Ideas if you have them

[sailaway78]

As some of you know I broke the shackle on the headstay couple weeks ago. Now I am taking things apart and trying to find out what is junk and what is usable. Looks like I can get away with out having to buy a complete new furler. Problem is getting the old foils of the headstay. The CDI furler uses what they call torque links between the foil sections. I have two sections of foil off, and the next one in line has the torque links totally broken at the junction of the sections. The bottom of the headstay will not go through, with the links in place, because the swage fitting is too big. These are about 4 inches long, and are now two inches. A pretty tight fit into the foil. As they are broken off flush there is nothing to get ahold of. I tried drilling a little hole and putting a screw in that I could get hold of, but just not enough material there for that. No way I can figure out to fashion a hook to get under the damn things. There is no way to run something into the foil to push them out, as the stay cable doesn't leave enough room for that. So far the only thing I can come up with is to cut the end off the headstay. Then I could slide the foils off, and find some way to get the links out. But that means having to cut the bottom of the stay off, going up the mast to remove the headstay and then having to have the swage on the lower end redone, and then back up the mast to re attach. Are there any geniuses on this board who know of some way to get these links out, without cutting the headstay off. Ross this should be right up your alley.

 

[jk kudera]

I lost my mast

last fall, there may be some spares in my spares boxes, I will search this weekend, and if I have anything relating to the old system, I will contact you. I was going to salvage stuff off the old furler, but did not, as I knew it would not fit any new unit.

 

[sailaway78]

WOW that would be awsome

The furler is a CDI 8/9 model A. I could use the plastic part of the drum. I have new drum flanges. Some torque links and a foil section or two. Thats all I know of right now, but sure appreciate the response.

 

[Rob Hessenius]

Furler Issues

N&E~Can you drive them deeper and just leave in the foil and then place new ones in their proper place?

 

[sailaway78]

Drive them deeperI

I sure wish I could. The foil is dimpled, as a stop for the links. Also, I am going to have to reuse them, as new links are no longer available. I talked to CDI and they told me that I could cut the damaged links in half, and use them shorter, provided I made a stop to prevent them from going too far into the foil. And as stated, I cannot get the halyard out of the foil, with the links in there. Unless someone comes up with an ingenious idea, will just have to cut the forestay and do it the hard way.

 

[Dave Groshong]

Call Tom Livingston at CDI, he'll know the answer.....

http://sailcdi.com/

 

[Lou 14643]

How about a needle nosed vice grip?

Nice N Easy, I had a problem with my CDI earlier this year and had to take apart the foil sections. A few were stuck and I lubed them with PB Blaster then attached a vice grip and used a hammer on it to tap it out. Granted, they were not broken off, so I had a couple of inches to grab onto, but I wonder if you'd have enough to grab with a needle-nosed vice grip? Then, having lost one of the torque links in the drink, and calling CDI only to learn that they no longer sold them, I cut one in half and installed a couple of pop rivets in the foil section to act as a new dimple. If there's absolutely no bit of the link that you can grab above the end of the foil, how about drilling a shallow (use a stop collar on the bit) but pretty wide (1/4 to 3/8 or so) hole in the side of the foil and then using a punch or even something like a finish nail countersink to tap the link up the foil section until enough is exposed to get a grip on? When i was finished getting my links out, a few of them were bent where I gripped them with the vice grips, but as they're aluminum, they cleaned up pretty easily with a couple of file strokes. I greased them before reinstalling to make sure they'd come out more easily next time.

 

[r.w.landau]

If I recall correctly, you can upgrade your sectioned

aluminum foil with the flexible extrusion. The conversion is easy and CDI did that before discontinuing the aluminum sections. I agree with Dave, call them. They have alot of stuff online but clarification by phone is the best.r.w.landau

 

[sailaway78]

Thanks all

Some good ideas and responses. Hadn't thought about drilling a hole in the side of the foil and using a small punch to try to get them up a little bit. The parts from the flexible will not work, but thanks Steve. I have been watching a brand new Pro Furl on ebay, thats the right size for my boat, and may just go ahead and bite the bullet. I'm about tired of screwing around with this thing. What a PITA, and am missing some fine sailing weather. Will be too hot before long.

 

[James19955]

If you want to give it one more try

You mentioned the section was broken and you could not get a handle on it - You also mentioned that had drilled into the section which is stuck inside the extrusion ..... Do you have an easy-out or a tap set - If so perhaps you can:-1) spray the parst with a release agent WD-40 or some such thing.2) Screw the easy-out into the broken section until it is tight. Then use the easy-out to allow you to pull the section out. or tap the hole insert a bolt and use that to provide the "puller" or extra material you need to allow you to pull the broken half out.Hope this helpsJames

 

[Ctskip]

Having just done mine this morning

Being aluminum have you considered drilling a small hole along side where the broken link is. Place a ice pick in the hole and use a propane torch and heat the aluminum. It will give some and use the ice pick to pry the broken torque link halves out towards the opening. Or seperate the luff extrusions above the broken section, remove the torque link from that section, use a long metal rod (rebar) that fits inside the extrusion with the forestay and tap out the broken link. I used a small set of vice grips to hold up the extrusion while assembling the next section. Hope it helps. Keep it up, Ctskip  I could use a set of plastic halfs that fit around the bottom of the drum itself. The ones that look like a 45 record cut in half. Any one with some lying around? Thanks. I've got the CDI reefer 8,9 & 12 about a 1987 model.

 

[jk kudera]

Sorry, I went thru all my spares,

I probably threw the spares away as I knew they would not fit the new furler. However, Another Hunter owner told me he has a complete furler, from his H33.I can give you his name if you have not solved your problems yet, e mail me! kuderaj@rcn.com

 

[Chuck]

Another Idea

I wonder if you could cut an inch off of the foil while leaving the torque link as untouched as possible. It's only aluminum and easy to cut, perhaps a Dremel tool would work here. The problem with this is the lands and grooves inside the foil that interlock with the torque link but maybe a couple of drilled holes at the sawcut would work to free up that one inch of foil. You would, at least, be able to get a screw driver in the sawcut to pry them apart. Your foil would, of course, be an inch shorter but you might be OK with that. I'm in favor of the cheapest way out possible. Then you could get a visegrip on the torqe link to pull it out then dress the end of the foil with a file or maybe just slide the foils back together if you're really good with the sawcut. Obviously, you would have to cut the one inch of foil lengthwise to get it off the forestay.Or maybe I'm just completely off base.Best of luck,Chuck