3000 Express Rudder Repair

bnc · Postby **bnc** » Tue Feb 15, 2022 9:17 pm

Posted over on THT, too.

Dropped the rudders out of my boat to change the shaft seals due to a slow annoying leak.

Found some pitting and crevice corrosion where the seal rides on the rudder post. I plan to build up the area with weld and machine / polish back to size.

Any ideas what material the posts are made from? Some grade of stainless that is strongly magnetic. I was planning on using 316L filler, until I put a magnet to it. I found some posts on the internet saying to use an Inconel filler instead when doing these repairs.

Boat is a 2001 Pursuit 3000 Express which uses Tides Marine lip seals. Rudders have a casting number on them: 26583 ACP

Woodworker2001 · Postby **Woodworker2001** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 2:51 pm

I do not know what stainless. But I changed seals a couple years ago. They still leaked so the next season I lowered one rudder about 1/2” and the other one 1/4”. They one I lowered close to a 1/2” didn’t leak anymore. The other one slowed but still leaked.

I have to pull them back out with trans project to get shafts out so I am replacing seals again and going to check the shafts better. I think mark filled his with epoxy and sanded smooth and has had good luck with that.

bobbruce · Postby **bobbruce** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:19 pm

So I did remove mine ,found that same pitting. Cleaned pits with wire wheel deeply. Then applied 6 ten epoxy and polished smooth with plumbers grit cloth. Then drilled rudders and installed zines. So far so good.

bobbruce · Postby **bobbruce** » Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:25 pm

I meant zincs. All credit to mark t. As his post and info lead me in the right direction..

MarkT · Postby **MarkT** » Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:48 pm

That's why we are here! Glad that info helped you. :usa:

bnc · Postby **bnc** » Fri Feb 18, 2022 9:59 pm

I was able to get one welded using 308/L filler. The starboard rudder had some real light pitting above the seal area due to the seal saver being there and apparently holding moisture. Moving them down isn't really an option. I'm going to weld the seal area and re-machine / polish and probably epoxy all of the other pitting.

Woodworker2001 · Postby **Woodworker2001** » Thu Feb 24, 2022 2:07 pm

Keep us updated and some pictures of the process would be great. I am going to be doing mine soon enough

bnc · Postby **bnc** » Thu Feb 24, 2022 8:43 pm

Some pics of my adventure:

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MarkT · Postby **MarkT** » Fri Feb 25, 2022 9:20 am

That looks great!

Woodworker2001 · Postby **Woodworker2001** » Fri Feb 25, 2022 11:04 am

Awesome!!! That rudder is a lot of mass swinging around down there :-O

Looking great. Hoping I don’t have to do something similar, but thankfully have a machine shop and welding shop at my disposal

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