1992 Comp Rudder Removal

Hello All!

I bought a 1992 Comp in November and have spent the last few months attempting to return it to its former glory. Among the problems I've encountered is a large amount of slop in the rudder (fore & aft, left & right). Yesterday I removed the rear seat and gas tank to get to it, and I found the set up you'll see in the picture attached. I was expecting to just remove a bolt from a tiller arm which "clamped" onto the rudder shaft. Instead it's got a threaded stud, with no head. Is this supposed to thread out? Do I need to tap it out?

My intention is to repack the gland nut and put it all back together for the weekend until I came upon this mess.

You can check out my baby on the trailer in the 2nd picture.

I've really enjoyed the boat so far. So much so that I've been out skiing a few times in the 4^oC Ottawa River.

Thanks for any help!
Attachment 12283
Attachment 12282

You tap it with a brass or aluminum drift. Careful not to damage threads.

Thanks for the response!
How far does it need to move?
I've tried tapping it with a hammer and haven't noticed any movement. Is it threaded inside the rudder shaft?

I had the same style of tiller arm & never could get it off - could spin the tiller 360 but wouldn't come off the top of the rudder shaft. I eventually cut it off at the shaft (which turned out to not be a big a deal since the rudder shaft and housing were too far worn to be serviceable & had to replace with a new rudder/housing assembly anyway).

Only after the fatal surgery did I learn the trick - the rudder shaft has a slight curved keyway machined at a height to match where the all-thread is. The section of all-thread is located so that it just protrudes into the shaft bore of the tiller arm and has a flat machined along one side (hidden within the tiller arm). When the all-thread is rotated just right, the flat recedes into the tiller arm allowing the shaft to pass through the bore. Once the shaft is in the bore, the all-thread is rotated so that the full diameter enters the bore and binds against the rudder shaft in the keyway & the nut holds it all in place. The trick is to loosen the all-thread and rotate it just right to align the flat to release the tiller arm. You might try backing the nut off a bit & then double nut that end to give you a way to turn the all thread. Be careful banging around on the top of the rudder shaft - it's pretty soft & can mushroom, preventing the tiller arm from lifting off. Good luck & hope new packing will tighten up your slop.

Nice Comp!
How does she tow with the 300? :cool:

It does okay. Some times it feels as if the tail is wagging the dog though.

Got the rudder out a couple of days ago.

The trick is A LOT of penetrating oil and even more patience (let it sit for three nights) haha. I attempted the double nut, but was unable to rotate the stud. I tapped the stud a few times with a hammer and the rudder dropped right down.

The first picture is after just a few taps; the rudder had dropped about 3/4". A few more taps and I was able to press the rudder out of the rudder box. In the 2nd picture you can see the cut out in the side of the stud. There was still a bit of crud in the assembly....neglected to clean it prior to taking a picture.

Had it back in the water yesterday. Slowly worked my way up to a few power turns and the rudder didn't snap off! Doesn't get much better than that!

Attachment 12406

Attachment 12405