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Replacing tiller joints.


slammin

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FWIW I was able to do the tiller joints today.There is v.little online that I could find as a guide to do this job so I figured I would upload my method for others to use or comment on.

My method was to remove rudder ass" from hull. Remove rudder from ass'. This slackens the spring as much as possible. I then hung the rudder box from the ceiling wih the tiller arm hanging down. I then hung off the old tiller joint until the spring was exposed. I then slid a pipe wrench between the spring hook (which holds the tiller joint) and the tiller tube. This enabled me to tie a small rope to the spring hook and then tie a bowline in the rope around knee height which enabled me to use my foot to pull the spring down leaving my 2 hands free to slide a peice of flat metal in the spring locking it out of the tiller tube and further exposing the spring hook so I could then remove the downhaul rope and slide the old tiller joint off and the new one on.

There was 1 point to note. My tiller joints were screwed in place in the tiller arm. These holes damaged the rubber fittings and nearly resulted in a catastrophic failure and a major pain in the butt to retreive the spring etc. I spoke to Brett at Windrush WA and he advised a bolt thru the tiller arm below the tiller joint and effectively thru the spring hook. This means that if the tiller joint fails the bolt is in place to catch the spring. As far as difficulty goes it wasn't terribly hard BUT the spring has a huge amount of tension and if you aren't careful or a competant handyperson then you could easiy be injured.

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When replacing tiller joints' date=' I usually replace springs, wires and rollers, the cost is only another $30 odd, and saves having to repeat the exercise in 6/12 months.[/quote']

Good point. When I redo this maintenance I will be doing the lot. At this stage I just wanna get out on the drink! :D

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  • 3 months later...

another way to remove tiller joiner 5mins

Here is a pic of the way I remove my tiller joiner in 5mins. Using rachet tie down to stretch out spring. Then just lock the stretched end with screw driver or my case allan key.Release tension on rachet tie down replace plastic end.Tension up spring and remove screw driver or my case allan key. Release ratchet tie down and wholore!!!

Of course all screws bolts hold joiner before hand. No disassembling required! CHEERS.

post-48208-13778265853411_thumb.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Yo Slammin many thanks for your post (found on google search) which saved me a lot of pain and hassle!! Couldn't have done it without you. The only thing i did different was to earlier take both the small bolts out of the tiller tube each end such that the spring could be exposed by sliding the tube off (trying to work out what to do), and, was then able to access the spring to tie the feeder foot looper onto and then slide the aluminium tube back on. Didn't need to take the rudder blade off the stock and just hung them from the roof beams with tiller pointed down as you suggested. T'was a bit tricky first time trying to guid the new end in. Thanks too richardm for your great alternative method and lateral thinking! Cheers.

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Yo Slammin many thanks for your post (found on google search) which saved me a lot of pain and hassle!! Couldn't have done it without you. The only thing i did different was to earlier take both the small bolts out of the tiller tube each end such that the spring could be exposed by sliding the tube off (trying to work out what to do)' date=' and, was then able to access the spring to tie the feeder foot looper onto and then slide the aluminium tube back on. Didn't need to take the rudder blade off the stock and just hung them from the roof beams with tiller pointed down as you suggested. T'was a bit tricky first time trying to guid the new end in. Thanks too richardm for your great alternative method and lateral thinking! Cheers.[/quote']

Only thing I'd suggest is to not use a screw driver or allen key, a piece of flat steel is MUCH safer. A few people have been known to have avoided injury narrowly when the screw driver flys out of the spring under tension.

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Hey chaps

my 20c worth

i used a flat bar jammed into the spring guts leaving a few inches protuding out for access, actually a bit of old sidestay strip chopped in half worked for me. After depressing rope with foot (rudder tied off to roof beam with tiller pointing down). Needed some slop to twist and semi rotate the tiller joint onto the hook, and, it was good to have the spring end exposed with access room to fit joint insofar to twisting it on for a good fit. Then depressed foot on pull through rope loop, carefully extracted bar wearing my polaroid safety sunnies of course and guiding the tiller joint in with the temporary loop rope one side and the fixed puller up rudder rope the other side - was very mindful it was an accident prone job - watch out for fingers jamming and stuff etc -please take care - the screwdriver through the eyelet jobby might be ok too however methinks a bit more risky but thats only me 20c worth; again please take care - well, now, any one got any other means for this replacement job or other tips? Cheers. Yo bro's- in any event, there is no disputing about tastes ...

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