Rudder Problem/Question

[cjohnsen1611]

I am having issues with my steering. It is very hard to steer to the right and the boat has been taking on water while underway. I filled the bilge with water and found a leak through one of the screws holding the rudder plate. I just noticed that the backing plate inside the boat is cracked. Has anyone seen or dealt with this problem. I did some research online and found mixed comments. Some said it is fine because the plate is acting like a washer. Others have said it absolutely shouldn't be cracked. Any insight would be great. Thanks for your help

[NautiqueJeff]

Yes, your rudder port backing plate is in poor condition. You should replace that as soon as you can.

http://www.nautiqueparts.com/rudderport.aspx

[AirTool]

Yes, your rudder port backing plate is in poor condition. You should replace that as soon as you can.

http://www.nautiqueparts.com/rudderport.aspx

Discount code PND.

It seems strange to me that such a soft material would crack like that.

Anywhoo...time to replace.

[charlesml3]

Agreed. Time to replace it. While you have the steering cable disconnected, turn the wheel all the way, stop to stop. Does it feel kinda stiff? If so, go ahead and replace the steering cable while you're there. If not, you'll be taking all of this apart again soon to replace it anyway...

-Charles

[TRBenj]

I have seen that before... what year is your boat? I suspect there may have been some bad castings.

To suggest that the whole port needs to be replaced is ridiculous. That plate is in fact just a fancy washer. I'd see if you can buy just the backing plate separately. If not, I'd seriously consider using it as-is with some fresh sealant (3m 4200 or similar).

[ski4evr]

Mine has had the cracks for three years (since I bought it) and not a leak or problem yet. I don't think it affects the stability of the rudder or compromise the safety. It appears to only be a back up plate for the fasteners that hold the rudder plate through the hull and is simply to spread the pressure evenly on the hull. But, I could be wrong and need to replace mine too. Depends on "what the experts say". Very curious to see if any others chime in.

[BrickBrock]

Mine has the cracks too (2005 SAN210TE), but my steering works very well. I did not see copious amount of water coming in from the backing plate. Mine looks like it has not shifted as much as yours has. Perhaps the backing plate is dragging on the rudder shaft more in one direction of rotation than it is in the other, requiring more force when turning right, or you may want to check your steering cable. This is what mine looks like.

[Neverenough]

08 220 cracked also. No leaks no rudder issues. It's been kinda bothering me that's it cracked but I'm not sure that replacing it is worth taking it apart.

[shag]

Just my .02, but I would fix it. Like someone said above - must have been some bad castings...

[cjohnsen1611]

Thank you for all the replies. The boat is a 2003 super air. I disconnected the steering and turned the wheel in both directions and it is very smooth. I think the problem lies in the rudder. I am going to try and make my way to a local boat shop that works on nautiques and see if they have anything to say about the cracks. I do like the new rudder port because it has a zirc fitting which would help keep the rudder shaft lubricated! I will post any information that I get from the shop. Thanks again

[charlesml3]

08 220 cracked also. No leaks no rudder issues. It's been kinda bothering me that's it cracked but I'm not sure that replacing it is worth taking it apart.

Maybe so and quite a few posters here seem to be saying "just ignore it." Me, personally.... no way. If mine was cracked I'd have replaced it right away. I see things like this as something that's just waiting to bite you in the ***. Inevitably, it'll bite you when all of your friends are up, you're miles away from the dock and just getting ready to start boarding on glass-smooth water.

I maintain my Air meticulously. In 13 years, I've never been stranded, never been towed home. It's never let me down because I've never let IT down. We've all heard the expression about a boat being a hole in the water where you throw money. I know boats CAN be this but they don't have to be.

There are two types of maintenance you do on a boat:

1) Preventive

Or

2) Disaster Recovery

Pick which one you want. Preventive is all about being proactive. Spot small problems before they become big ones. Be diligent. Don't get behind. Disaster Recovery is all about being reactive. Let it go to the point of failure and deal with it then. Personally, I can't see how anyone would think it would be better to wait until it fails, but those are the same people that smirk at me.

-Charles

[cjohnsen1611]

Spoke with the boat shop today and the person I talked to said the cracks probably resulted in sharp turns under heavy speed. I have owned the boat for a few months so I have no idea how the previous owner drove the boat. He said a new backing plate was around 50 dollars. I plan on replacing the whole unit because I like the idea of having the zirc fitting. I have read numerous threads where people wished they had the fitting so the rudder could be lubricated. Thanks for all the replies. I will try and take some pictures and give some feed back on how the new install goes. Thanks again!

[Zach@n3]

I almost bet the bed that the backing plate lies on is not 100% flat and if you install a new one it will crack as well. Like Tim said it's just a big washer and if it retains bolts it will be fine. There should be no way that would crack under heavy turn loads. that piece isn't the load bearing piece of the mechanism. The port itself bears the rudder load and that is distributed onto the rudder port pad where it mounts from the bottom. If something is flexing enough under turns to crack that backing plate then you have way bigger problems than that. Question your shops knowledge on that.........I included some pictures of a removed port. The backing plate is free floating and doesn't make a machined surface contact with the port bore. See pictures.

[Quinner]

You may want to consider adding a grease point to your existing rudder, labor would not be much different and you save quite a bit on the part. Not sure how accessible that rudder is on a VDrive, if it's a PITA to get at you could also add a hose to a remote Zirc similar to what the factory does now.

[AirTool]

I'm going to waffle and migrate to Tim's and Zach's position...now that I've studied it.

I'm wondering what it would cost to get a machine shop to machine that cover out of stainless steel or Cu-Ni plate. Then it wouldn't crack. Clearly its a crappy piece of cast material.