Equipment needed to tighten keel bolts

[pbyrne]

This worked for all my bolts.

Now that's what I can an extension! LOL  Is that 20"? 

Also, is that the socket that you referenced above?  I checked Amazon.ca, and it's there, but it's listed as 2" length?   That looks like a lot more that 2"....
https://www.amazon.ca/Sunex-2-Inch-8-Inch-Impact-Socket/dp/B002YKK7X4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Sunex+236xd+1%2F2-Inch+Drive+1-1%2F8-Inch+Extra+Deep+Impact+Socket&qid=1682695866&sr=8-1

[Noah]

According to my Amazon order history from 2021, the socket I purchased from Amazon and successfully used, is the one I posted.  Whatever it says on decription, what I received is 4-1/4 deep. My longest keel bolt is 4 in.  Not sure about what Canada Amazon is serving up to you. The extension I have is probably 18in.?? Maybe more? A bit of overkill, but I didn't want to do this on my knees. Good luck. Again, measure your own bolts. Good luck.

[Ron Hill]

bpy : My keel nut socket is : Snap-on, 1 1/8" , SIML, 360, and it's 4 1/4" deep , 1/2" SD.  I use a swivel to a home made T bar that fits in to the swivel!!  Hope this helps

A few thoughts

[pbyrne]

According to my Amazon order history from 2021, the socket I purchased from Amazon and successfully used, is the one I posted.  Whatever it says on decription, what I received is 4-1/4 deep. My longest keel bolt is 4 in.  Not sure about what Canada Amazon is serving up to you. The extension I have is probably 18in.?? Maybe more? A bit of overkill, but I didn't want to do this on my knees. Good luck. Again, measure your own bolts. Good luck.

The amazon description is a mess.  They may be saying 'cm' when it should be 'inches'.  There is someone in the comments mentions the length to be '5" tall'.

Did the measurements for the studs today, and the longest is 4".  Aft 2 bolts seem to be 3.5".

I have no idea how to get to the 2 aft ones, or the even worse the forward keel bolt.  The are all, to varying degrees, under the floor! Who thought that was a good design idea?

[pbyrne]

bpy : My keel nut socket is : Snap-on, 1 1/8" , SIML, 360, and it's 4 1/4" deep , 1/2" SD.  I use a swivel to a home made T bar that fits in to the swivel!!  Hope this helps

A few thoughts

Do you use an extension, and just a T bar instead of a torque wrench..?

[Ron Hill]

bpy : my "T bar" is long enough that I don'r need an extension. I don't need a a torque setting at my age!!

107ft/lbs. is a LOT of torque - especially for a short "T" bar handle!!

A few thoughts

[Jim Hardesty]

I have no idea how to get to the 2 aft ones, or the even worse the forward keel bolt.  The are all, to varying degrees, under the floor!

pbyrne,
On my MKll I can get to most of the keel bolts with extensions and torque wrench. And helper pipe, yes I'm old. After doing what I can with them, I have a good feel for what torque I need and use a breaker bar and helper and feel to get the rest. 
FWIW.  Common practice torquing up is to start at the center of the bolt pattern and work to the outside.  Start with 90% torque do the entire pattern, do again at 95% torque, then do again at 100% torque, then one last time at 100% torque.  That's how I was taught.  Takes a little longer but once you have done it once only need to recheck at 100%.  It took a couple of rechecks each spring till I got no more tightening.  Now I only check every couple of years and get no more. 
FWIW.  My "theory" on why some keel bolts need retorqued is that the keel bedding/sealer shrinks as it cures for the first few years.
Jim

[pbyrne]

Ok, job done.

Thank you to all here.  I couldn't have done it without your help.

In the end I used:
CT Torque Wrench with no pipe to extend.  It was close but I found a technique that made it doable.
20" extension.  This made it pretty easy to work with.
1/2" drive universal adapter
1-1/8" Sunex Deep Socket.  Absolutely critical.  Depth barely cleared the bolts.  Must have been a discount sale on keel bolts. Not sure why they are THAT long.
https://www.amazon.ca/Sunex-2-Inch-8-Inch-Impact-Socket/dp/B002YKK7X4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Sunex+236xd+1%2F2-Inch+Drive+1-1%2F8-Inch+Extra+Deep+Impact+Socket&qid=1682695866&sr=8-1

Basically, sit on the floor in a rowing position, put one hand on the wrench to extenstion 90 degree turn, other on the end of the wrench, and push and pull at the same time and row your way to 107lbs/ft.

The long extension makes this work.  A shorter one would have been brutal and likely would have needed something to extend the wrench.

[Noah]

Congratulations. How far out of torque were they?

[pbyrne]

Congratulations. How far out of torque were they?

I didn't check specifically, but they all needed around a half turn, and the aft most probably 1 and a half.  The washer wasn't compressed.