MacGregorSailors.com

In my continuing effort to remove/minimize steering slop in our Mac 26 , I'm planning on installing bronze bushings on all/most of the Rudder Cross Bar connections and Motor Push Bar. Has anyone else had any experience doing this or something similar? How about an alternative idea?
Thanks,
Rick B

Hello,
I used stainless aircraft ball joints. Have been trouble free for 15 years.
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?view=404

I also have way too much slop due to the poorly designed arrangement in the aft and am looking for solutions. Having bolts connecting ROUND pipes---with no flat surface is crazy. The big bent pipe raises and lowers when I try to turn and takes 3-4 " of play to start to move the rudders! I'm ready to try something else and would appreciate suggestions. Would like to have a solution that doesn't involve welding if possible. Has anyone tried flattening those round pipes at the connections? Other solutions?

SILK

If you really want improvement I'd do what Don did and install Heim joints (which is the proper name for "rose joints", "rod ends" or as Don calls them, "aircraft ball joints"). It's the easiest fix and will last a lifetime.

Good Advice, Kevin.

Don, can you post pictures from different angles? I would love to do something along those lines, but am clueless about how to attach the ends to existing structure!

SILK

The boat is in the driveway, what kind of pics would you like?
I fabricated everything out of stainless except for one bracket which I will redo now that I have a TIG welder.

Here you can see how I had to move the links under the power head to synchronize the rudders and motor.
The steering cable runs through the motor pivot and connects to the power head in a standard "power boat" fashion.


The bracket bolts to the standard cable type steering mount.

THANKS Don!

Do I understand this correctly? You connected the main steering directly to the motor (or to an arm and then to the motor), and then attached the motor to the rudders? That would mean you do not detach the motor from the steering while sailing, right? Can you post a few pictures of how you hooked the main steering arm coming out of the boat to the motor. The picture in the mod is cropped a little too much! The more pictures from different angles the better!
THANKS!

SILK

YES, the cable connects to the motor and the motor links to the rudders. I do not disconnect the motor when sailing, just raise it out of the water. 80% of steering drag is in the cable, my Tohatsu 50 doesn't weigh very much so it doesn't flop over like the 4 stroke motors do.
I did replace the tilt tube with a stainless one. The original rusted inside and froze the cable up