Re Bed Jib Track ?

[DaveBMusik]

I'm just about finished with refinishing my Bomar Cast Aluminum Salon hatch and it is time to move on to the next leak - the Port Jib Track.
I have Acorn nuts in my headliner and I was thinking I would just loosen the double nuts and pound the machine screws out, re-pot the holes and re-bed with butyl.
I read an earlier post about the difficulty of turning the machine screws and it mentioned an aluminum backing plate.
Were there different installation techniques or is the backing plate something I will face as well?
Thanks, Dave

[Ron Hill]

Dave : You didn't say, but I suspect that you only have one or two of those bolts that are leaking?

Unless you want to rebed all of those bolts, I'd only rebed the leakers.

I can't recall if when I rebeded a leaker, if the bolt was threaded thru the fiberglass or not - I suspect it might be? 
I have a #3 Phillips head screwdriver with a square shank.  I'd remove the acorn and jam nut and try to back out the bolt from the top side (just in case it is threaded thru the fiberglass).  I take this square shank screwdriver and put a crescent wrench on the shank and press down hard on the top while turning the wrench - to back out tight bolts.  Has never failed me!
The I'd use some silicone caulk on the underside of the bolt head and screw it back in.  After the bolt is started I'd shot some caulk on the threads.  It stopped my leak!!

No need for a backing plate as there is more than enough fiberglass in that area. 

A thought

[KWKloeber]

I'm just about finished with refinishing my Bomar Cast Aluminum Salon hatch and it is time to move on to the next leak - the Port Jib Track.
I have Acorn nuts in my headliner and I was thinking I would just loosen the double nuts and pound the machine screws out, re-pot the holes and re-bed with butyl.
I read an earlier post about the difficulty of turning the machine screws and it mentioned an aluminum backing plate.
Were there different installation techniques or is the backing plate something I will face as well?
Thanks, Dave

Dave,

An impact drill/driver can be effective to back out stuck machine screws.  Sometimes you can get them started (if long enough) by removing everything below, tightly double-nutting at the end and backing them "up" with a socket.  Or using just the acorn nut.  But obviously you need some excess length on the bolts for that method to work.

Here's the proper way to seal thru-deck fastener holes
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/sealing_the_deck

FWIW, IIWMB, JTSO, etc. - a job worth doing on a boat is worth doing completely.  Here's why  - 

I'm currently fixing what started out as a leaking stbd inboard track on a 40-footer.  The P.O. did some quick fix with silicone (more than one location and fitting, as it turns out.)  So we found core damage at several fasteners,  and it became 5 times the job it needed to be if it was done correctly the 1st time (factory)    or the 2nd time (P.O.)

If you can't get the deck/core sealed, and the hole countersunk at the deck surface (which you can't with the track in place) then you can't stop water below the track -- you're only half-sealing the bolt head and threads -- and that's one reason for the additional damage we found.  Also if you don't get the track off and get in there to check the core in the hole, you don't know if there was any rot damage there to be taken care of.

So now I'm doing EVERY thru-fastener hole on the deck, coming, etc.  It's not that HARD a job, but frustrating because it could have been unnecessary.  Another palm-size rot spot in the core (not @ track location) is another matter -- THAT IS a PITA repair. 


kk

[Stu Jackson]

Since every single one of the bolts (screws) in our inboard track go through to the interior acorn nuts, I would find it difficult to believe that there is any "plate" in the deck for ANY of the bolts.  Plates are OK for shear loads, i.e., deck organizers and sheetstoppers, but not so good in tension.

Take one out and see.

[DaveBMusik]

Thanks everyone. The PO supposedly had rebedded the port side, so with a couple leaks in the aft cabin to starboard, I thought I would pull the track off and do it right. The boat is a few hours away so I am just trying to line up the stuff I need and figure out a schedule for the weekend. This and replacing the starboard fixed window should keep me busy.

[KWKloeber]

RC's website shows how to do it with an oversize drill bit, 5/16" dremel bit, gorilla tape, drill countersink and butyl tape, and of course resin / hardener / thickener.  Having a brad point drill as he shows is nice, but not mandatory.

I prefer Mas Epoxy, but West works ok also.  I'm currently using Mas low-viscosity (not Flag) resin so it infuses into the core edge better, and fast hardener because it's still cold in the NE and need it to set up before temps drop <40 at night.

kk