Lewmar / whitlock steering, bearing replacement

[inspectr]

I have a Dufour 35 Classic 1998
She has a Whitlock Cobra wheel steering system - now Lewmar
Over the past couple of seasons the steering has become heavier and I suspect
that the bearings are failing
Has any one on the forums completed a bearing job on such a steering system and can they offer some insights as to what is involved with this job.
The boat is out of the water right now being scrubbed and anti-fouled but I want to sort the steering at the end of the season. I assume that the job requires a lift out!
Thanks in anticipation

[Pete7]

There is a similar recent thread here which you might want to read.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...s5-210046.html

I don't think you need to lift out for this, but the pedestal might need to come out of the boat to make access easier. Certainly worth reading the attached PDF in the link and servicing the pedestal.

Pete

[sailah]

Was just watching a video from these guys and they just did this job. Unsure of make/model of steering but they pulled pedestal. Appears bearings are probably super common (6004-2RS) and available from any bearing supply house.

I wonder if stainless bearings are appropriate in this application?

Skip to 4:20 for pedestal bearing job

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HLAjnRWFxQ

Also saw this:

https://mydesultoryblog.com/2017/02/...r-maintenance/

[inspectr]

Originally Posted by Pete7

There is a similar recent thread here which you might want to read.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...s5-210046.html

I don't think you need to lift out for this, but the pedestal might need to come out of the boat to make access easier. Certainly worth reading the attached PDF in the link and servicing the pedestal.

Pete

Thanks for the reply, I should have been a little clearer.
The problem seems to be with the rudder bearing/s, I have checked the pedestal and it's OK, and the quadrant, drag link etc is all OK. No rudder load and the wheel spins effortlessly.
What I was asking was whether anyone had dropped a similar rudder and what to look out for in the process.

[onavegador]

Some years ago I had the same on my Contest 42 with Whitlock steering. Turning the wheel was a hard job. After greasing the several universal joints the steering was working fine again.
Good luck
Onavegador

[Clivevon]

My 1981 centre cockpit boat has a Whitlock Sentinel steering system with rods leading back to the rudder quadrant, via 4 small gearboxes. The steering got a lot lighter after those gearboxes were all stripped & regreased. The old grease had gone like tar inside in places. However the system was approved by the old White Fish Authority in the UK for use on fishing boats so it is very robust.
Hope that helps...

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by inspectr

Thanks for the reply, I should have been a little clearer.
The problem seems to be with the rudder bearing/s, I have checked the pedestal and it's OK, and the quadrant, drag link etc is all OK. No rudder load and the wheel spins effortlessly.
What I was asking was whether anyone had dropped a similar rudder and what to look out for in the process.

Find out from Dufour what bearings they used on the rudder. Then check with Jefa for a replacement. If the bearings are self aligning or can be replaced easily with self-aligning then it is a pretty straight forward job once the rudder is dropped. You'll need to check the rudder shaft itself once it is dropped for wear and corrosion, which can complicate the process,
Ask Dufour for a diagram of the rudder install while you are at it.

[Emouchet]

I have been able to buy new rudder bearing for my Dufour at
Sale of spare parts for boat - International Boat Spares

The web site use to have a search section where you could select a boat manufacturer and see all available parts. It doe snot seems to be there anymore. Anyway, last time I got in touch they were very responsive.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by onavegador

Some years ago I had the same on my Contest 42 with Whitlock steering. Turning the wheel was a hard job. After greasing the several universal joints the steering was working fine again.
Good luck
Onavegador

I had the same problem with a Whitlock Cobra steering when I got an un-noticed leak at the pedestal base. I think what you are referring to are the rod ends on the push/pull rod which are carbon steel and consequently prone to corrosion. The rod ends are standard industrial items readily available from bearing service suppliers.

There is another standard roller bearing in the pinion shaft onto which the wheel bolts. Again, they are standard off-the-shelf items which, being carbon steel are also prone to corrosion and if unused for a long time may seize. Because it's a single roller bearing the wheel tends to get a bit wobbly and I removed the locking mechanism and installed another bearing in a machined housing in it's place.

[lordgeoff]

Originally Posted by inspectr

I have a Dufour 35 Classic 1998
She has a Whitlock Cobra wheel steering system - now Lewmar
Over the past couple of seasons the steering has become heavier and I suspect
that the bearings are failing
Has any one on the forums completed a bearing job on such a steering system and can they offer some insights as to what is involved with this job.
The boat is out of the water right now being scrubbed and anti-fouled but I want to sort the steering at the end of the season. I assume that the job requires a lift out!
Thanks in anticipation

I had a problem with the helm becoming very stiff over time. Could not really find the problem. Greased wherever I thought could be friction causing the problem.
In the end I took the shaft housing off the Whitlock helm. Inside the housing was aluminium dust from corrosion between the SS shaft/wheel and the aluminium housing.The corrosion dust was packing the gap between the housing and shaft causing the high friction and heavy steering.
Cleaned the housing of dust, gave the SS shaft a light polish with a scouring pad. Put in some grease and you guessed it the helm spins with the slightest touch.