Frozen foot block

[mgphl52]

Dean, Yes, there are cordless as well as "manual" impact wrenches. Back in the day... I used the manual kind for working on motorcycles since they had so dang many phillips-head screws. But even those would take a socket. You have to use quality sockets though...
As always, McMaster-Carr has them and I'm sure lots of others do too.

[John Stone]

Good idea on the impact driver. I have an electric impact driver. It’s ok. But a better one for something like this is a hand impact driver. I don’t have one though I have used them...a long long time ago in a galaxy far far...never mind.

I should probably get one. Here is a link to a Tekton hand impact driver. Not US made though. I have a Tekton torque wrench and I have been happy with it. So it’s a possibility. I think you should use this with an impact driver socket which is made for the sudden application of force. Standard socket can crack under shock loading.

https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-2905-8-In ... B000NPPATS

If you try this though be careful because you will be hammer down on it and you don’t want to damage the deck. “Do no harm.”

I am interested in how this turns out. Let us know Dean.

[mgphl52]

If you try this though be careful because you will be hammer down on it and you don’t want to damage the deck. “Do no harm.”

Yep! That's why I'd more likely use my cordless impact driver...

[bottomscraper]

Is there any type of non-electric impact driver (if that's what you'd call it), that you can mount a socket to, then when whacked with a hammer the impact is converted into counter-clockwise torque?

It seems like years ago I had something like this, but for screw heads. ??

Yup!

I'm not so sure whacking something attached to fiberglass is such a great idea.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NPPATS/re ... 26833&sr=1

[Dean Abramson]

You guys rock!

And John, you rock the most!!!

The CD Board rocks!

Aero Kroil rocks!

I did exactly what John said. Short bolt surrendered pretty quickly, after a few cycles of spray, tap, try. The center one took about twenty rinse-and-repeats over two hours. The sucker is disassembled now. Tomorrow will clean, lube, re-install.

Am currently sitting in cockpit drinking a Fat Tire and watching the end of sunset.

[Dean Abramson]

I found a brand new manual impact driver in my basement! Still in box.

But I wound up not using it. It did kind of scare me.

[John Stone]

Outstanding Dean. Well done.

[Dean Abramson]

Thanks, John.

Please tell me why I’d want to separate the bushing from the sheave. I haven’t yet done so. Doesn’t the bushing revolve around the bolt in lockstep with the sheave? Or is there supposed to be “freedom” between the bushing and the sheave also, as there is between the bushing and the bolt?

Also, my bushing is protruding from the sheave more on the bottom than the top. Is this normal? If so, I am guessing that the extra protrusion is to keep the sheave off of the bottom plate.

I’d really prefer to not mess with the bushing if I can avoid it.

Finally, what should I lubricate it with before reassemby? And what do you use for ongoing lubrication?

[John Stone]

Thanks, John.

Please tell me why I’d want to separate the bushing from the sheave. I haven’t yet done so. Doesn’t the bushing revolve around the bolt in lockstep with the sheave? Or is there supposed to be “freedom” between the bushing and the sheave also, as there is between the bushing and the bolt?

Also, my bushing is protruding from the sheave more on the bottom than the top. Is this normal? If so, I am guessing that the extra protrusion is to keep the sheave off of the bottom plate.

I’d really prefer to not mess with the bushing if I can avoid it.

Finally, what should I lubricate it with before reassemby? And what do you use for ongoing lubrication?

Dean,
I like to take things apart and keep them independent if they were made that way. The bushing is designed to be replaced (sacrificial) to protect the bronze sheave. But if it’s in good shape then it does not need to be replaced. If it’s stuck together and you leave it that way you run the risk of it becoming permanently fused through galvanic corrosion—the sheave is bronze and the bushing is SS. That will eventually compromise the beautiful strong and long lived bronze sheave. So, apply some kroil or PB and gently tap it out too.

I’d probably apply some light oil between the bushing and sheave...maybe some motor oil. I’d use regular waterproof grease (axle grease will work if you have it) between the bolt and bushing.

I think the bushing is designed to protrude for the reason you described—to keep the sheave off the SS flange.

I would use (TefGel) on the threads of the bolts (or lanicote if you don’t want to spring for the TefGel) to make future disassembly easy. I’d also smear some between the aluminum face plate and the underside of the SS top flange to help reduce galvanic coorsion.

Now that you know how to take it apart, and if you use TefGel on the threads, you can take it apart easily and quickly every few years and apply addition grease to the sheave/bolt.

If you did not apply heat and stress the bolt too much when you took it apart then you probably don’t need to replace them if they are otherwise in good shape.

You did a good job taking apart an important piece of equipment that could lead to injury or additional damage if it had failed. So, you should feel pretty darn good about your success. Not to mention you saved a bundle of money by fixing it yourself.

[Dean Abramson]

All great guidance, John.

I used heat twice. Once was pretty briefly, and the second time I did it maybe 30 seconds until I saw some of the Aero Kroil boiling. The bolt looks good. Do I need to replace it?

If I buy a SS bolt from Hamilton Marine (right down the road, a serious marine store which also heavily serves commercial fisherman), will that be high enough quality? They have a good selection of SS hardware, but I’m not sure that it’s 316 grade. (I don’t really know what the grading means, honestly.)

Will the bushing come out to one side only? Part of my reticence is because I’m not sure how I’ll get it back to exactly where it was, protrusion-wise. But if it hammers out only one way, then I assume I will just knock it back in until it stops. Maybe all this becomes clear once I have cleaned things up. It appears that there may be retaining ring or spring clip to deal with. ?? But maybe what I’m seeing is part of the sheave.

