banging swinging keel

[alfred gamil]

I have a 1982 , 22 feet macgregor ,

Swinging keel banging , I got the keel almost out to realize the pivot whole was used and too big for the bolt holding
I made a bushing etc..proble still persists , so we decided to add two plastic washers one on each side to help avoid Keel move lateraly , I need help for size of the washers , circle 4 inch diameter and 1/4 nch thick seems ok but how to get the washers on the bolt , between Keel and sides of Keel casing

Much more important is that problem will not be solved as long as the Keel moves like a pendulum , banging on each side of the casing at its the lower level , which is bad also for the bolt , bushing etc...at the top of keel..enlarging again the pivot whole on the keel..need ideas to add a guide , allowing the Keel to be in the middle of casing and not banging left and right sideways ( port to starboard) ..there is no access to add anything in that section of the Keel casing....can we add two peices of plastic on the Keel a few inches below bolt , so that the keel will stay straight and her path will be only front and back for lifting it .....
Thanks Iam kind of desperate , I was thinking of putting a new Keel ..but this seems like a bigger problem
Thanks

 

[caguy]

When I called Macgregor about the side play in the keel. They indicated that the pivot hole is purposefully larger than the pivot to avoid stressing it. The keel side play is designed to tighten as it is lower into the lockdown location. At the point the keel should be tight enough. If yours is not for whatever reason I would glass in some pads into the sides of the trunk.
I know the banging can be annoying specially when you are trying to sleep at night. Novelman and I were tied up next to each other at the string line in Two Harbors, when a super low tide caused us to bottom out at three in the morning. We were both up at the same time cranking out keels up. In the up position the keel bumped the sides of the trunk the rest of the night. More annoying than someone forgetting to secure their halyards for the night.

 

[alfred gamil]

Thanks for your answer

you mean the banging is normal and the hole in the Keel should be larger than the bolt that holds the Keel

how to insert 2 pads inside on the walls of the trunk ???
there is no access to work on fixing on the sides..

 

[justsomeguy]

Thanks for your answer

you mean the banging is normal and the hole in the Keel should be larger than the bolt that holds the Keel

how to insert 2 pads inside on the walls of the trunk ???
there is no access to work on fixing on the sides..

You'd have to drop the keel out, and do some careful measuring.

 

[caguy]

Thanks for your answer

you mean the banging is normal and the hole in the Keel should be larger than the bolt that holds the Keel

how to insert 2 pads inside on the walls of the trunk ???
there is no access to work on fixing on the sides..

I don't think I implied or meant to imply that it is normal. It is designed to tighten when lowered. I posted it some years ago and will look it up to get the exact whole sizes that were given to me by Macgregor.

 

[caguy]

Here is that link to an earlier post that explains the loose tolerance.

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=458830&highlight=caguy pivot bolt hole macgregor

 

[alfred gamil]

thanks , but I dont understand what you mean by the keel gets TIGHTENED when it is lowered....

I sail in a lake and never use the lock bolt......which is dangerous sometimes shalow and rocks under....

would it help the banging if I use it???

 

[kloudie1]

On my Spirit 23, I made some large plastic rectangular spacers instead of just washers. I got some scrap teflon sheet and made a spacer that was tall enough to touch the top of the trunk (to keep the spacer from rotating) and extend down to the trunk opening. The spacer was a smidge wider than the keel so the keel touched the spacer top and bottom when the keel was down. Solved the problem. Yes, it was tricky getting the hole in the right place and getting the spacers installed, but since the bottom was just inside the opening, not that bad.

 

[alfred gamil]

Thanks so much
I had that idea in mind but needed confirmation
does the spacer start under the pivot bolt or on ???
Thanks again

I beleive it goes all the way covering all the sides of the trunk

 

[alfred gamil]

NOW for the serious
how did you glue the spacer to the trunk

without having to sand and glue on fiberglass , you know what I mean
any suggestion about that ???
Thanks

 

[alfred gamil]

Thanks caguay

we worked on the pivot whole on keel, bigger and round enough to receive the bushing
I read article you wrote many years ago but I need to make sure I understand well about tolerance , the whole in the bushing in which the bolt will go thru should be wider than the bolt by 1/16 ,


conclusion: bolt diameter 5/8
and whole diameter 3/4

is that a must ?? or just a maximum tolerance , in order to allow more room to the bolt , to move more freely and keel will go sideways easier..

 

[caguy]

Thanks caguay

we worked on the pivot whole on keel, bigger and round enough to receive the bushing
I read article you wrote many years ago but I need to make sure I understand well about tolerance , the whole in the bushing in which the bolt will go thru should be wider than the bolt by 1/16 ,


conclusion: bolt diameter 5/8
and whole diameter 3/4

is that a must ?? or just a maximum tolerance , in order to allow more room to the bolt , to move more freely and keel will go sideways easier..

I was told by MacGregor that the hole was 11/16" not 3/4", and the bolt is indeed 5/8". Yes and his is to prevent putting stress on the trunk. There is no way that having a precision fit would prevent a 600# 4' long hunk of iron from swinging.
I am also curious as to how you affixed Teflon to the gelcoat in the trunk? I would like to put some strips under the sliding cabin hatch. Right now every time I open it, it's like nails on the chalk board.

 

[Joe2954]

Back when I had a venture 222, I cut tapered square washers out of the sidewall of an old tire just above the tread. Lowered the board and slipped them over the pivot bolt and jacked back into position. Reduced the thumping with the board down.
I also used a piece of wood threaded over the holddown stud. When I hit bottom it would just strip off. Easy to make a new one.

 

[alfred gamil]

[
how did you install the spacers
Thanks

 

[alfred gamil]

On my Spirit 23, I made some large plastic rectangular spacers instead of just washers. I got some scrap teflon sheet and made a spacer that was tall enough to touch the top of the trunk (to keep the spacer from rotating) and extend down to the trunk opening. The spacer was a smidge wider than the keel so the keel touched the spacer top and bottom when the keel was down. Solved the problem. Yes, it was tricky getting the hole in the right place and getting the spacers installed, but since the bottom was just inside the opening, not that bad.

how did you install the spacers