keel bolts

[redhead78]

Hi all, I have a ? from posts I have seen here and there over the years. I have a steel keel, and the bolts are completely encapsulated with glass in the bilge. You can barely make them out as they are well coated. It is a 1977 Jeanneau, so they are old. I see posts with people telling prospective buyers they shoud have the keel bolts x-ray tested? Is this done, if so by who, W.A.G. on cost, is this a normal procedure? sounds a little extreme, what do you guys think??? Red

 

[Gunni]

I would dig the bolt heads out of the fiberglass, and back one out to see what the shank and threads look like. 35 years is a long time. Just seeing the bolt head should give you a sense of corrosion situation. You can do them one by one and avoid removing the keel. Can't believe Jeanneau sealed them in.

 

[CPseudonym]

I would dig the bolt heads out of the fiberglass, and back one out to see what the shank and threads look like. 35 years is a long time. Just seeing the bolt head should give you a sense of corrosion situation. You can do them one by one and avoid removing the keel. Can't believe Jeanneau sealed them in.

I'll second that advice. Fasteners by nature can lose their torque value after many years of stress and heat cycles. I would sleep better knowing the condition of them.~Craig

 

[redhead78]

This sounds reasonable, if I remove them and find them ok, sould I coat them say with neverseize and really crank on them. torquewrench overkill?? Red

 

[Gunni]

It is false economy to re-use the keel bolts. You got 35 years from them, and I'm expecting you will damage them on extraction. I would uncover them, make sure they are all the same, back one out and buy replacements. Clean the threads in the keel before reinstalling. Jeanneau should have the torque setting. This all assumes you have bolts, not studs.

 

[redhead78]

I found out from Jeanneau they are studs, and nuts made from zinc coated steel...Red

 

[Steve Dion]

I think torquing the nuts is the correct procedure. You should check with Jeanneau on the propper torque setting. If you decide to r/r the nuts, you should consider coating the studs with never-sieze.

 

[Gunni]

You will want to take a close look at the studs as you take this apart,, tightness, corrosion, cracking, and definitely torque to a proper setting or reassembly. Use new nuts and clean the stud threads. Make sure any anti-seize is rated for submerged marine use.

 

[Cayennita]

When in doubt Google ASME torque values, or UT procedure for bolts. We performed UT testing on bolts in nuclear power plants as well as keel bolts. Read up, it's all on line.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers has all the answers.

 

[Ray Bowles]

After all the nuts have been torqued let then set 1 day and re-torque them again and hold 5 seconds. You might have to use a deep well socket to reach down over the stud if it is long.
Ray