Centerboard screw removal

Ward H · Dec 9, 2012

Impact driver should get them out. At least from what I have read here and elsewhere.
Joe's writings say the wedges are held in with caulk. Don't remember what kind he used to re install but he did say he had to pry them out.

Shoaldrafter · Dec 10, 2012

Wedgies

Ritdog said:
I have an Oday 25 (1977) and am trying to take my centerboard out. As far as I know, it has never been out..I KNOW it hasn't been out for at least 10 years. Am afraid of wear of the CB pin up in the trunk, and am just doin gmy maintenance on it (seems a bit "loose" side to side...)

I have seen Joes posts on the CB parts...thanks Joe! I have the boat on blocks (took 7 hours to get it off the trailer!). I can drop the board, but the screws holding the plates and wedges are SOLID.

SO: how do you get those screws out? They are slot head screws, seem to be stainless.

I tried heating them with a torch - no go. Maybe not enough heat...Don't want to burn the epoxy...

The slots seem to be about 3/32nds , and are rounding out. I'm thinking of moto-tooling them a bit deeper, and trying an impact wrench, but am afraid to break them.

I also can't figure put what keeps the wedges from falling IN to the CB, based on Joes pictures. Are they glued in?

Am open to ideas! Thanks

------------- // ---------------------

Wedges fit into molded shape of well.

There are many discussions of this
issue in archives.

The wedgies are the same on O'Day
23, 25, 26 and maybe others...

If you have to drill screws out, they
are just standard sizes and new can
be had.

It is easy to damage wedges and you
may have to make new or rebuild,
not big issue.

Retaining pin just might be 1 inch
diameter nylon rod. Which also fits
into molded groove on sides of well.

Ed K

Addenda:

Three women go down to Mexico
one night to celebrate college
graduation.

They got drunk, and woke up in
jail, only to find that they are to
be executed

in the morning, though none of
them can remember what they
did the night before.

The first one, a redhead, is strapped
in the electric chair and is asked if she
has any last words. She says: "I just
graduated from Trinity Bible College
and believe in the almighty power
of God to intervene on the behalf
of the innocent.

" They throw the switch and nothing
happens. They all immediately fall to
the floor on their knees, beg for
forgiveness and release her.

The second one, a brunette, is
strapped in and gives her last words.
"I just graduated from the University of
Illinois School of Law, and I believe
in the power of Justice to intervene
on the behalf of the innocent." They
throw the switch and again, nothing
happens. Again, they all immediately fall
to their knees, beg for forgiveness, and
release her.

The last one, a blonde (you knew it), is
strapped in and says: "Well, I'm from the
Virginia and just graduated from VMI
with a degree in Electrical Engineering,
and I'll tell ya right now, y'all ain't gonna
electrocute nobody if you don't plug
this thing in."

Joe11688 · Dec 10, 2012

I used an impact driver to remove the bolts. I was able to just unscrew two of them with a regular screw driver but the other two took me hours to remove. Using a hammer to pound and impact driver while laying on my back was tiring believe me. I did everything. I heated the screwdriver with a torch and held it on the bolt head. I used WD-40. Finally after getting the bolts to move back and forth CW and CCW, I was able to remove them.
If I had it all to do over again I would have borrowed my son's Makita cordless drill driver. It has an adjustable clutch on it and it bangs away. All you have to do is hold it on the bolt with the drill comfortably wedged against your body and it should do the job.

A few years ago I was trying to remove a short Phillips head bolt that was holding my Tabernacle plug to my mast. I had removed the other four with my large Phillips screw driver but this last one was really stubborn. I did everything including using channel locks on the screwdriver and that son-of-gun wouldn't even move. My son Mike was at the house and he said, "Hey Dad, what are you trying to do, take that screw out? I've got just the thing to do that with" and he went and got his cordless Makita and put a large Phillips head bit in it and removed that screw in less than five seconds!

Supposedly, there are two bronze plates embedded in the lead on both sides of the keel slot in which these bolts thread into according to Rudy. So take your time and keep screwing with it, (pardon the pun) and they will come out after a while. I coated the bolts with Never-Seize after I reinstalled my plates.
Good Luck!
Joe

Joe11688 · Dec 10, 2012

Hey Ed! I like that one! :dance:

Indysailor · Dec 10, 2012

Caulk is the word. And I had one of them let go sometime prior to my ownership and it did not do any damage.So much so in fact that I found a few coats of bottom paint up inside the trunk where the port wedge was supposed to be. As far as I know the CB had worked fine for several years with one wedge holding the pin in place.

I used 4200 on my wedges.

Joe11688 · Dec 12, 2012

There is a hole in each plate for a wood screw that goes into the bottom of each wedge but the adhesive caulking is what holds these wedges in place. When I removed my centerboard years ago the two wood screws were missing. I had to use the heated blade of a fish fillet knife to separate the wedges from the caulking. The caulking is what definitely holds those wedges in place. Use 3-M 4200 and they'll stay in there.

Joe11688 · Dec 12, 2012

I was going to say that if you paint the inside keel slot, don't paint the wedge slots. Leave them bare so that the caulking will adhere the wedges to the slots. After the wedges are in place and the caulking is all set up, you can paint over the wedges.