then it’s time. How can you be assured the work will be done in a timely manner? At this time of the year, most marinas in our area are hauling, power washing, blocking boats and putting the small power boats on their trailers. I have worked in a marina off and on for over 30 years and I pretty know a lot how they operate. I would get a quote before any work is done if you are considering the yard to do the work.

[Neil Gordon]

I have pulled the shaft, stuffing box and cutlass bearing on my 33 twice and have never removed the engine. It also didn't cost $5k. I do think these could be good tools for negotiating but a savvy seller will know that it is nowhere near a $5k job. The shaft log could be a tough job- is there any reason to suspect it is bad?

Just for comparison, I did a complete repower for just under $6,000, excluding the cost of the Beta. That included removing the MD7A, glassing in new rails to build up the engine bed, building a shelf and installing a new muffler, replacing the cutlass bearing, new shaft and prop, installing a new shifter, dripless shaft seal, etc., etc.

It's easy enough to get a parts and labor quote on a new shaft, cutlass bearing and stuffing box.

[moctrams]

I’ll bet Amit has gotten so many stories his head must be spinning. As the Commodore said “etc., etc.”. They will get you every time. As I was blowing leaves I was wondering if the PO knew about the boat issues and had talked to someone about cost of the repairs. If he did, someone must know. For a boat that old, someone knows the history other than the PO. Hope all comes out well and that Amit has gained a little more knowledge from the CDSOA folks.