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PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 2:27 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2018 11:07 am
Posts: 4
Hi from Florida!
Bought our '98 21SC 6 weeks ago and have spent this time cleaning, replacing, repairing, almost everything. Maiden sail last week. Mainsail jumped the luff track at the top going into the aluminum luff track at the top of the mast (newer sail but missing the headboard, which is on order). Sailed anyway 'cause I needed to after so long of fixing things. Came back in after 2+ hours of sailing (flew the hull 2x's!) and got ready to drop the main. It hung bad at the lower portion of the comp tip going into the regular mast luff. Pulled down as hard as I could and still couldn't get it down. Pulling into shore wasn't an option to be able to turn her over to work it on shore (concrete launch area and docks aren't sailboat friendly). So, between pulling and cranking, it started to come down until the crank shaft sheared at the pin location of the the crank handle. I have a new crank handle but what do I do about the crank shaft? Nothing is available new (or is it?) Local tool and die machinist wants $400 to cut a new stainless rod, cut off the old one, clean the channel, end weld the new rod and drill a new crank handle pin hole. Says it'll take 3-4 hours of labor. Other shops won't touch it without engineered drawings and then say if my name isn't on the drawings they can't do the job due to copy right laws and liability issues. Welding shops say it's a machine shop issue, not a welding shop. Any ideas?


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 8:25 am 
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Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:20 pm
Posts: 295
Location: South Boardman, Mi
You could try getting some stainless rod, and cut threads into one end of the shaft. Then cut matching threads into the yoke. Clean the treads well and use either red loctite or JB-Weld on and around the threads. You may want to use a jam nut on the forward side of the yoke.

There are some shear loads carried through the yoke to shaft joint, but the torque loads are never high else the end breaks off, as you experienced.

If you don't have a tap and die set, you may be able to borrow one from an autoparts or hardware store.

Happy sailing from Michigan!


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 8:10 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2018 11:07 am
Posts: 4
Well, here's an update. I went to the local big box home improvement store and bought a 8" steel bolt (1.5 inches of thread), 2 regular non-locking nuts and a galvanized flat steel strap 1/8" thick. Went home, bent the strap in my vice into the correct yoke shape and approx size. Put it in the drill press and drilled the end hole for the bolt. threaded one nut on the bolt, then the new yoke and then the 2nd nut. I adjusted the set-up so the last nut was at the very end of the threaded section so I would have maximum length (I could make it shorter but darn hard to make the bolt longer!). I torqued the two nuts to pinch the yoke to stop any movement. I had to use non-locking nuts due to clearances in the yoke and block shaft area. I put the yoke back into the vise and drilled the cross holes for the block shaft. Did some minor grinding/filing to adjust the yoke/block clearances and then cut the bolt head off the other end. By doing it this way, the smooth section of the bolt would be the section going from the yoke, through the mast and allow connecting the crank handle. I cross drilled the crank shaft handle pin hole and cleaned up the end cut with a file. Even though this isn't stainless, it'll get me going.
I dropped the original broken set-up off at the machinist last Monday and picked up the new re-manufactured replacement crank shaft today. His part looks a whole lot better than mine! Absolutely beautiful stainless steel end weld in the yoke! All stainless and very close tolerances. I believe his manufactured part would be even better than an original one if it were available. Price was $270 for his and $16 for mine. I like his better than mine. I'll keep mine around as a back-up after painting it to prevent rust. The things we do to keep this wonderful cat sailing.........


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