Aftermarket vs original rudder

[supramariah#1]

Boat info: 1988 supra mariah. 351 w.

I have a rudder that is very sloppy (not leaking) and is slightly tilted to the port side. Are the rudders suppose to be vertical with no tilt? Its almost like since the rudder is offset from the center of the prop coming out of the boat it is tilted to the center of the prop. Its super hard to turn starbord, easy to turn port. Also, if/when I change out the rudder how do the aftermarket smaller rudders compare to the original larger surface area rudder? Should I try to restore the original? Thanks. My wife lost the camera or i would insert pics.

[riveredge]

Rudder should be perfectly perpendicular to the hull, (if it were flat). If it's bent coming out of the boat, that's not right. It might be fixable, but more likely you'll need to get a new one. If it's hard to steer at speed, that's another sign. Mine was mediocre at best in terms of steering at speed, and when I pulled the rudder I found it was bent at the base slightly toward the stern and it had hairline cracks on both sides.

The newer style rudders should suit you just fine. Best price I've found on a complete assembly is at skidim.com, and that rudder will work with your boat. I just ordered one for mine yesterday, in fact. You might have to tune the rudder after installation (grinding a trailing edge)... read this: http://waterskimag.com/how-to/2001/06/14/torqued-out/

[riveredge]

Show and tell: if your rudder looks like this, you need a new one (see attached pics, especially the third one, you can see how bent the shaft is.

[supramariah#1]

So if I pull the gas tank, everything should be right there in front of me to pull the rudder, Correct?

Mine is definitely not as beat up as yours, but i do know now that its bent. would be nice to turn at speed. maybe its repairable. we will see. Thanks a ton. I will keep posting results.

[haugy]

So if I pull the gas tank, everything should be right there in front of me to pull the rudder, Correct?

Yes.

You can also access that area if you have little hands by removing the board behind the engine box. There is a center board that allows you to access the shaft right there. You should have two lines in the carpet back there, that's the board. You can pull it, stick your head down there and look back. Might be able to reach the bolts from there without pulling the tank. But I didn't ever pull the rudder on my Mariah so I don't know firsthand.

[beast 496]

Why don't you send your rudder in for repair? The OEM rudder is great handling especially for slow speed operation. "Henry Smith Repair" can completely rebuild your existing rudder. This is the largest prop repair company in the midwest. Props, rudders, struts, and shafts. Al

[cadunkle]

No one has commented on the replacement rudders performance vs factory. That is one concern I have when I do mine (likely over the winter). I don't want to lose maneuverability around the docks.

[supramariah#1]

Why don't you send your rudder in for repair? The OEM rudder is great handling especially for slow speed operation. "Henry Smith Repair" can completely rebuild your existing rudder. This is the largest prop repair company in the midwest. Props, rudders, struts, and shafts. Al

Thanks for the reference!

[supramariah#1]

Just had mine replaced last week. Too much play. If you shake it and it moves a good bit, then not a good sign. The shaft looked worn at bottom much like pics above. New dripless installed in 1.5 hours. Will have to make hole bigger in bottom of boat while maintaining 4 bolt position if going with new style. New one will not budge at all. Mine drives incredible. So much more responsive with wheel turn. Still behaves the same while backing around dock. Since I have been driving my boat for more than 20 years I could tell a huge difference between the two units, but in wheel feel only. New unit felt almost twice as heavy as older rudder as it is thicker. Shape is very different and I thought that make make a huge difference in reverse, but same 'ol inboard feeling. I can spin it at high speeds more easily. One upgrade I love and I don't why we didn't make the change sooner. Now, I just get to squirt a grease gun vs. never having to repack rope or tighten meticulously.

This is a great comparison. If the rudder is beyond repair I will be installing one of these new one size fits all general replacements.

How did you drill the hole bigger while keeping it centered with the 4 bolt pattern?

[sybrmike]

I also replaced my old packed rudder with an updated o-ring model. Granted, it was NOS assembly out of now defunct Gekko - but they're pretty standard and most mfg by Marine Hardware for alot of the OEM's. The hole O.D. for the rudder shaft was fine, but I had to move the mounting holes slightly outward. I only mention this because I've found that there were quite a few variances in mfg by Supra back in the day & just be prepared for some type of modification with any retrofit.

For me it was easier to break old 5200 loose on the rudder and strut with steady pressure rather than impact force. I also carefully cut the perimeter with a razor blade prior to prying. It might be possible to do without removing the tank on yours, but I can't imagine attempting this on my Salt with the tank in place.