Pedestal sealing with gasket?

[Shawn67]

Question: Is it crazy to consider a buna-n gasket to seal a Edson pedestal instead of butyl tape?


Background:

I am in the process of rebuilding my steering system in my Sabre 28. The pedestal backing plate (under the cockpit floor) was rotted away. The pedestal has been leaking for awhile so my cockpit floor coring is a mess too. My rudder shaft packing gland had broken free from the rudder tube so it was rotating along with the rudder.

Looking at the bottom of my Edson pedestal there isn't a lot of surface area to seal water out of the center of it to keep it away from the cable and wiring openings. I was going to use butyl tape to seal it but was wondering if anyway has done this with a gasket? I have a couple of sheets of buna-n rubber and could easily make a gasket for the pedestal.

As far as repairs I glassed a 1'x2'x3/4" fiberglass plate under the floor for my new backing plate. The packing gland has been reglassed to the rudder shaft. I have also filled all the existing holes in the floor with epoxy and will redrill to prevent any further water from getting into the core. Pedestal was stripped down to bare metal and repainted. I'm basically at the put it back together stage.

Thanks,

Shawn

[casual]

Recorded my cockpit a few years ago. I, used butyl tape , perfectly dry under neath 5 yrs.

[Attikos]

What durometer is your gasketing rubber? I'm assuming the pedestal screws or bolts to a mating surface. Can you put enough pressure on that joint to make it seal, or do you need a soft, conformable material e.g. the uncured tape?

[Shawn67]

Thanks to both for the info. Glad to hear the butyl worked well.

I'd have to check the durometer of the material. I have a couple different hardnesses. Good point about pressure, might not be able to clamp the top that hard with the floor the way it is.

I saw on one recoring project the owner build a small pedestal riser into the new floor. That raises the sealing points above the cockpit floor. Might do that when I rebuild mine.
Pedestal Base

Thanks,

Shawn

[ferrailleur]

Originally Posted by Shawn67

Thanks to both for the info. Glad to hear the butyl worked well.

I'd have to check the durometer of the material. I have a couple different hardnesses. Good point about pressure, might not be able to clamp the top that hard with the floor the way it is.

I saw on one recoring project the owner build a small pedestal riser into the new floor. That raises the sealing points above the cockpit floor. Might do that when I rebuild mine.
Pedestal Base

Thanks,

Shawn

Live the pedestal riser idea but it changes all the steering links, and instruments links attached to the pedestal...

[Shawn67]

I don’t have any instruments in my pedestal just wiring for the compass light and soon wheel drive. Those have plenty of slack. Steering cable would need to be slightly longer. It shouldn’t really change alignment between the idler and radial drive though. No engine controls in my pedestal either.

Shawn