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mark miller
deatsville al
Boat Name: blue heron
Model/Year: catalina 22 1977
Hull No. 7309
Hailing Port: lake jordan |
 04/18/2004 11:56 AM Pacific Time
I'm trying to complete a swing keel refinishing and getting the new bolts to line up is giving me fits! One of the inserts(starboard side aft) is not square i.e. inserted at an angle and its a real pain trying to get the bolts started. I've already had to tap the threads on the inserts once when I thought I had every thing lined up, but then the bolts started binding. Fearing shearing off the bolts, I backed them out, and, yes, they were starting to cross thread so I taped them out. The instructions/video suggest starting all bolts and gradually tightening them evenly to pull the keel up. I never could get the bolts started that way, so I jacked the keel up to the boat. I also tried drilling the hangers one size over(after much soul searching about lost strength) in order to better line up the inserts with the hangers. Unfortunately, as I was checking the threads on the inserts and found the angled one a little rough, I ended up breaking off the damn tap in the insert. Any suggestions on how to proceed from this point would be greatly appreciated. Thanks |
Michael Smalter
Webster, NY
Boat Name: Marrakesh
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13645
Hailing Port: Rochester, NY |
04/18/2004 1:53 PM Pacific Time
I've dropped my keel twice to check the pin. The method I use to line things up is a big rubber hammer. I smack the keel and it moves about 1/16" at a time. Someone shared a tip about using longer threaded rod to line things up, jack the keel into place, then replace the threaded rod with the bolts. Another variation would be to have threaded rod that is about 1 inch longer than the bolts, and run a nut up the rods with a deep socket, then replace the rod with the bolts.
If you haven't gotten the tap out yet, they sell tap extractors that slide a wire down each flute, then twist it out. |
mark miller
deatsville al
Boat Name: blue heron
Model/Year: catalina 22 1977
Hull No. 7309
Hailing Port: lake jordan |
04/18/2004 5:01 PM Pacific Time
Hey Mike, thanks for responding so quickly....good news..I got the tap out, and as luck would have it, I had another tap the correct size. I tried to tighten up the other three bolts with the weight of the keel on them while using a sissors jack and a length of rod to raise the hanger where the misaligned insert lives. "How'd that work out?" NOT TOO GOOD! I was able to tighten all three of the other bolts, snugging the hangers into place, but that other one is so bound that it pops and creaks trying to tighten or loosen it. I can take the whole assemble back down again(for the umpteenth time), but not today. I like the idea of the threaded rod, but I'm not sure it will work due to the "crookedness" of that one insert. At this point, I'm about ready to break out the 5200 and...just kidding. The main problem is that when everything is lined up, there's no room in the hanger countersink for a socket with the bolt going in at an angle.....HELP!!!!! |
Louis Plaisance
PRAIRIEVILLE, LA
Boat Name: Saint Benedict
Model/Year: C22/1988
Hull No. 14686
Hailing Port: Lake PONTCHARTRAIN, LA |
04/18/2004 8:16 PM Pacific Time
Hello Mark,
When I reconditioned my keel two years ago I had the same problem. It took me two days to line up the bolts and get them started.
This past November, I used the threaded rod method to get the keel back on and it took all of a half hour.
Install the rods just snug then jack the keel up and into position. Slip the rods into their respective holes and jack up the keel. Install four nuts onto the rods and tighten them up. Remove one rod at a time and replace with your new bolts. Use the blue locktite on each bolt. After proper torqueing each bolt, cover each bolt head with a dab of epoxy and you will never have to worry about them losening up. When its time to drop the keel again, the epoxy will chip out easily with a nail set or similar device.
ljp
Man... I love that little boat. |
mark miller
deatsville al
Boat Name: blue heron
Model/Year: catalina 22 1977
Hull No. 7309
Hailing Port: lake jordan |
04/19/2004 3:20 PM Pacific Time
Louis, thanks for the encouragement, but I have a question. The theaded rod lines everything up as you jack up the keel and the hangers, right? Did you have a problem with getting a socket on the nuts due to the bad angle of one of the inserts? Or did the rod help straighten the hangers into a better position? Also, approxmately how long did you cut the rod sections? Three inches or so? I'm going to try your solution first, but if I have a problem with the socket head, I'm going to try putting a thin wall socket on the bolt head(or nut) from the get go and leave it there as I tighten up. I tried jacking the keel and hangers up after I had started the bolts, but I had a binding problem. Maybe this won't happen with the threaded rod. Did you have any other support under the hangers or keel when you loosened the threaded rod or did everything stay in place with only three bolts? I know this is a lot of questions, but I'm dying to get my baby back in her element so I can go sailing!!! Thanks again. |
Louis Plaisance
PRAIRIEVILLE, LA
Boat Name: Saint Benedict
Model/Year: C22/1988
Hull No. 14686
Hailing Port: Lake PONTCHARTRAIN, LA |
04/21/2004 7:09 PM Pacific Time
Hello Mark,
The rods I used are about a foot long each. They flex easily to slip into the hangers and line things up nicely. I used the two inch long nuts that were sold with the rod material to pull the keel asssembly up snug to the boat. I went slowly with a closed end wrench and used a jack under the keel to ease things along.
Worked for me. But keep in mind, I'm no expert.
The inserts/weldaments on my boat were lined up and I suspect yours are too. I had trouble getting the hangers in position to start the bolts without crosstreading them. This method solved all for me.
ljp
Man....I love that little boat. |
mark miller
deatsville al
Boat Name: blue heron
Model/Year: catalina 22 1977
Hull No. 7309
Hailing Port: lake jordan |
04/25/2004 5:20 PM Pacific Time
To All: Thank you! As of today, my 600 lb headache is back where it should be. I couldn't have done it without your help and advice. Thanks again. Mark |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
04/26/2004 4:02 AM Pacific Time
Mark - So tell us how you finally did it. |
mark miller
deatsville al
Boat Name: blue heron
Model/Year: catalina 22 1977
Hull No. 7309
Hailing Port: lake jordan |
07/28/2004 6:31 PM Pacific Time
Dick, Sorry it took so long to reply, but the threaded rod did the job! It still took a little patience and, ahem, vocal persuasion, but I did get the buggers to line up. I had to modify my approach, however, because each time I removed a rod, the hanger would shift just enough to misalign the holes. The movement was so slight it was hard to tell which way the dang thing was shifting. So, being a painter by trade, I had a supply of stir sticks and used them as a kind of feeler guage. When I removed a rod, if the stick fell out, then I knew to take my five-in-one tool (everyone should have one) and use it to put just enough pressure on the correct side of the hanger to line up the holes. After that, it only took about 30 minutes to get everything tightened up. Since then, I've finished the bottom, painted the topsides and boottop, launched and been sailing the summer away at beautiful Lake Jordan, AL. Next project....paint the deck! Thanks to everyone..... Smooth Sailin' Mark |
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