steering falling apart-please help

I'm not familar with the system,however if the locknuts are falling off it seems to me you need new nuts.Does the nut tighten up enough to get to the nylon??Do your rudders have lines you pull and cleat to hold them down or is there a spring loaded clip of some kind?If there is a spring there should be a way to increase the tension on it.I would go a half turn at a time until it stops kicking while sailing.Of course you don't want to tighten too much so as not to let them kick when they need to!

Hope that helps

Mike

Refer to Murrays Marine www.murrays.com for parts and advice, they have a phone no. listed at the site. Ask for Stan, he should be able to offer help about the 'nut problem'

The lines which lock the rudders down likely need replacing, and that should cure the locking problem. There's also a bolt somewhere in the casting or maybe on the rudder which has to do with locking, also. Sorry for vagueness, been awhile since I've been on a Prindle

sea ya

tami

Sorry I dont really know either. but on my old boat there were two nuts that tightened into each other locking them in place. also there is some stuff at the hardware store called locktite that comes in different grades from weak to never move again. Start with the moderate as it has a solvent to remove it if you need to.

Marc.

the crossbar is held in place with 1/4"x1-3/4" (i think) bolts. the bolt goes thru the crossbar and the rudder casting arm. a flat washer and then nylock nut holds it together. the nut should be loose enough to allow the crossbar to pivot.

as far as the rudders kicking up goes, the system is a bit touchy and minor adjustments in the alignment of the hooks will make a great difference in the amount of pressure required to release the rudders. as long as the rudder lines are loose, they should not affect the release pressure of the rudders. pulling the rope lifts the rod that the hook holds. there are springs on the sides of the castings that hold the rod in the locked position. the springa and rods have no adjustments. make sure the hook is perpindicular to the rudder and cannot move or rotate. it is held in place with a lockwasher and nut on both ends. again, misalignment by a few degrees will cause the rudder to release too easily. the hook can also be adjusted in or out. this will not change the release pressure, but will change the helm pressure

(more weather or leeward helm).

If you have the stearns clear (on the trailer) you can play with rudder release. Basicly, a sharp tug laterally holding halfway down the rudder blade should release, or a concerted effort with one hand without jerking. If it keeps releasing with everything looking good, take a wrench and remove the hook bolt (the notched one). Bend the hook ever so slightly closed and replace. Try again. Obviously the angle of the little gullet is critical, so it takes some tweaking, but this will do it. At worst, some filing if the hook is really worn to square it up. No need to buy a seven dollar +s&h (If I remember) bolt. Be gratefull your stainless nuts fall off. They are actually specialy designed to gall and ring off. The nylon lock probably got too UV'd. Brass doubled nuts if available will work great too. (jammed against each other) and won't gall on stainless like stainless on stainless.

One other thing. It does happen that every thing works great 'till you are on the water. This is often because you release line( to pull up the rudders) got cleated toward the down position by mistake and is giving that bit of assistance - check it before you throw up your hands and return to the beach. It happens.

Had similar problem with the nylon nut backing off on my tiller extension. Lost during a race, and had to lace down with tape to finish. Now use stainless steel jam nut as you described, adjacent to the nylock nut. Works fine, does not seem to be a problem. Caleb Tarleton