How to get out those centerboard screws?

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ebsail

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Nov 28, 2010
241
O day 25 Nyack. New York
Need to remove the centerboard on my 25 and dug through 10 layers of paint and found the 4 screw in the bottom of the keel. But I can't budge the scews How did anyone get these out? Ernie
 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
Ernie,
They're a son of a gun to get out. I had two bolts that were stubborn and it seemed like it took me hours. I used WD-40, I applied heat to the metal of my screw driver with a blow torch as I held it on the bolt head, and I used an impact screw driver. An impact screwdriver is hard to bang when your under the keel trying to hit it with a hammer.
I finally got the bolts loose to a point where I got them to unthread about 1" so I kept screwing it back in and unscrewing until I finally got it out.
If I had to do it over again I would use an impact cordless electric drill with a Phillips bit of the end. Makita makes one with an adjustable clutch on the chuck.
I had a short 1/4" Phillips head machine screw at the bottom of my mast that held my mast plug and top hinge in place. The head of this screw was large enough to take the largest Phillips screw driver I had in my tool box. Do you think I could budge that screw? I tried everything I had including channel locks on the screw driver.
My kid came down the house and said, "Dad, what are trying to do?" I said, "I can't get this friggen screw out." "I've been at it for over an hour now." He said, "I can get that out of there in no time flat" and he went to his pickup truck and came back with his Makita cordless impact drill and he put a large Phillips bit in the chuck and took that bolt right out in no time flat.

Just be careful that you don't break any bolts when you're trying to remove them. Take it slow and easy and they should come out. If you do break one you can always drill it out. I'm told that there is a large metal plate embedded into the lead on both sides of the keel slot. I think Rudy said it was made of Bronze, but I'm not sure. Good luck!
Joe
 
Nov 1, 2010
100
Oday 272 Brownstown, MI - Lake Erie Metro Park Marina
Ernie,
Joe is correct, use a cordless impact driver and you should be OK. Maybe, that is, if there was no former repair where some idiot placed a standard steel screw in place of the stainless screw and the corroded mess required drilling, filling, tapping or re-anchoring! Enough about my little 20 Min. job... Good luck, John
 

ebsail

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Nov 28, 2010
241
O day 25 Nyack. New York
Thanks= tried a manual impact driver and got on screw loose. Next week I going to try a pneumatic impact driver.
 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
Thanks= tried a manual impact driver and got on screw loose. Next week I going to try a pneumatic impact driver.
I used a manual impact driver to get my bolts out too but it was very hard to do while working from under the keel. I finally removed the bolts but it was a long slow process.
With an impact electric drill you only need to hold the Phillips bit on the bolt head and just squeeze the trigger. I don't think that there is anything easier than that while laying on your back under the keel.
I was totally surprise at how easy it was to remove a stubborn bolt from my mast plug. Believe me, I tried everything and nothing would budge it until I used my son's cordless Makita impact drill with the Phillips in the chuck.
 
Aug 4, 2009
204
Oday 25 Olympia
Need to remove the centerboard on my 25 and dug through 10 layers of paint and found the 4 screw in the bottom of the keel. But I can't budge the scews How did anyone get these out? Ernie
Ernie
In addition to the good advice from Joe, just a dab of valve grinding compound (coarse grit) from the auto parts store on the phillips bit will greatly aid in getting a good grip on the screw.
 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
Ernie
In addition to the good advice from Joe, just a dab of valve grinding compound (coarse grit) from the auto parts store on the phillips bit will greatly aid in getting a good grip on the screw.
I learn something new all the time. I'll have to keep that one in mind. Thank you!
Joe
 

ebsail

.
Nov 28, 2010
241
O day 25 Nyack. New York
Thanks to the info from both of you above, as of yeaterday the centerboard is out, finally. Use a pneumatic impact driver and put some fine grit on the phillips head and the screws were out in 1 minute. What a difference. And no struggling. Thanks again
Ernie Schlesinger
 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
I was absolutely amazed when I removed that stubborn large Phillips head machine screw from my mast with my son's Makita cordless impact drill. I tried everything. I wish I'd have known about that when I was trying to remove the bolts from my keel plates. Live and learn I guess. I used Never-Seize on those keel plate bolts. I don't know if it will help the next person who needs to remove them but it can't hurt.

I'm happy that everything worked out for you Ernie.
 
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