2004 Hunter 326 Edison Helm

[chris@svtronics.com]

I was checking to see if anyone has had to remove the 4 mounting bolts that hold the helm to the cockpit floor. It has 4 bolts/screws going into the deck and 3 are loose and will not tighten. I have not been able to pull them out and do not know if they are machine screws or self taping screws or if there is a backing plate or nut embedded in the floor of the cockpit. I did not want to damage it more by extracting them so I was looking for someone who has gone through this before. Please see pic attached with screws in question.
Thanks
Chris Dickey

 

[nveater]

Chris- I don't know if your set up is like mine on the 33.5 but I believe you can remove the section just aft of the helm (to the right in your photo) and access those fasteners- I can on my boat and no I haven't had to take those screws out

 

[chris@svtronics.com]

Chris- I don't know if your set up is like mine on the 33.5 but I believe you can remove the section just aft of the helm (to the right in your photo) and access those fasteners- I can on my boat and no I haven't had to take those screws out

Yes, I can but it does not give you any access to the 4 screws.

 

[Ken13559]

Try the rear berth ceiling access panel. There should be one on each side of the ceiling hump.
If that didn't help, you will need to remove the rear bulkhead and use a mirror to look back to forward.
You'll be at rather odd position.

Ken Y

 

[kjretlaw]

I've had to remove those in the past to run new wires. You can reach them as Ken states from the aft berth inspection covers. There was a lot of 4200 around the bolts and nuts as a water seal. I used butyl tape to reseal everything when completed, still dry.

 

[chris@svtronics.com]

Thanks, I will give that a shot.

 

[take.yvr]

Hi Chris
Have you had a chance to unmount the Edison pedestal?
I have Hunter 306 with the same pedestal and need to unmount it to run new wires. I'm wondering how hard it is to unmount the pedestal and put it back. I search for information on how the helm and rudder are connected (I think there are chains inside) but no luck so far. I want to avoid a situation where I can't put it back the way it was...
Thanks!

 

[Richard19068]

Hi Chris
Have you had a chance to unmount the Edison pedestal?
I have Hunter 306 with the same pedestal and need to unmount it to run new wires. I'm wondering how hard it is to unmount the pedestal and put it back. I search for information on how the helm and rudder are connected (I think there are chains inside) but no luck so far. I want to avoid a situation where I can't put it back the way it was...
Thanks!

Edson has some good videos.
This one might ? help.

 

[take.yvr]

Hi, Richard,
Thanks for the link. Looks like it is not a simple job. The pedestal mounted on a separate panel as shown in Chris's picture. Hope it makes the job easier.

 

[Richard19068]

Looks like it is not a simple job.

That's sure an incentive to try to figure out a different way to run the wire isn't it? . I think most people wire up their stuff without unmounting the pedestal.

 

[chris@svtronics.com]

Hi Chris
Have you had a chance to unmount the Edison pedestal?
I have Hunter 306 with the same pedestal and need to unmount it to run new wires. I'm wondering how hard it is to unmount the pedestal and put it back. I search for information on how the helm and rudder are connected (I think there are chains inside) but no luck so far. I want to avoid a situation where I can't put it back the way it was...
Thanks!

No, it was easy. The bolts are in the ceiling in the berth under the cockpit. Just take off the two access panels on the port and starboard. Very easy access.

 

[take.yvr]

Hi Chris, Thanks!
Yes. I have the same access panels and it should not be difficult to remove the four bolts.
I'm not sure if you need to remove the pedestal from the cockpit floor. My concern is that step. Based on Edison's instruction video, it's not easy (at least for me) to remove the pedestal, run the wires for a chartplotter through the guard pipe, then put the pedestal back on the cockpit floor.