Any thoughts on why this is corroding?

[yelkenli]

Turnbuckle from CatalinaDirect - should be stainless steel.
Mechanics wire - I thought stainless. Maybe not. Maybe zinc plated since only corrosion is where bends might have been made?
Inland lake.

I ordered some stainless mechanics wire.

Any alternate thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Whoever did that gets an A for imagination.

 

[yelkenli]

Whoever did that gets an A for imagination.

What do you mean?

 

[marcham]

Wrong type of wire... Never seen a turnbuckle locked like that.... use monel wire or 316 tig welding rod.

We're the threads lubricated before fitting the turnbuckle?

 

[Tedd]

Stainless wire is often 18-8 or 304, which aren't as corrosion-resistant as 316 (which the turnbuckle is probably made of). I think you can also get a little bit of galvanic reaction between them in a salt-water environment.

 

[dlochner]

Stainless wire is often 18-8 or 304, which aren't as corrosion-resistant as 316 (which the turnbuckle is probably made of). I think you can also get a little bit of galvanic reaction between them in a salt-water environment.

That works, except the OP is on freshwater.

SS is still an iron product and I believe there can be residual iron on the surface of the SS that will rust. 18-8 and 304 can exhibit this. I'm sure a metallurgist could provide a much more in-depth explanation.

Not all SS rigging is 316. On freshwater boats 304 is often used which is more prone to showing rust stains.

 

[JoeWhite]

Remove the wire and use split rings or cutter pins and wrap with tape or put canvas around it.

 

[Rick Webb]

It maybe stainless-steel safety wire, just not a high grade of stainless steel.

I'm trying to figure out the safety wire routing and I am baffled. It would certainly do the job but so would a simple loop or even a figure eight on each of the studs. I must be missing something.

 

[thinwater]

The Catalina web site says the threads inside the turnbuckle are bronze to prevent seizing. They are chromed for appearance. The corrosion is at the first coupling after the stud leaves the bronze threads.

Common and harmless.

 

[Joe]

In my 40 plus years of sailboat ownership I've never had a turnbuckle unscrew itself. The wire is overkill, unnecessary and could be dangerous unless wrapped with tape. Cotter rings (or split rings) are the more common method. Cotter pins are also common, just make sure you only bend ONE leg back at 45 deg so it's easy to remove, then wrap with tape so sails and ankles aren't scratched.