counter weight in mast for table stuck

May 13, 2011
420
Hunter 40.5 Legend Jupiter
Mine is apparently stuck somewhere - I think its at the bottom as when I raise the table the line is very slack.

Anyone ever had this issue and is there a solution?
 

Johann

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Jun 3, 2004
522
Leopard 39 Pensacola
Yes I had this issue on my H336. I used a lot of WD40 down the slot where the line goes in the post. Then after about 30 min I used a heat gun on the post and then began hitting the area I thought the weight was with a hammer, while pulling heavily on the line. I'm guessing it took about 10-15 min to free it. After it was free I put some motor oil down the post and it's been good now for 5 years.
 
May 13, 2011
420
Hunter 40.5 Legend Jupiter
Thanks Johann

I can pull it up it seems but it will not drop back past a certain point. Sprayed the heck out of it the other day and will do the heat gun next!
 

Dan_Y

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Oct 13, 2008
519
Hunter 36 Hampton
That happened on our '91 h 30. Compression post is aluminum but counter weight looked like it was cast iron and about 18 inches long. I pulled the compression post when the mast was down and had to beat the counter weight out. The tolerance is tight so the weight doesn't act like a bell clapper. Mine rusted tightly in place due to salt air and rain coming in the mast, following the mast wiring down through the conduit that was in the mast base and penetrated the deck into the salon and ran down inside the post. There was no drip loop in the wiring and no caulking in the conduit. I thought about grinding the weight clean and maybe coating it in oil, but ended up tossing it. The salon table was easy enough to move without it. Looked like the weight was slightly "swollen" from the rust that formed.
Edit...The foot of the compression post sat on a cross piece of fiberglass that was pretty beefy, but ended up having a wooden core so the lag bolts that held the foot secure had something to bite into. The wood was rotted in the holes. I oversized the holes and filled with west thickened epoxy and redrilled the holes.
 
Last edited:
Jul 7, 2004
8,497
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Interesting post Dan. I thought the H30T was immune to post related rot . We don't have the weight or table installed. Makes it roomier. We use portable tables.
 

Dan_Y

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Oct 13, 2008
519
Hunter 36 Hampton
Justin, I sent you a PM so I wouldn't highjack the thread any further than below. Not sure how the other '90s vintage hunters were built, but the lightning system on the 30T used a light gauge wire from the mast base to the top of the post and another thin wire from the base of the post (internal to the post) down to the keel bolt. My lightning ground had corroded off from inside the mast base and also from the inside of the post at the foot and at the keel bolt plate. However, I don't believe for a second that would prevent a bolt from finding the keel...:-\
 

Dan_Y

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Oct 13, 2008
519
Hunter 36 Hampton
Posted more info on compression post rehab, but in the mid-size boat section since it was for a '91 30T. Dan