First 36.7 Binnacle Bedding

[mdibella]

Looking for some advice on rebedding the binnacle on my 2006 First 36.7. This model year has the wheel mounted on a fiberglass structure with a broad base secured to the cockpit floor with a series large of stainless panhead screws.

I'm getting a small amount of water intruding between the base of this structure and the cockpit floor, so I think it is time to rebed the joint with some silicone adhesive or 5200.

I'd rather not have to disassemble all of the steering linkage if possible. I've looked carefully at the parts diagram for the steering system (attached), but i can't seem to discern if the nuts for the panhead fasteners are floating or embedded in the cockpit flooring. I'd like to just loosen the screws, poke a caulk gun into the gap, squirt some sealant, and retighten.

Anyone have any expereince here to share?

 

[Davidasailor26]

Looks from the picture like they are through bolted, and given the loads involved I’d be surprised if it wasn’t. I wouldn’t recommend silicone or 5200 for that. If you try the approach you propose and don’t successfully stop every leak source you’ll have a bear of a time trying to remove silicone or 5200 before you can rebed it again. I’m sure others will chime in with whether butyl would work in that application; it would certainly be better for whoever has to repeat the job in the future.

 

[mdibella]

So you think i would be better to remove the whole unit and use it to template a butyl gasket sandwiched between the unit and the floor? You don't think there is a dispensible product that could be used to get the same efficacy if the screws were all loosened but not removed and the unit was temporary shimmed to create an access space to dispense a sealant into the void?

 

[Davidasailor26]

Unfortunately I don’t know if there is any gasket material that would work there, or exactly what the best sealant would be. But silicone and 5200 feel like the wrong solution for that problem, as it’s not something where the permanence of 5200 is desired, and silicone is notoriously hard to remove or overcoat if needed. Maybe @Maine Sail could comment on whether butyl would work, or others might say if something like 4200 would be good.

 

[Davidasailor26]

See this video that was just published -

. The relevant bit starts around 1:25. Seems like a pretty similar application to yours. The trick with the stir sticks might help too. You probably would need to at least loosen the steering cable to have room to work though. Also using some butyl on the bolts seems like a good idea.

 

[mdibella]

Thanks, David. I'm going to try the demo'd technique with Sikaflex 291. Can't find any of the newer Sikaflex 591 described.

 

[DinghySailor]

OP, I’ve the same task ahead. What did you end up doing and how’d it work out?