[Steve Laume]

I would probably clean up and reuse the bolt, unless it is obviously damaged. It you replace it, you will need to find one that has the exact length of the un-threaded portion. I doubt the bushing would last long if it were turning on the threads. To make one up, you would most likely have to find a suitable bolt and cut it off to get the required overall length.

I like to use a wire wheel to clean up threads. I have a wire and buffing wheel set up on a stand that works great but you could do it with a drill that is held in place. The buffing wheel does a beautiful jo of polishing stainless before things go back together.

Clean everything up real nice, lube it up, put it back together and go sailing, Steve.

[John Stone]

There is no retaining pin for the bushing. It self positions when you fit the parts together. I’d probably reuse it. The stress will be in shear which is the strongest performance orientation of the fasteners.

Steve is correct. To replace the bolt you look for one with the same shoulder length (unthreaded part) and cut the threaded part to the correct length. Put the bolt on a vice, thread a nut on it. Then cut to length. Clean the bured edge with a fine file. Then, back the nut off the bolt cleaning the threaded areas where you used the hack saw. Easy project.

True 316 has no iron in it. Uses nickel instead. 316 is not as strong as 304 as a rule but is more corrosion resistant. I passivate all my SS after I work on them by dropping them into a passivating solution. Polishing, if you have the equipment, really cleans up the hardware. Nice, but not necessary. I purchase my polishing supplies through Caswell...if you decided to go the route.

Take your time. Enjoy the success your having (it doesn’t always go so smoothly). And take pride you did it yourself. It”s rewarding to see how the knowledge you gained on this projects feeds into the knowledge pool that will make a future project easier to accomplish.

[Dean Abramson]

Thank you, gentlemen!

Hey Carl, when are going to come sail with me, man?

[Dean Abramson]

And now, as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story . . .

I'll go ahead and post the morals first.
1) Never start high-fiving at the ten yard line.
2) Short cuts are probably not be the best routes.

Feeling accomplished from my ace disassembly the night before, I cleaned the parts up and reassembled the block. And . . . it refused to turn if I tightened the center bolt down all the way. Skipper not happy at all.

And if anyone is reading this, but wants the Cliff Notes version now, I will say this. You MUST remove the bushing. Do NOT do like I did and try to skip that step. More on this to follow.

I had kind of mangled the top aluminum cheek plate when, pre-project, I had been poking things in between the cheek and the sheave, trying to create more clearance, even though I was not sure that was a problem. Well, when I put it back together, there was definitely a problem. My formerly flat cheek was now wavy. I have a wooden work surface on the boat, and I beat the hell out of the cheek, but really couldn't get it perfectly straight. And the clearance on this whole deal is clearly a product of a sick sense of humor on Schaefer's part; so, Houston, we had a problem. Then I toyed with punting the cheek and going naked.

But even then, when I tightened the center bolt, the darn thing would not turn. Skipper even less happy, more confused.

Then I noticed that the top SS "strap" (I'll call it) was not perfectly straight either.

I had miraculously located one of these blocks locally, so figuring I was probably going to be doing boat surgery to install a new one, I took off for Captain Jim's Marine Salvage in Portland. (BTW, the place is a trip! Open only Saturdays. You've gotta go if nearby. A combination chandlery, nautical museum, and the last town on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams.) Jim sells me a good condition block for $60. The only such one, among his mountains of treasure.

I come back to boat, and decided to try newer parts on old base. At least I had a flat cheek, right? Then came the epiphany. I unbolted the "new" one, and when I slid the sheave out, the bushing fell (repeat fell) out of the bottom. Almost bounced overboard.

Suddenly I realized that the sheave revolving freely abound the bushing is imperative. Frankly, the bushing could stay stationary, IMO. When you tweak the thing down, particularly if your strap is off a bit like mine was, then, with the cheek in there, the bushing becomes squeezed between cheek and base. If I had thought of the bushing as my axle (not the bolt being the axle) sooner, I would have not wasted a ton of time. And if I had realized how relatively simple it was to remove the bushing, I would have done it. I am not not a mechanical guy. (Ask Rich Abato.) When I hear "bushing removal," I think, Yeah, fine for you guys with machine shops. Realize that my dad's tool kit consisted of a single hammer and two screwdrivers; not even a tool box; the tools, very clean, were displayed on an immaculate peg board in the garage. I have no memories of my dad (one the best men to ever live, BTW) using tools.

I took my claw hammer to the SS strap, in a futile attempt to earn a bit more clearance, knowing you can't bend stainless steel. WRONG. You can bend stainless steel. I did it. Go figure. I created a touch more clearance. (Before I did this, I could not get the sheave, bushing and cheek, together, in there. When I had removed the old sheave, I had had to hammer the cheek plate out first.)

New block had aluminum sheave; very light compared to bronze. I gave the new sheave and bushing a dose of TLC (it really did not need that much), and with my nice flat cheek plate, assembled the rascal again. Presto. As it were. Success. Let no man say I cannot lubricate a block in under 48 hours.

The sucker turns nicely now. I spent two nights on the boat on her mooring, and in its own odd way, it was pretty fun most of the time. Like when I was not about to shoot myself.

I say again unto thee: remove the bushing. Thanks again, all.

As you were.

[Dean Abramson]

Hey Carl. Let us know when you'll be at your cabin. Maybe we'll sail in and visit. Well, motor that last bit!