GRAMPIAN 34 STRUT REPAIR

(Click on all thumbnails for larger image)

                                                                                          

       Rudder Removed         Looking up rudder tube        Looking at bottom of rudder beside             Looking at top of the
                                                                                                the keel with all the fairing removed.        rudder laying beside the keel.

When I first got my Grampian I had a drip from the stern that I never could figure out where it came from.  It was maybe a gallon a month so I never really worried about it too much. Eventually, I found out what happened was that the shaft  was out of alignment due to the shifting engine mounts that had caused wear around the strut and that was where it was leaking. When I swapped out the engine I dug out the strut and repaired the problem and it is not only stronger now but it doesn't leak. I did have to take pictures in order to see what was actually going on. The strut support is a really hard spot to see.

Here are the pics showing how the strut was actually originally constructed

This shows the top of the strut with the pin holding it in place above it is the sheaves for the steering.

There are two of the bent brass pins holding the strut in place. the first one is exposed in these pics, you can just see the second coming out of the glass on the starboard side (You are looking toward the stern)

Thanks to Mike MacDonald for this project.

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