Does anyone know of J bolts pulling from a lead keel? My '86 Pearson 33 for the first time showed a slow leak when launched this week. The yard proceeded to tighten the bolts to proscribed torque. To their surprise, the bolts tightened over an inch suggesting they were pulling up from the keel. the very slow leak continues after the tightening. Any comments welcome.
Keel J Bolts
- Thread starter Hop
- Start date
Did this happen to more than one keel bolt? I seriously doubt that a "J" bolt could pull through a lead keel unless the bolt had snapped leaving the "J" portion in the keel. When was the last time their torque wrench was calibrated? (I don't think you'll get that answer) They do need to be calibrated periodically. If only one keel bolt was pulling up, you can add one or two long lag bolt along side the problem bolt. If more than one bolt had the problem, you should remove the keel and investigate further. There are a couple of ways to make that repair. Mars Keels can do it. Check them out.
http://marskeel.com/production/repair-modifications/keel-bolt-replacement/
http://marskeel.com/production/repair-modifications/keel-bolt-replacement/
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It may be that corrosion of the "J" bolt at the keel interface reduced the diameter to the point that the torque was causing the bolt to plastically deform. Stainless steel is pretty soft and ductile so it will neck down a lot and lengthen before it breaks in two. If this is the case you will need to drop the keel. Mars claims to have a process for replacing them by melting out the lead around the bolt then inserting a new bolt and pouring molten lead back in. Working with lead is extremely hazardous so let the experts do this.
1986 is lot of years ago. Past time to drop and re-bed that keel.
We did this to our '88 boat about a decade ago. As long as the yard has a big steel "cage" support to hold the keel while the travelift raises the hull up a foot it should go pretty fast. Hope the threads on all of those ss rods are clean. Good time to put larger washers/plates under the nuts, too.
Once completed, with new sealant, you'll be good for another 20+ years.
LB
We did this to our '88 boat about a decade ago. As long as the yard has a big steel "cage" support to hold the keel while the travelift raises the hull up a foot it should go pretty fast. Hope the threads on all of those ss rods are clean. Good time to put larger washers/plates under the nuts, too.
Once completed, with new sealant, you'll be good for another 20+ years.
LB