Svenska IF-båtförbundets forum

Greetings from Santa Barbara, CA, USA. I've got a 1973 IF which has developed some rudder play. On last haulout I saw that the middle pintle on the rudder had lost some metal and was discolored, which accounts for the play. I made sure the zincs were making contact before putting her back in, but I can't figure out where the problem is coming from. I have no AC system on the boat, there is no dissimilar metal near the pintle. Stray current? And why just that middle pintle?

Anyway, I'm not sure how to fix the rudder play. A nylon bushing, perhaps? Anyone else have this problem? Appreciate any ideas or thoughts.

Best,

Michael Colin
IF1244 "Cosimo"

For IF-boats with rudders with dismountable fittings, (normally 1973 and later models), there is a row engraved transversally around the pintle. It is intended for an O-ring. Those type of O-rings, that is normally used for tightenings of the different assambly parts of a standard garden water hose system, would as well do for this purpose.

Those O-rings should be replaced on a regulary bases, (i.e. about every 2:nd year), otherwise, as the O-rings break and disappear, there will be rudder play and, additionally, in the long term, mecanically worn rudder pintles

As long as your pintles are not worn more than there still exist those rows, O-rings should most probably solve you rudder play problem.

Thanks for the reply, Marek. I don't recall seeing what you described on the rudder pintles, but I'm going to pull the rudder off and have a closer look. I may need a different solution to the problem, though.

Thanks again.

Michael Colin
IF1244 "Cosimo"

On my 1974 IF I change the rudder pintle rubber O-rings every year. The top and bottom pintles do not seem as worn as the middle one is. Perhaps this is caused by greater forces on the middle one, although one could imagine even greater force at the top.

I suggest you take off the rudder and inspect those pintles. If possible, just put on O-rings and grease. Otherwise fit a bushing of nylon or similar plastic material.

When this topic is discussed in the swedish forum the actual brand of the water hose system, from which many IF-boat owners get their o-rings, is mentioned. It is from the Gardena Quick Connect Watering System which is also avaliable in the US as far as I know.

Michael,

I have just had to replace my pintles because of considerable wear. It occurs to me that it is quite difficult to achieve perfect alignment of the three pintles and that consequently one of them is going to wear through constant pressure on one side of the gudgeon. It is probable that the design which has a generous clearance between the gudgeon and pintle helps to cater for any mis-alignment. The O rings then remove any slack caused by the clearance. Thus the O rings are an important part of the design. New pintles can be obtained from Goran Helmer in Sweden.

In fact there is no need to excahnge the entrie rudder fitting. The pintle itself can be pressed out by an hydraulic or mechanic press tool from the fitting, and new pintle may be turned from a standard 15 mm (or more) diameter brass rod that may be bought in any well equipped metal store.

Another means of solving the problem is to turn down/work the worn pintle to be of a cricular cross-section again with a somewhat smaller diameter, perhaps in combination with boring a circular, somewhat greater hole in the fitting attached to the boat, and introduce nylon bushings which was suggested above by Johan Winberg.