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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:41 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2004 12:00 pm
Posts: 5
Tightening up my front crossbar late last night and one of the bolts did not tighten up....Not sure if the Nut is stripped or if the nut is just spinning with the bolt. I am able to take the bolt out ok so my guess is that it's stripped???? Guess i wont really know until I cut a big hole in my deck...... :(

Does anyone have any pictures of what it looks like in there? I would like to get an idea of what I'm going to run across... Right now my plan is to put a small inspection port behind the front crossbar to gain access to the nuts. Is the Nut covered with fiberlgass? what keeps the nut in place so it doesnt just fall into the hull?


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 Post subject: Not a nut
PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:51 am 
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 12:44 pm
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Location: Oceanside, California
Not a nut in there.

It is a chunk of aluminum glassed into the deck structure. Looks like a little snickers (candy) bar. Threads are tapped into it for the bolt. The thing is likely stripped. Options are a Helicoil, a larger bolt or a longer bolt and backing nut / washer. The larger diameter bolt would require a bigger compression sleeve, so I would go Helicoil or through bolt.

http://www.emhart.com/products/helicoil.asp

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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 Post subject: Feeling much better now
PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:05 am 
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Sweeeet!!!! :D

Looks like I won't have to cut a big hole in my deck afterall!!

Helicoil sounds good to me! How thick is the aluminum piece?

Ian


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 Post subject: Bolt size
PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:47 am 
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Matt,

Do you know what size and threads those crossbar bolts are? it would be great if i could swing by and pick up one of these helicoils on my way home from work without having to run home and measure the bolts first!!



Ian


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 Post subject: Chunk-0-Aluminum
PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:16 am 
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The "Chunk-0-Aluminum" is (by memory, could not find the plan) is a rectangle... about 2 1/4 inches by 1 inch and 3/4" thick.

The bolt is 3/8" - 16

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:00 am 
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Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:49 am
Posts: 81
i figured this might be a good time to ask...is it a good idea to take apart the crossbar each year and give a good cleaning in and around these joints?


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:17 am 
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I wouldn't take my boat apart unless there was a need to take it apart for a repair.

Ian


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 6:17 am 
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that kind of how i'm feeling. but we sail in salt water and some guys at the club say they break their entire boats down at the end of the year, and then clean and rebuild them. i'm afraid of trying that and then ending up with extra parts!!! :)


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 Post subject: spinning bolt
PostPosted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 5:32 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 8:00 am
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Location: Northern VA
It's possible that the bolt is broken, not stripped. Once it gets corroded in place in that aluminum block, it can break before it strips the threads (ask me how I know). I hope not, for your sake. The bolts can also corrode inside the aluminum compression tubes. Makes for a somewhat nasty repair, as you have to drill the head off the bolt and pull the tube (and I hope it's not the inside bolt that might make you take the outer bolt and tube out to get acess...). Look inside the crossbar as you turn the bolt, and if you see anything spinning, then bad news.

If you have a salt water boat and it's more than a year old, and you have never taken the bolts out, I WOULD LEAVE THEM BE! If you have a new boat and you're motivated, wouldn't hurt to pull the bolts and cover them with anti-seize once a year. Do run the dnager of wearing out the aluminum threads, so if you're REALLY moptivated, put SS helicoils in the aluminum blocks the first time you take it apart.


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