Just a heads up for anyone else out there who has suffered the frustration of having their rudder shaft and t-bar cold-welded together with galvanic corrosion:
Who knows why an alloy t-bar is coupled with a stainless rudder-shaft. There must be a good reason because several top-notch manufacturers do it.
The problem is that the dissimilar metals set off an electrochemical reaction that binds the two pieces together and no amount of force, lubricant or swearing will part them.
So here's the tip: heat will break their bond without damage.
I tried every combination of curses, lubricants and (reasonable) force to part my corroded rudder assembly, with no results.
But after consulting Dr Google, I simply boiled the kettle, poured the boiling water into the rudder/ t-piece assembly and 15 minutes later, hey presto!, they were finger loose.
You bloody ripper.
The reason is that the heat causes the dissimilar metals to expand differently, which breaks the seal/bond between them.
Hope this helps anyone else who suffers the problem.
Cheers
Chrisso
