Surveyor Guide Notes for Rudder, Rudder Stock and Pintle Survey
Rudder Stock and Pintle
The following should be looked for on the rudder stock and pintle:
Excessive clearance between sleeve and bush of the rudder stock/pintle beyond the allowable limit
specified by the Classifica on Society.
Condi on of sleeve. If the sleeve is loose, ingress of water may have caused corrosion.
Deep pi ng corrosion in the rudder stock and pintle adjacent to the stainless steel sleeve.
Slipping of rudder stock cone coupling. For a ver cal cone coupling with hydraulic pressure connec on,
sliding of the rudder stock cone in the cast piece may cause severe surface damages.
Where a stainless steel liner/sleeve/cladding for the pintle/rudder stock is fi ed into a stainless steel bush,
an addi onal check should be made for crevice corrosion.
What to look for in Drydock
DeformaƟons
The rudder blade, rudder stock, rudder horn and propeller boss/brackets have to be checked for deforma ons.
Indica ons of deforma on of rudder stock/rudder horn could be found by excessive clearance.
Possible twis ng deforma on or slipping of cone connec on can be observed by the difference in angle between
rudder and ller.
If bending or twis ng deforma on is found, the rudder has to be dismounted for further inspec on.
Fractures
Fractures in rudder pla ng should be looked for at slot welds, welds of removable part to the rudder blade, and
welds of the access plate in case of ver cal cone coupling between rudder blade and rudder stock and/or pintle.
Such welds may have latent defects due to the limited applicable welding procedure. Serious fractures in rudder
pla ng may cause loss of rudder.
Fractures should be looked for at weld connec on between rudder horn, propeller boss and propeller sha brackets,
and stern frame.
Fractures should be looked for at the upper and lower corners in way of the pintle recess in case of semi-spade
rudders. Typical fractures are shown in Examples 3 to 5.
Fractures should be looked for at the transi on radius between rudder stock and horizontal coupling (palm) plate,
and the connec on between horizontal coupling plate and rudder blade in case of horizontal coupling.
Typical fractures are shown in Examples 1 and 2. Fa gue fractures should be looked for at the palm plate itself in
case of loosened or lost coupling bolts.
Fractures should be looked for in the rudder pla ng in way of the internal s ffening structures since (resonant)
vibra ons of the pla ng may have occurred.
If the rudder stock is deformed, fractures should be looked for in rudder stock by nondestruc ve examina ons
before commencing repair measures, in par cular in and around the keyway, if any.
Rudder clearances
Rudder and steering gear arrangements may have different wear criteria depending on the manufacturer. These
calibra on and running clearance limits should be checked (normally indicated on drawings).
Some points to consider:
Dimension (1) must be substan ally greater than jump clearance (4) to protect steering gear from damage in the
event of grounding of skeg or rudder.
Dimension (2) should be sufficient to cater for wear in carrier bearing and substan ally greater than riding washer
clearance (5).
Usually (1) and (2) are of the order 20 mm/25 mm on a small/medium size vessel.
If the riding washer clearance has reduced then the carrier bearing is wearing or the skeg is set up. Check for
reduc on in steering gear crosshead dimension (2) to verify downward displacement.
Ensure no drydock keel blocks in way of skeg. Always apply the wear limits given by the manufacturer. The following
table gives recommended maximum limits of clearances.
Diameter D (mm)
Maximum clearance
Rudder Type rudder stock/pintle in
(mm)
way of bearing
D < = 50 3
50 < D < =100 0.02D + 2
Type 1, 2, 3 & 5 0.005D + 3.5
(above value not to
100 < D
exceed 7.5 mm
maximum)
Diameter D (mm)
Maximum clearance
Rudder Type rudder stock/pintle in
(mm)
way of bearing
D < =50 2.5
Types 4 & 6 to 10 0.007D + 2.2
(spade and semi (above value not to
50 < D
spade) exceed 6.0 mm
maximum)
These limits do not only take into considera on the func oning of the bearing but also the effects of “hammering”
and damage to the rudder itself as clearances increase. See manufacturer’s recommenda ons for special rudder
designs or the use of synthe c bearing materials. To avoid jamming and premature failure renewed bearings should
have adequate clearance. Special care is required with those synthe c materials which swell. Rudder should always
be swung in drydock when possible a er repair to check free movement.
Here you have the ABS criteria for rudder pintle clearence :
In general ini al clearances should be around 0.050” for a 6” pintle to around 0.70” for a 14” pintle. Far in service
acceptable clearance we feel about 1/64" clearance per 1" of diameter of pintle up to 1% of diameter would be
acceptable for another two years of service.
1/64" = 0.015625" = 0.397 m/m
Pintle diameter Acceptable for 2.5 – 3 years
Inches m/m Inches m/m
6 152.4 3/32 = 0.0937 2.4
7 177.4 7/64 = 0.109 2.8
8 203.2 1/8 = 0.125 3.2
9 228.6 9/64 = 0.140 3.8
10 254 5.32 = 0.156 4.0
11 279.4 11/64 = 0.171 4.4
12 304.8 3/16 = 0.187 4.8
13 330.2 13/64 = 0.203 5.2
14 355.6 7/32 = 0.218 5.6
The above applies to semi-balanced or balanced rudder with lignum-vitae or laminated-phenolic-resin gudgeon
bushings
Repairs
Bent rudder stocks
Bent rudder stocks without any fractures may be repaired, depending on the size of the deforma on, either by
hea ng or by cold straightening in an approved workshop according to an approved procedure. Repair proposal
should be submi ed.
Bent rudder stocks with fractures may be repaired, depending on the nature and extent. If a welding repair is
considered acceptable, the fractures are to be removed by machining/grinding and the welding is to be based on
an approved welding procedure together with post weld heat treatment as required. Repair proposal should be
submi ed.
Fractures at rudder stock/horizontal coupling plate
This can only be accepted on a case by case basis. Some types of fractures may require a different solu on to local
grinding and welding. Repair proposal should be submi ed.
Rudder stock and pintle repairs by welding
Repairs by welding may be accepted provided the weld material chemical composi on is suitable for welding. Repair
proposal to be submi ed.
The welding procedures are to be iden fied as a func on of the carbon equivalent (Ceq).
Following is guidance through the repair process:
Removal of the wasted area by machining and/or grinding, and NDE carried out
Build-up welding by automa c spiral welding according to an approved welding procedure.
Extension of build-up welding over the area of large bending moments (sha s) according to the sketch
below.
Sufficient number of weld layers to compensate removed material, at least one layer in excess (heat
treatment of the remaining layer).
Transi on at the end of the build-up welding according to the following sketch.
Post weld heat treatment if required in special cases (never for stainless steel cladding on ordinary steel)
Final machining, at least two layers of welding material have to remain on the rudder stock (See the above
sketch)
NDE to be carried out.
Twisted rudder stocks
If the rudder stock is twisted due to excessive forces such as contact or grounding and has no addi onal damage
(fractures, significant bending etc.), the stock may be reused.
Considera on will be given on a case by case basis.
The Surveyor should seek advice before accep ng any repair.
Normally the keyway, if any, has to be milled in a new posi on.
The following table, giving criteria in rela on to the degree of twis ng, is for guidance only.
(1) For A < L/D
Stock acceptable for further service without any heat treatment subject to stock being free of cracks or other
defects.
For small angles of twist a “stepped” or larger key may be considered as an alterna ve to a new keyway. Proposal is
to be submi ed.
(2) For L/D < A < 5L/D:
The stock is to be stress relieved. Proposal is to be submi ed[1].
(3) For A > 5L/D
Stock is to be fully annealed or normalized. Proposal is to be submi ed.
Where:
A = Angle of twist in degrees.
L = Length of the stock over which the twist appears uniform.
d = diameter of twisted por on of stock.
Stainless cladding of rudder stocks and pintle
This may be accepted depending on the weldability.
Proposal is to be submi ed.
Rudder plates
Fractures in welding seams can be gouged out and re-welded with proper root penetra on. If vibra on may be the
possible cause an alterna ve repair may have to be considered.
Fractures in the lower and/or upper corners of the pintle recess of semi-spade rudders that do not propagate into
ver cal or horizontal s ffening structures may be repaired by gouging out and welding. For longer fractures internal
structure should be checked, and repair proposal should be submi ed.
As a guide, the prehea ng temperature can be obtained from the diagram below using the plate thickness and
carbon equivalent of the thicker structure.
For fractures at the connec on between pla ng and cast pieces an adequate prehea ng is necessary. The
prehea ng temperature is to be determined taking into account the following parameters:
Chemical composi on (carbon equivalent Ceq)
Thickness of the structure
Hydrogen content in the welding consumables
Heat input
As a guide, the prehea ng temperature can be obtained from the diagram below using the plate thickness and
carbon equivalent of the thicker structure.
All welding repairs are to be carried out using qualified/approved welding procedures.
Abrasion of bush and sleeve
The abrasion (wear down) rate depends on the features of the ship such as frequency of maneuvering.
However, if excessive clearance is found within a short period, e.g. 5 years, alignment of the rudder arrangement
and the matching of the materials for sleeve and bush should be examined together with the replacement of the
bush.
Bearing materials
Manufacturers’ recommenda ons should be followed for any work on the bearing material. Replacement synthe c
bearing material should be type approved by the Administra on or Class Society.
