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Does anyone know if the new style tiller extensions (the ones with the rubber joint on the end) can be converted to the old system please? I'm asuming that if the tubing is the same then the old style end-piece can be riveted into the end - but am I right?
Thanks.
J
Hi Jes,
Yes you used to be able to do this when they were all sourced in the UK but it really depends on the vintage and souce of the tiller extension. When it went to South Africa at first they delivered some tiller extensions with thin wall thickness and later went to a thicker one. The ID has to be the same size as the old stainless steel end you need to rivet in place of the universal joint. If you have a new tiller extension with the bendy rubber connection in place it is worth fitting the other side of the new bendy conector to the conbar. I know that you have to bridge the hole and that the old style conbar has a larger diameter bit of tube in the centre to reinforce it but with a bit of work you can make the mount fit and that way you get the advantage of the smoother action of the new coupling. You get the necessary mount each time you buy a new flexible connector. I used to have several of them in my tool box as you do not need it if you are just repairing the tiller extension.
Cheers
Bob
PS If you still prefer to keep the old style universal joint but do not know if the stainless steel connector will fit your tube consider removing the plastic cap at the other end of the tiller extension. It is easier to remove (by drilling out the rivet) than the bendy connector so you could conduct a trial fit at that end more easily. Dont forget to seal up the tiller extension with silicon seal when reassembling it to prevent water leaking in.
Thanks Bob,
I had another look at the Windsport website and found that the adaptor saddle wasn't to pricey, so have ordered the bits to do a conversion, just in case the tube isn't the right internal diameter for the old universal joint coupler.
I noted again the adjustable end pieces that are now available for the bar - just out of interest, how much difference do they make? I would have thought that they're only really necessary if the rudder mountings have been repaired or replaced badly, but am interested to know if they are worth having even on a "true" boat.
Cheers.
J.
Just another quick question for anyone who's done the conversion...
In which orientation did you drill the saddle fixing holes, in relation to the vertical facing tiller pin holes? My first impulse is to drill the holes so that the saddle ends up right on the top of the bar, but thinking about it, wouldn't it put less strain on the extension's rubber joint if the saddle were offset, say, 45 degrees inwards from vertical, as that would be more like the natural direction the extension will be pointing when sailing along?
Any thoughts?
