I am starting to replace all the lights and wiring on the mast of my 367. Looking up the mast from the base, there are foam blocks that are stuffed in the mast that look hard to get out. They there probably put there to keep the wires from banging around and strain relief. One way of doing this job might be to remove the masthead. It looks like it's held on with 6 screws. The trouble is that they have been on there for 30+ years; stainless steel to aluminum. Anybody ever attempted this or have a better way to do it?
Mike
Mike-- Solutions that have worked for me in the past, in no particular order: impact driver; heat; tapping with a soft hammer; soaking for a few days with PB Blaster; any of these in combination, but be careful of heat plus PB Blaster, flamable. Ultimate solution, drill/grind out old screws and drill and tap for one size bigger. Hopefully some of the other guys/girls have some easier or more elegant solutions. I would use thread lock when you replace as it insulates against corrosion somewhat. Good luck! Jim
Mike,
Jim said all - I have had the best luck with large doses of PB Blaster - letting it stand for a week followed by an old school impact driver and large ballpein hammer. The noise really travels when pounding on a impact driver attached to screws attached to the mast - your slip neighbors will love you.
Good Luck,
Garner
Thanks you guys. Have been soaking it in PB blaster for a day now. Will continue for the next couple of days and try all the solutions listed in order of difficulty. Hopefully don't have to drill and tap.One of the workers at my boatyard told me about the thread lock. She spent a day on a Beneteau mast and probably another. And the boat owner is a electrican. Ouch!
Another way to keep your wires from banging around inside the mast is to bundle the wire with very large and long zip ties (I mean the industrial kind). Curl the extra length on the zip ties and you draw the wire up the mast. Worked great when I rewired my mast.
The way shipwrights keep you wiring from banging around inside an extruded mast is to inject expanding foam into 1/4" wholes drilled in the mast. Then plug the holes with pop rivets or sheet metal screws. It works. Pete
I rewired my mast twice, when I added radar I snagged some of the wires so I started all over. What I did is assemble the harness outside of the mast, then attach the wires to a piece of 3/4 pvc, I ran a screw through the pvc couplings instead of gluing them together. This way I didn't have to deal with a 50 ft pipe outside of the mast. I was able to pull the wires for the steaming light through the hole in the mast with a bent coat hanger and a hemostat. When the wires were in place I tied a chunk of soft foam, cushion scraps, to a 3/8 line every 6 feet or so and pulled it back into the mast as I pulled the pvc out. Nice and quiet and it will come out easily if I ever need to feed another wire. I tied the top of the line and the wire off near the masthead. I forget what I tied to but I think there was a loop on the masthead fitting. As far as getting the screws out, Garner has the best advice.
Bob
When it comes to removing stainless fasteners out of an old aluminum mast, anyway that works is the best method to use. PB, impact screwdriver, heat and drilling them out are typical ways and probably in the order of what to try next. In many cases drilling them out is the last resort for that last impossible fastener. If that is the case, here is some made "all the mistakes too many times" advice.
The key to drilling is to grind the head of the fastener off with a grinder and abrasive wheel. This also provides a flat surface to begin the drill on. Center punch the ground down fastener to provide a starting point and to keep the drill from walking. The drill must be of good quality. Nothing from a big box store will work very well or for very long. Try to purchase drills from an industrial supply house or a machine shop in your area. Good drills are not cheap and remember you are not purchasing a drill you are buying holes. The drill is useless but the number of holes it provides you are priceless. Often left handed drill can be obtained. A left handed drill drills in the opposite direction (CCW rotation) and often the heat generated combined with the rotational force of the drill bit will "unscrew" the stuck fastener while you drill. Lubrication while drilling stainless is a big plus as well. It not only helps maintain the cutting edge on the drill but removes heat which breaks down the molecular structure of the drill turning it into a big box store drill or worse. Before you resort to drilling be sure you can replace that fastener with the next size bigger BEFORE you start the whole process.
As for clanging wires in the masthead. I have used foam pipe insulation around the wire bundles held together with wire zip ties with repeated positive results. I typically tape the joints with a high quality electrical tape as well to minimize the butt joint from snagging while going into the mast. Those pool toys known as noodles also work. Both allow the easy removal down the road where sprayed in foam does not. I like the idea of big zip ties so the tails keep the wires against the mast wall. Very cleaver.
Dale
I don't know if this is the proper way or not but it worked well for me. Mast removed placed on saw horses. Remove top cover (heat pb blaster repeat,repeat).While you have the mast head off now is a great time to service or replace pulleys. I pulled all my wire with the old wires. Before any wire was pulled all wire was bundled and wraped in armacell pipe insulation (don't buy the cheap stuff it will crumble and fall apart).Another thing there is a track inside my mast for the antena coax.You must use large diameter coax. Hope this will help Allen
Thanks for all the suggestions. The screw came out easy with soaking in PB and an impact driver. Never knew of the manual impact driver before but it's much better than the electric ones; more downward force so that the screw head doesn't strip. I also like the wire wrap and foam blocks on a rope ideas.
Mike