PEERPSI

Anyone have a copy of the instructions where it says to trim the rudders? I heard about this on the forum and I've been looking closer at mine and have a feeling I know what they mean but I'd like to see a copy of the instructions if possible.

w3bby

This is what I have done previously

dicko

Similarly on an RCMK rudder, I just filed the inlet hole forward to make it have a small notch in the leading edge, but then again the RCMK rudder isn't as wide as the AM one. It still has the same problem with not picking up water over a certain speed if not modified. Once I filed the inlet holes forward the problem was solved.

Dockman

I started to file the inlet on out to the edge, but went a head and just filed the lip off to just above the inlet.

PEERPSI

I sheared off the flat section at the leading edge and sharpened it on the disc sander. I'll run it tonight and see how far up the water comes out of the fittings. If it looks good I'll switch my cooling lines.

Dockman

Do you know how far up it came before you sheared them off?

PEERPSI

It would shoot up about 1 1/2 to 2 feet. First time I tried them I burnt up a set of O-rings so I went back to the OEM pickups.

hibby

peerpsi did your areomarine rudders work better after you shaved the the taper off? I left mine alone and use the stock tubes yet.

PEERPSI

After shearing off the flat spot on the leading edge, about 3 to 4 mm, I tested to see how much water shot up compared to previously. I'd say it was easily one foot higher over the previous 2 foot height. So I went ahead and changed to the rudder pickups and gained 3.8 mph. This took place within about 10 minutes so water temps and everything were the same.

I used our large diameter disc sander to sharpen them as well. This is a job that could be easily done by draw filing if you don't have access to a disc sander.

hibby

Do you think the stock pick-ups caused that much drag for you to gain over 3 mph? That is the cheapest bolt on part you can do to gain that many mph.

PEERPSI

You'd have to have the HP to push it there but yep. 3.8 MPH just ditching the original pickups. Added bonus was that it tracked straighter. I think that's due to the way the original pickups work with there slant cut. If you don't have them exactly the same I expect the pressure is different one side to the other.

hibby

Mine doesn't track very good either. I pulled the areomarine rudders off today and cut that that tapered strip off and sharped them tomorrow I will gps the stock pick-ups and then pull them off and gps again without them and see what I get.

PEERPSI

Sounds like a plan. I was quite surprised to see the 3.8 MPH gain from them. Good luck with your run tomorrow.