Removing aluminum wedge washer (bushing) from chain plate tie rod

[Roger Rathbun]

Procedure for removing an Aluminum Wedge Washer which is badly corroded onto the stainless Tie Rod in the Catalina 34 Mk1 Chain Plate assembly.

This technique is intended to force the aluminum washer off the bottom of the tie rod by drawing the rod up using a nut on the top threads pushing against a pipe that surrounds the rod. This was used on the starboard aft chain plate rod and changes to the procedure would be necessary for the other chain plate positions.

1: With the tie rod un-threaded from the chain plate, attach two pieces of 5/8 plywood (approx 3&1/4 by 8 or 9 inches) to each side of the rod just above the aluminum washer in the cubby hole. A10-24 through bolt on each side of the rod holds them in place.

2:   Make up a wood wedge piece approx 2" by 8" ripped on a table saw with the blade set at an angle 8-10 degrees off vertical from 2" stock such as a rough 'undressed' piece of 2x10". I'm not sure the angle but mine was roughly 5/16" taller on the high side than the low side. This piece sits in the 2" groove that runs fore-aft in the teak trim right over the hole the tie rod exits through. It's purpose is to true up the surface that the tubing or pipe referenced below will push against. Make up two more pieces of 5/8" or 3/4" ply 2" x 8" which will in turn be placed on top of this wedge piece. These all may have to be 1&3/4" rather than 2" depending on how your teak was installed.

3:   Holding the tie rod up so the plywood pieces inside the cubby mate 'true' against the glassed in aluminum angle iron which the aluminum washer normally rests against, place all three pieces in the groove with their ends butted up against the rod. With a wood boring bit (3/4") you now need to drill holes properly lined up through each of the three pieces, which will allow them to be placed over the tie rod.  With your helper (wife) sighting aft from in front of the tie rod, you operate the drill. You can determine when the drill is correctly angled fore and aft, and she can call for corrections inboard and outboard. Drill through the top piece, then remove it and drill the second piece using the mark your wood bit tip left  in the second piece. Finish the third one (the wedge piece) on a piece of scrap. After drilling, slip one piece (the angled wedge piece) over the rod and seat it down in the groove.

4:   Slip a 3/4 inch (inside diam) piece of tubing (I used grey PVC but galvanized might be better) over the top of the tie rod long enough to just leave about 1/2 inch of top thread showing, when a helper with her hand in the cubby is holding the bottom of the rod with the two plywood pieces up against the glassed in aluminum angle iron. Place a 5/8 fender washer and one of the 5/8 nuts from the bottom of the tie rods on the thread.

5:   Now start tightening. My washer was virtually "welded" to the rod with that white powder/cake that develops between aluminum and stainless (with a bit of salt water!) Also I was lucky the rod did not turn as I tightened the nut. I think the aluminum washer bites into the plywood edges underneath and holds the rod from turning. With one hand holding the top of the rod and the other applying major force to the spanner, I thought the plastic pipe might explode, but finally BANG. Look inside and find the washer moved down about 1/16". Now just keep turning (each move of the washer gives off a surprisingly load bang or pop). When you run out of thread at the top, disassemble and add another plywood piece at the base of the pipe. Once the washer was driven part way down the threads, it came off easily by hand.

Notes:
1: This procedure would have to be changed for the other chain plate positions. Maybe the pipe would have to go on in sections.
2: In an earlier attempt to free up this washer I held the rod with vice grips 1/2" above the washer, placed five fender washers below the aluminum and used a nut to drive the aluminum washer up, hoping that would dislodge the corrosion. NO WAY. When the washer was forced off the threads onto the un-threaded part of the rod it was really stuck! No attempt at turning the washer with tongue/groove pliers (water pump pliers?) would work and I was rapidly destroying the washer. Many applications of PB Blaster had no effect.
3: The 3 & 1/4 inch dimension for the plywood inside the cubby was necessary to provide travel if you had to draw the rod all the way up while forcing the washer fully off the threads at the bottom. I would expect that most washers will come free once they move down the threads a bit so maybe 2 inch plywoods would do.
4: As suggested on another thread, placing lots of 5/8" fender washers on the top of the pipe might mean fewer pieces of plywood  at the base of the pipe. (still need the wedge piece).
5: I thought about using a small 3" two jaw gear puller but working inside the cubby would be a real challenge.
I've included a picture which I hope clarify some of this. Note the tea towel duct taped across the two small bulkheads beneath the rod to catch any stray bits. I installed this AFTER I spent hours retrieving a spanner from that hole using a mirror and a magnet! Thereafter of course nothing fell.

[Roger Rathbun]

More pictures.

[Roger Rathbun]

This is it!   Note the hard caked white stuff inside the hole. Also the chewed up sides of the washer caused by my earlier attempt to turn it off.