Service Charston spar main roller furling drum

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Oct 29, 2006
388
Beneteau 381 Olympia, WA
Hello all, sigh... i'm still working on my in mast furling line replacement and I'm regretting ever starting this... then again this bold would have to come out at some point. heres the status: I tried heat, WD40, misc other "penetrating" fluids, nothing. today I drilled it with a screw extractor and managed to break off the tip off the bit inside the screw. I'm thinking this tip is hard so I caused much extra work (another sigh). I'm think I'm looking at removing the unit and taking it to a shop, this might be safest for myself and the boat at this point. I found this on a website with my exact rig and unit. anyone removed a drum like this before ? I have contacted charlston spar and they were helpful with earlier tips but if there are anyone with hands on, that also helps. http://www.c34.org/manuals/c34-inmast-furling.pdf the drum is pictured nicely and in pieces but unfortunately no instructions how to get there.... I posted this on Beneteau but it seems more common on other brands so helpfully someone here worked with this type before. any tips appreciated Gaute
 
Feb 26, 2004
23,345
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
I note that your source for the manual was the C34

website. Perhaps you may gain some traction by posting your question on our C34 IA Message Board: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?board=11.0
 

Mike B

.
Apr 15, 2007
1,013
Beneteau 43 Baltimore, MD
E mail me

Gaute, what are you having problems with? E mail me and let me know, maybe I can help. Mike
 
Jun 19, 2004
512
Catalina 387 Hull # 24 Port Charlotte, Florida
I have one more try for you to get

the bolt out if I am not too late. Get yourself an extraction set that is comprised of left hand twist carbide tip drill bits and bolt extractors. Pre- soak the bolt with "PB Blaster". I think Hanson is the name of the kit, check with a machine shop and ask them for a source. Grainger or McMaster Carr may have them in their catalogues. Then get a drill that has a forward and reverse on it. Take a really good center punch with a very clean and sharp point and get a really good starting point with the center punch. Take the really small bit and turn the drill on in reverse so that it is turning in a counter-clockwise direction and drill a small pilot hole and gradually increase in bit size. Make sure that you keep true to the centre of the bolt and the broken easy out that is in it. Just take your time and let the bit do the work, don't bear down too hard on it and dull the bit, let it do the cutting. Use a cutting or tapping fluid to keep the bit clean and take your time and go slow, let the bit do the work, not your arm pushing on the drill. If you are carefull, you may get lucky and be able to catch the bolt/broken extractor on the side of one of the larger bits as you increase in hole depth and have the whole mess back out. As you increase bit sizes, you will reduce the ammount of remaining material in the original hole and it will break loose and come out or you can use the extractor and get what remains out. If you keep increasinig bit size and hole size, eventually there will be nothing but a fraction of an inch and material remaining in the threads of the original bolt hole and this will basically fall out. Clean it up with a bottom tap and you can get a new bolt and be good to go. If you damage the threads and you can't dress them up with the tap, drill out to the next size up and then tap that new hole and use a larger bolt. You can do this if you take your time and concentrate. I've done it many times and saved myself a lot of work and money and time. If you pull everything down and take it to a machine shop, then make sure to stand around and watch the guy do exactly what I have indicated here to do. Then the next time it happens you will have at least seen it. But, I am confident that if you do this, you will be successful. I'll be interested to hear how it comes out for you. Good Luck, Tom PS A little bit of heat, like with a heat gun or a good stout hair dryer on the material outside of the broken bolt will help that material expand a little, just enough to reduce the clamping pressure that is being exerted on the bolt, just try not to get the bolt hot by staying well to the outside of the hole and the surrounding area ro the bolt will expand which is not the objective.
 
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