Disassemble cabin reading light

kbgunn

.
Sep 19, 2017
210
2005 Hunter 33 Lake Lewisville, TX
I'm working on the headliner in a 2006 Hunter 38. There are some reading light fixtures in the aft cabin and v-berth that I can't figure out how to take down to remove the headliner material. Anyone know how these are uninstalled? They are attached to a light piece of plywood behind the liner, but I can not feel fasteners or bolts on the back side of the plywood. No setscrews or other fasteners are visible on the exposed part of they fixture. I've tried twisting and pulling the light base off the mounting piece with no luck. I'm stumped.
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Last edited:
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Check around the base for a possible screw to release the housing from the inner workings.
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If no screw, then the base may be held in place by friction.

Beneath the base is likely a metal frame with screws attaching the light to the backing of the headliner. On my boat (not a Hunter) the backing is a thin sheet of plywood.
 

kbgunn

.
Sep 19, 2017
210
2005 Hunter 33 Lake Lewisville, TX
Thanks for the reply.

I tried twisting and pulling as much as I could without stressing or cracking the thin plywood backing.

I ended up cutting the headliner material around the base of the reading light just to get the piece down and out of the way. Still don't see any screws either on the visible part or the hidden parts of the light. No screws protruding through the backside of the plywood. No bracket or threaded rod with a nut to route the wires like you would see on a lamp or hanging light in your house.

Next step will be to start prying with a tool. The base is very thin metal so I know that will bend and deform the metal. Was trying to avoid destroying the light.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I understand. I hate to make more work trying to solve what should be a simple idea.
 

kbgunn

.
Sep 19, 2017
210
2005 Hunter 33 Lake Lewisville, TX
This one is resolved. Documenting for future owners.
Some light prying with a plastic putty knife loosened the fixture enough to be removed. It is a twist-lock fit. A plastic base is screwed to the plywood backing over the headliner material. Three tabs on the reading light metal fixture follow a grove in the plastic base and twist-lock holding the fixture in place. Turn counter clockwise to remove. Clockwise to install. I guess time had made the fixture fast to the base. The light prying with a plastic putty knife freed it.
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Last edited:
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
Thanks for helping out somebody in five years. What's the brand as it's hard to read?
 
Oct 29, 2016
1,915
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
Wish I would have seen this earlier for you, I had a passenger on the Sapphire one day last year and while in the head during rocky seas he banged the fixture sideways and it pulled the screws out, I was able to rotate the base and put new holes in, so I had to figure out how to remove the fixture from the base, much easier when the fixture was in my hand and the connection method was visible.
 
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kbgunn

.
Sep 19, 2017
210
2005 Hunter 33 Lake Lewisville, TX
Thanks for helping out somebody in five years. What's the brand as it's hard to read?
There isn't a manufacture name anywhere to be found..

The plastic base is marked "SWITCH" to indicate which way to align the on/off switch when installing the light.
The base is marked "UP" on the opposite side. I guess it would matter if mounting on a vertical location.