Keel Bolt Replacement

O

obsessed

.
May 11, 2021
3
Pearson P26 Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Has anyone here ever replaced keel bolts? Below is a cross section of the keel construction of my Peason P26. In my mind I feel like this is a simple job.
1. Bust the rusty nuts off the top.
2. Hammer down on the top bolt with a 5 pound sledge, hopefully that reveals where the bolts are from underneath, excavate the bolt head from below (if not take careful measurements and find them.
3. Replace the bolt.
4. Move on to the next bolt
5. Reseal everything

In practice I doubt it is that simple. Just looking for some tips from anyone who has ventured into this.

Thanks
T

keelxsec.gif
 
D

dlochner

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Jan 11, 2014
11,401
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Where did you get the drawing? How certain are you of its accuracy?

Most keel bolts are closer to the center of the keel and not the flanges. Often they are threaded into the iron.
 
O

obsessed

.
May 11, 2021
3
Pearson P26 Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
I am gauging whether or not I want to even try it. In theory it sounds simple but I think in practice it is going to be much more difficult than I think, in practice seems like the bolts are going to be an absolute SOB to get out.



I got the drawing from Dan Pfiefers website. Here is a pic of the keel off
 

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D

dlochner

.
Jan 11, 2014
11,401
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Have you removed any nuts? The bolt may be in decent shape, in which case just replace the nut and washer, a much easier job.

On the other hand if the bolt is rusted too far, then it is time to replace them.

Since you know about where the bolts are, remove the bottom paint in the general area, you should be able to see any fairing compound. It will be easier to Dremel the fairing compound out than to beat the bolt out. Finesse is often a better strategy than brute force.
 
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O

obsessed

.
May 11, 2021
3
Pearson P26 Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
I would say many of the nuts are too far gone for removal. They would likely need to be cut off.

Once I remove the fairing how difficult do you think it will be to get the bolts to push through, or do you suppose they are epoxied in the whole way (Thus requiring a hammer to remove)?
 
D

dlochner

.
Jan 11, 2014
11,401
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
obsessed said:
I would say many of the nuts are too far gone for removal. They would likely need to be cut off.

Once I remove the fairing how difficult do you think it will be to get the bolts to push through, or do you suppose they are epoxied in the whole way (Thus requiring a hammer to remove)?
Click to expand
If there is room, try using a nut splitter to spilt the nuts that will preserve the bolt.

I doubt there is any epoxy in the holes. There is however, some sort of sealant between the keel and the hull, most likely 5200 or something similar.
 
Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

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Oct 26, 2008
6,076
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
I'd be very careful with a small sledge. Bending the bolts would be a big problem. One of those articles talks about cutting the top of the bolt off where it has belled after striking it with the sledge.
 
FastOlson

FastOlson

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Apr 8, 2010
1,950
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
dlochner said:
Where did you get the drawing? How certain are you of its accuracy?

Most keel bolts are closer to the center of the keel and not the flanges. Often they are threaded into the iron.
Click to expand
Bolting thru a molded flange is pretty common for cast iron keels; I have seen this on other makes of boats up to 42 foot.
 
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31seahorse

31seahorse

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Aug 2, 2005
1,155
Pearson 33-2 & Typhoon 18 Seneca Lake
Hello pbsessed and welcome to the SBO Forums,

Listing "Naval Shipyard" as your location really suggests that you will have the correct type of skilled help available!

Lifting and supporting the hull to remove the keel will be one concern. Another task will be handling the keel once it has been removed so it can be cleaned and then rebedded to the hull as mentioned in a previous post. I like the suggestion of searching for the keel bolt locations from below the hull rather than pounding on cut ends in the bilge as you try to locate the bulge the bolts make on the way out. Too much chance of breaking something: fiberglass, some fingers, a flange of the keel, and probably other things I don't want to think about.
 
jibes138

jibes138

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Jan 27, 2008
3,045
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
I agree with finesse versus brute force. The bolts likely have 5200 or similar sealing them and that is an adhesive with high strength. You should consider drilling them out instead of beating them out. Heat might help break the bond of the adhesive but the bolt is surrounded by plastic so you cant get it very hot. An oscillating tool with a good metal cutting blade should be able to cut the bolts clean flush to the surface. What kind of head is on the bolt where it is embedded in the keel? If a hex head get a six point socket on it and try to rotate the bolt to free it up and break the bond.
 
RitSim

RitSim

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Jan 29, 2018
411
Beneteau 411 Branford
I remember considering this on my P26 a long time ago. In the end I only had to do the nuts. Try looking for a nut splitter such as the one shown. If that fails, I drilled a hole(s) vertically next to the bolt (its OK to leave a little steel next to the bolt just don't hit the bolt threads) Then move outward and drill away more nut steel then grab with a pipe wrench and turn and the nut should split. If it can't be turned or is stubborn at this point you can use a SHARP cold chisel to remove MINOR nut connections with care- you don't want to damage the fiberglass.Capture.JPG
 
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FastOlson

FastOlson

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Apr 8, 2010
1,950
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
Actually, heat is a great solution. I just finished replacing all of the deck gear that was originally sealed down with 5200. Avoid getting the surrounding GRP "too hot to touch", but do get it pretty warm. The old sealant will soften a lot and then thin blades can be forced between the item - like your keel flange - and the hull. Slow work, but do-able.

There are chemicals that are supposed to wick in and break the bond, but I have no personal experience with them.

You might say that 5200 is great because it is stronger and more durable, and.... it is "the devil's glue".... ! :(
It has a split personality, for sure.
And no, we did not re-bed fittings with it, choosing Sikaflex 291 LOT, instead.
 
VT_littleboat

VT_littleboat

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Nov 15, 2023
2
Pearson 26 Burlington
Hey Obsessed!
Did you end up finishing this work? I have a new-to-me P26 and the keel bolts look mighty corroded... it's possible that the bolts are still OK under the nuts... but judging by the corrosion level of the nuts and washers, it seems unlikely. I'd rather not mess with the nuts unless/until I have a game plan for the bolts too. My thinking is the same as yours... take off the nut and bang the bolt through to the other side. Replace the bolts and bed them with some sort of sealant (TBD).
Please share lessons learned if you can!
Cheers!
J
 
D

dlochner

.
Jan 11, 2014
11,401
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
VT_littleboat said:
Hey Obsessed!
Did you end up finishing this work? I have a new-to-me P26 and the keel bolts look mighty corroded... it's possible that the bolts are still OK under the nuts... but judging by the corrosion level of the nuts and washers, it seems unlikely. I'd rather not mess with the nuts unless/until I have a game plan for the bolts too. My thinking is the same as yours... take off the nut and bang the bolt through to the other side. Replace the bolts and bed them with some sort of sealant (TBD).
Please share lessons learned if you can!
Cheers!
J
Click to expand
You might try sending a PM as @obsessed hasn't been around since May 2021.
 
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