Nuts for pylon bolts

The plastic nuts that were on my pylon bolts all cracked. I noticed this because I noticed a pylon missing it’s bolt while loading up after a sail. I ended up getting slightly longer stainless steel bolts and putting stainless steel nylock nuts on it. I only tightened them until they were snug so I didn’t crack the casting. I was just watching Joe at joyrider tv assembling a Hobie 16 and he was saying that it was important to use the plastic nuts. So my question is should I leave the nylock nuts on there or order some plastic nuts?

I did the same thing as you're thinking about doing and haven't had an issue yet. Granted I don't sail very often or very hard but I dont see how this could be a problem

Where in Clearwater are you sailing?

I sail from the Dunedin causeway which is closed right now.

Use the nylock nuts. On my boat (H14), I also put stainless flat washers under the nut and the head of the bolt to further help spread out the load. I also put Tefgel on everything to help prevent the aluminum from corroding. As long as you only snug the nut, as you did, the casting should be fine.

sm

I agree, the nylocs are fine as long as you just snug them up. The "through bolts" at the pylons are basically used as a pin to keep the whole thing together and the nuts are there only to keep the bolts/pins from backing out. Nylon/plastic nuts are sacrificial and will not allow you to tighten to the point of cracking a casting, "dummy proof" so to speak.

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Marty
1984 H16 Yellow Nationals Redline, "Yellow Fever"
Lake Martin, 'Bama.

Thanks everyone.

The original nuts are plastic to keep you from over tightening them, and cracking the corner casting-no other reason. Nylocks are fine, just don't tighten them any more than to keep the bolt in place.

Stainless on stainless can gall and seize pretty easy. Stainless will have a small amount of oxidation on the surface, as long as the two pieces are riding on this they are fine, once the oxidation is wiped away they will seize, or if the friction produces heat, clearances diminish, wipes the oxidation, and they seize. Makes for a not happy day. Use antiseize on two pieces of stainless.

I am down there about once a month(till this plague), planning on moving there soon. I really like the causeway, but normally sail from the Clearwater Community Sailing Center(Girlfriend is a member there). Nice place to sail from. Of course I don't bring my boat down there, as it won't fit in the overhead compartment!

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1982 Hobie 16, she followed me home honest.

The causeway is great to sail from but it is pretty shallow. You can go pretty much anywhere in the sound at high tide, but at low tide you are limited. You can be out in the gulf in just a few minutes through Hurricane Pass, then you don’t have to worry too much about depth and there is less boat traffic to deal with.