I recently bought a C-22 and have been reading about the swing keel. I have it on the trailer and noticed the keel seems to have quite a bit of side to side play. How tough is it to replace all the bushings, the pivot pin and winch? I got a great deal on the boat and want to make it right.
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hangers
If you have a floor jack its going to be easy, I used a scissor jack to lower mine into a keel cradle I made. Remember the keel weighs 550 lbs so whatever you do make sure you stay in control of it. A keel cradle is to easy to make and there is a picture of one on Randy Wahlfeldt's site. This will hold the keel while you make your changes. You can pick up the parts you need from CD, You might also take this time to add fill and fair the keel.
If you have a floor jack its going to be easy, I used a scissor jack to lower mine into a keel cradle I made. Remember the keel weighs 550 lbs so whatever you do make sure you stay in control of it. A keel cradle is to easy to make and there is a picture of one on Randy Wahlfeldt's site. This will hold the keel while you make your changes. You can pick up the parts you need from CD, You might also take this time to add fill and fair the keel.
Keel work
I did this recently. I noticed some side to side play on the keel when it's up. It may be very difficult to totally get rid of all of this. When you remove the keel, check the keel casting and pivot pin for wear at the pivot hole. Also check that the casting is relatively solid at this point. I think that sometimes this area can have voids in the cast iron like swiss cheese. Not good for longevity. A keel cradle is a great idea. On my boat, I first replaced the keel cable then worked on the hangers and bolts. With the cable attached, the keel will have less of a tendancy to tip over but some form of support at the front end is still necessary after the bolts are removed. If you see some of the on-line pages, they will have the threaded rods for a temporary way to drop the keel and replace the keel bolts. Also a very good idea. Check the turning ball in the volcano. If it isn't turning, it gets a flat spot on one side and then cuts through the cable. Replace. To reinsert the turning ball and to realign the thing with the holes in the volcano, use a string around the groove of the ball. Otherwise, you'll be climbing out of and into the boat to pick it up off the ground.
~Bilbo N.E. Ohio
I did this recently. I noticed some side to side play on the keel when it's up. It may be very difficult to totally get rid of all of this. When you remove the keel, check the keel casting and pivot pin for wear at the pivot hole. Also check that the casting is relatively solid at this point. I think that sometimes this area can have voids in the cast iron like swiss cheese. Not good for longevity. A keel cradle is a great idea. On my boat, I first replaced the keel cable then worked on the hangers and bolts. With the cable attached, the keel will have less of a tendancy to tip over but some form of support at the front end is still necessary after the bolts are removed. If you see some of the on-line pages, they will have the threaded rods for a temporary way to drop the keel and replace the keel bolts. Also a very good idea. Check the turning ball in the volcano. If it isn't turning, it gets a flat spot on one side and then cuts through the cable. Replace. To reinsert the turning ball and to realign the thing with the holes in the volcano, use a string around the groove of the ball. Otherwise, you'll be climbing out of and into the boat to pick it up off the ground.
~Bilbo N.E. OhioRmoving the boat from the trailer
Does the boat need to be off the trailer to do this? I looked at one set of photos and the boat was in a sling.
Does the boat need to be off the trailer to do this? I looked at one set of photos and the boat was in a sling.
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