440: Stiff Rudders

[MPBennett]

I have a Lagoon 440, 2006. I have put it on the hard for the hurricane season in the Caribbean since 2008. Last year my rudders were frozen when I arrived to splash the boat. I removed all hard ware and linkage and determined that everything works freely but the rudders. I got them to start moving and used the boat for the season but the rudders never fully freed up as I hoped they would. I think they will be in the same shape this year or worse. Boat yards I talked to about this said that with all the miles I have put on the boat the rudders are usually loose, not tight. Has anyone out there experienced rudders that slowly got stiffer. I expect I will have to drop the rudders this year and fix them, but will it involve cleaning or replacing the bearings? I would be grateful if anyone who has had any experience with this issue share their experience. Thanks in advance!

Matt Bennett
Mon Amie

[Nicholson58]

When disconnected are the udders hard t move or is it only attached to the drive system? If they are stiff alone the look for bent shaft (Unlikely I suppose) then pull the bearings and inspect for damage. Any possibility of solvent or paint damage? I don't know your hardware but many are in plastic sleeve bearings. Some of these can swell over time or otherwise fail. Get a better than original replacement here. igus® - iglide® Plastic Bushings Many materials available not effected by water or solvents.

[DHHong Kong]

Matt,

I also have a L440 2006 model (hull #72) but have not had that problem. I am not aware of the bearing/bushing material that Lagoon uses but my previous cat, a 55ft Schionning had nylon bushings that developed the stiff rudder problem due to uptake of water in the nylon. I am told that some nylon variants will do this and "grow". The solution was to drop the rudders out and hone out the nylon bushings while still in place, sufficient to provide some clearance to allow the rudder shafts to turn. You may be lucky and be able to simply use sand paper to do this. You may get the centerlines slightly off but the nylon will soon conform again when in use. It is pretty easy really once you drop the rudders out and clean up the shafts at the same time.
Cheers
Paul

[DHHong Kong]

Matt,

You can find the respective diagram for the L440 steering system on the spareparts.beneteauusa.com website. It shows a bushing at the top of the shaft and what appears to be a bushing, though called a ring at the bottom. The shaft is GRP but I would be interested in knowing what the bushing material is when you get the rudders out.
Cheers

Paul

[donradcliffe]

Have you disconnected the steering cables to see if the stiffness is somewhere else besids the rudder bearings. In my case it was the Goiot pedestal bearings.