Help with my refrigerator latch screws

Oct 6, 2019
5
Catalina 310 339 Annapolis
Hi- My husband and I are new owners of a 2007 Catalina 310, hull #339...the last one off the production line. This is my first time posting anything. I ordered a new refrigerator latch from Catalina Direct this fall when we purchased her. It arrived and I took off the old latch but did not replace with the new one right away. I planned to screw in the new one this week and discovered that I no longer have the screws. Yikes!
Catalina Direct does not know what size screws were used. The company who made the fridge was in China and is now out of business.
Catalina Direct's best guess is that they are metric machine screws. I know that if I try to use the wrong size screws, it will damage the threads inside. (CD's thought was a 6-32 3/4" as a start -- but that is not metric. I'm afraid to try that for fear of damaging the internal threads)
Does anyone have a replacement screw around or would anyone be willing to unscrew one screw from your latch (and catch since it might be a
different length) and tell me what the correct size is for this? (This is a photo of the old latch before I removed it)
BoatFridge.jpg


It is the first lesson I have learned in this new boat adventure.....never get rid of anything until you have purchased, installed, and used the new one.
Thanks and any other suggestions would be helpful. I have enjoyed reading so many of these posts!
 

leo310

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Dec 15, 2006
635
Catalina 310 44 Campbell River BC
take the door off and go to home depot and try the screws they have. If you have a tap set you could check out the size that way also.
 
Jan 4, 2006
6,444
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
I'm afraid to try that for fear of damaging the internal threads)
Don't be.

Look into the hole and see if there is any thickness to the metal (this will require a machine screw). If there is very little thickness, you are probably looking for a sheet metal screw. This is like a wood screw.

Let's assume it needs a machine screw:

Eyeball the diameter of the hole in the sheet metal to get a rough estimate of the diameter. Next I would suggest going to a big box store and grabbing a selection of metric machine screws and giving them a try for fit. You're sure to find the correct diameter and thread pitch in that grab. You may have someplace for a better selection of only one screw each..

When trying the the new machine screws for fit (gently, gently, gently):

1. Gently press and rotate and the screw BACKWARDS (counterclockwise) in the metal until you hear a tiny little click. This tells you that the male thread has fallen into the female thread.

2. Gently rotate the screw FORWARD (clockwise) to see if it fits.

3. Any resistance and try the next screw.

4. When you find the right screw, measure the depth of the hole in the refrigerator with a small straight wire (toothpick, shish-ka-bob skewer, hairpin, or what-have-you) and use a screw slightly shorter than this. Looking at your picture, the machine screw may be screwed into the sheet metal so depth is not a consideration.

If you find you need a sheet metal screw, use the same procedure to find the right sized screw.

My congratulations on your delving into the mechanics your boat. I am impressed :clap:. Most women want nothing to do with this part of the boat and most men would be smitten if they were. Just think, with your knowledge you are smarter than 99.99% of all power boaters in your marina.

Let us know how this works out :thumbup:.
 
Last edited:
Oct 6, 2019
5
Catalina 310 339 Annapolis
Thanks so much for all the suggestions!!! I wound up taking the door off and taking it to our local boating store. They were able to fix me up with the correct screws. Makes so much sense to have taken the door off but I don't think I would have thought of that....at least not until I had made countless trips to and from the hardware store trying all shapes and sizes of the wrong screws.
Thanks so much for your help everyone!
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Ya' big dummy! You shoulda ask the guy in the next slip- the one with the green canvas. Id'a said get two of every size, then you have spares for the next job :doh: