My new (to me) Catalina 22 is missing a bolt for one of the struts (starboard) that hold up the pop top.
The problem:
It appears that the bolt "screws" into fiberglass (not into a nut or into metal) and that the "threads" of the fiberglass are stripped.
Details:
One end of the strut is attached (with a pin) to a bracket mounted to the pop top (the part of the deck that raises). The other end of the strut uses a bolt that screws into the side of the cabin top. The bolt that goes into the side of the cabin top uses machine thread and has a Phillips head.
When I tried using the port side bolt in the starboard hole, the bolt didn't tighten up. From what I can see, looking in the starboard hole, it looks like there is no nut. It looks like the bolt threads into the fiberglass that constitutes the cabin top (approximately an inch thick). It looks like the "threads" in the fiberglass have been stripped.
Questions:
1. Am I right that the bolt holding the strut end goes into fiberglass, or is there metal in there somewhere?
2. If the bolt threads into fiberglass, what is a good way to make a repair so that the bolt will hold the end of the strut securely?
Thoughts:
1. I'm hesitant to try filling the hole with epoxy (or whatever) because it seems like when I re-drill a hole for the bolt, there will be very little epoxy left. I suppose I can drill a larger hole and fill that with epoxy so that the "threads" are in totally new epoxy, but the large hole will be nearly as wide as the roof is thick -- it seems like drilling a larger hole will weaken the cabin roof.
2. I would like to find some kind of metal insert or sleeve that will hold well in the fiberglass AND provide metal threads for a bolt.
3. If I had such an insert, I could use the current hole for the insert and then use a smaller (thinner) bolt.
The problem:
It appears that the bolt "screws" into fiberglass (not into a nut or into metal) and that the "threads" of the fiberglass are stripped.
Details:
One end of the strut is attached (with a pin) to a bracket mounted to the pop top (the part of the deck that raises). The other end of the strut uses a bolt that screws into the side of the cabin top. The bolt that goes into the side of the cabin top uses machine thread and has a Phillips head.
When I tried using the port side bolt in the starboard hole, the bolt didn't tighten up. From what I can see, looking in the starboard hole, it looks like there is no nut. It looks like the bolt threads into the fiberglass that constitutes the cabin top (approximately an inch thick). It looks like the "threads" in the fiberglass have been stripped.
Questions:
1. Am I right that the bolt holding the strut end goes into fiberglass, or is there metal in there somewhere?
2. If the bolt threads into fiberglass, what is a good way to make a repair so that the bolt will hold the end of the strut securely?
Thoughts:
1. I'm hesitant to try filling the hole with epoxy (or whatever) because it seems like when I re-drill a hole for the bolt, there will be very little epoxy left. I suppose I can drill a larger hole and fill that with epoxy so that the "threads" are in totally new epoxy, but the large hole will be nearly as wide as the roof is thick -- it seems like drilling a larger hole will weaken the cabin roof.
2. I would like to find some kind of metal insert or sleeve that will hold well in the fiberglass AND provide metal threads for a bolt.
3. If I had such an insert, I could use the current hole for the insert and then use a smaller (thinner) bolt.
