H-26 Centerboard Trunk Plate Removal Problem
- Thread starter BrianW
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Maybe a real serious mid sized cutoff saw would work if you cut down on one side of the bolt head and then horizontally back toward the shaft but it'll get VERY hot. Keep the area wet with soaked towels especially down inside between the liner and the rise from the tank.
I can't imagine how it'll go but sure know it'll be a challenge. Try cutting a test bolt in the shop first.
Yeah, my barn/shop is a little over the top. I built it out of 18" and 22"x40' I-Beams with 12'x6" sq steel columns that I had left over from a shopping center renovation. Lifting a little 4000lb boat is absolutely no issue, but those less well equipped should use all due caution as a boat squashing body parts can be hazardous to future function.
Good luck on your project. Hope to hear about positive progress.
Mike
I can't imagine how it'll go but sure know it'll be a challenge. Try cutting a test bolt in the shop first.
Yeah, my barn/shop is a little over the top. I built it out of 18" and 22"x40' I-Beams with 12'x6" sq steel columns that I had left over from a shopping center renovation. Lifting a little 4000lb boat is absolutely no issue, but those less well equipped should use all due caution as a boat squashing body parts can be hazardous to future function.
Good luck on your project. Hope to hear about positive progress.
Mike
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After some thought on this issue of the retaining bolt could have been caused by a previous owner or yard.
If the bolt will not come off and is spinning even with a little pressure applied underneatht the bolt head, I then resorted to having to remove the head of the bolt so it would go thru the hole in the glass when removing the centerboard.
When one removes the centerboard bracket and then reapplies it with the retaining bolt, you have to be very careful to align the bolt threads into the stainless steel nut (welded onto the centerboard bracket). If not, the threads when rebolting will sieze up and then you will have to go thru removing the head of the bolt. I have seen where it was overtightened that even the weld of the nut to the centerboard bracket was broken.
Never drill an inspection hole as you will not see anything and going thru the hull is not suggested.
Now the problem is getting the bolt head removed. Dremel now has a new cutting disc but even though, you have very little room in the recessed area which to get a dremel into which at most will be at an angle. If going this route will take time but I always take suggest caution. I ended up purchasing a new large drill bit and then tapped the center of the bolt head starting with a smaller drill bit and then using the larger new drill bit to drill out the center of the bolt. At that point following the drilling, I would then use a to break off the remaining side walls.
In the case of Brian, I think that the nut welded to the Center Board Bracket may have failed allowing it to spin and that being the case, I would use a small vice grips to get the remaining bolt head walls off which would take longer.
Generally the cause is when rebolting and misaliging the bolt and nut threads causing it to sieze which is what I saw in the past.
crazy dave
If the bolt will not come off and is spinning even with a little pressure applied underneatht the bolt head, I then resorted to having to remove the head of the bolt so it would go thru the hole in the glass when removing the centerboard.
When one removes the centerboard bracket and then reapplies it with the retaining bolt, you have to be very careful to align the bolt threads into the stainless steel nut (welded onto the centerboard bracket). If not, the threads when rebolting will sieze up and then you will have to go thru removing the head of the bolt. I have seen where it was overtightened that even the weld of the nut to the centerboard bracket was broken.
Never drill an inspection hole as you will not see anything and going thru the hull is not suggested.
Now the problem is getting the bolt head removed. Dremel now has a new cutting disc but even though, you have very little room in the recessed area which to get a dremel into which at most will be at an angle. If going this route will take time but I always take suggest caution. I ended up purchasing a new large drill bit and then tapped the center of the bolt head starting with a smaller drill bit and then using the larger new drill bit to drill out the center of the bolt. At that point following the drilling, I would then use a to break off the remaining side walls.
In the case of Brian, I think that the nut welded to the Center Board Bracket may have failed allowing it to spin and that being the case, I would use a small vice grips to get the remaining bolt head walls off which would take longer.
Generally the cause is when rebolting and misaliging the bolt and nut threads causing it to sieze which is what I saw in the past.
crazy dave
thinking outside the box
How about lifting the boat at the yard.
Cut the pivot pin on both sides of the rudder.
Several long sharp hacksaw blade, no holder/handle.
With the rudder removed you could see right up into the trunk.
You would loose your 1/2 " pivot pin. maybe the nylon guides.
How about lifting the boat at the yard.
Cut the pivot pin on both sides of the rudder.
Several long sharp hacksaw blade, no holder/handle.
With the rudder removed you could see right up into the trunk.
You would loose your 1/2 " pivot pin. maybe the nylon guides.
canmor;
I am a little confused as we are dealing withg the center board, not the rudder.
Usually, the centerboard housing every time I took it off was snug on all the boats inside the trunkj housing and your descriiption would not have worked on the boats that I worked on.
crazy dave
I am a little confused as we are dealing withg the center board, not the rudder.
Usually, the centerboard housing every time I took it off was snug on all the boats inside the trunkj housing and your descriiption would not have worked on the boats that I worked on.
crazy dave
FWIW, I just took off a frozen bolt (auto a/c compressor bracket) by shaving the bolt head down a bit at a time with an angle grinder. The centerboard bracket bolt on my 23.5 has much better access, so that's what I'd try (with some surrounding protection against the flying bits). I think I'd go through a zillion Dremel discs trying that.
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