New Chain Plate design – Installation and setup

[togve]

New Chain Plate design – Installation and setup

We have previously posted our new chain design (Apr 8 and 12, 2011), how to remove the original chain plates and prepare the deck for installation of the new ones (Apr 17, 2011). We now describe the installation.

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6288.0.html

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6266.0.html

[added links, Stu  1/10/2013]


Step 1 – Sealing the New Chain Plate to the Deck

This may very well be the most controversial step.  We made a 1/8" thick gasket out of "fast cure" 3M 5200 by applying a layer to the underside of the deck plate then compressing it against the deck through the deck slot hole.  We used plastic food wrap on the deck to keep the 5200 from sticking.  The food wrap was easily removed once the 5200 cured. Then we applied butyl tape under the washer of the through-bolt, and the under side of the deck plate at the through bolt and the shroud bar. (Image 1 and 2))
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Step 2 – Installing the New Chain plate

We used 3/8 x 2 ½ " through-bolts (probably 2 ¼" would suffice) to compress the deck between the deck plate and the backing plate.  Do not apply any sealant to the backing plate. Next we attached the toggles to the shroud bar.

Step 3 – Re-installing tie rods

We had to shorten the tie rods and rethread them by 3 inches due to the extra length gained by the toggles. We reinstalled the tie rods into their original position using the original nut with a lock washer followed by a ny-lock nut.  Don't forget to first put on the angled washer that was originally there.  (Image 3) The torque adjustment on the tie rods  was 150 inch-lbs (12.5 foot-lbs) which translated to 1090 lbs of force on the deck. This led to the deck depressing by 0.090 inches.  This was accomplished by approximately two complete turns of the tie rod nut which approximates what is done on the new C355 according to advice we received from Catalina.  (Catalina was not able to provide us with similar information regarding the C34.)
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This completes the installation.  (Image 4 and 5) Our next report will be on the sea trials we carry out over the next couple of months.  Tony being the main instigator of all this would be happy to discuss this project offline with anyone who is looking for more in-depth information.
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Tony Germin
1997 C34 #1331
togve@bell.net

Rick Verbeek
1999 C36 #1763

Lakeshore Yacht Club
Toronto, Ontario
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[cmainprize]

Great looking work guys!!
 
If this was a kit on the Catalina direct website I think you would be selling them quickly.  I am looking forward to your on the water reviews.  Did you happen to run your enginering past Catalina?
Our boats are only a few hulls apart and I was planning on removing all my chainplates to seal the deck from moisture this spring,  of course now I am running out of time and it will probably be the fall so this is very interesting to me.

[togve]

HI Cory

Thanks for the accolades.

I did call Catalina in Florida and they did not know what tension to put on the rods. However as I said in the post they suggested that they use 2 turns of the nut after hand tightening on their C355. They partly did not know because they don't make the C34 there.
So I called Catalina in California where they made the C34 and they suggested to just turn the nut 1/4 turn. I tried that and that is definitely not enough  tension on the rods.
When you remove yours you should take note of how many turns it takes to loosen your nuts.
Also remember that the original chain plate should not have the same tension that I used on our design because you would in affect be pulling down on the chain plate and the old design would put to much pressure on the two washers and the local area under them. Not good for the gel cote on the deck.

[Stu Jackson]

Using 5200 on the bottom of the outside plate is simply crazy.

Use butyl tape underneath the outside, NOT Satan's Glue.  There would also be no need to use butyl tape INSIDE on the vertical piece.  Seal it from the outside.

See:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,7265.msg49430.html#msg49430

[togve]

To be clear Stu we made a Gasket with the 5200 ,It's cured and dry it's not sticking to anything it's just a gasket. Butyl under pressure will simply squeezes out unless you have a well to catch it in. These chain plates top plates, are under pressure so the 5200 gasket seals under pressure. Of course you can use any neoprene rubber to be the gasket I just decided to make it out of 5200. I still use butyl but in the well of the slot that the 2" bar goes through for added protection.

Since the installation and countless miles of sailing on lake Ontario, the sea trials and rain  have shown that these chain plates just don't leek. 3 years later nothing has been done to them and no leaks.

See You tube of the new chain plate design:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO5_Yjqktr8