Removing Stuck Traveler Bolts

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do335	Removing Stuck Traveler Bolts		Lead	[-]
Posts: 249 01/08/08 13:51:00	Tags : loosening, traveler, bolts I'm trying to remove the two traveler bolts that pass thru into the cabin. I have tried soaking the heads with penetrating oil and trying to unscrew them with impact wrench(the type you hit with hammer) but they don't budge. Even hammering them from below doesn't persuade them to move. I'm assuming the aluminum traveler and stainless steel bolts are reacting and have become solid with corrosion. I'm thinking of heating the traveler with a torch in hopes the aluminum will expand faster than the stainless steel bolts and allow me to move the bolts. Anyone learn a trick to loosening these bolts? Any suggestions I should consider? I couldn't find any other entries on the forum that addressed this issue, but I may have missed it. Thanks for all ideas. Steve 642-2f TESA
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CaptNorm42	Those 2 are really TOUGH	#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 616 01/08/08 15:39:23 Moderator	After my boat was 3-4 years old, I got the starboard one out with a fair amount of work. The port one came out, but was REALLY twisted during the operation. It was a 3 person job: At the screw head, got the largest flat head screwdriver that fit the head, one with a square shaft. Put a large crescent wrench, near the bottom of the screwdriver. Person 1's job was to turn that screwdriver with the wrench. Person 2 put as much weight as possible on the top of the screwdriver. Inside the boat, locked 2 nuts together. Person 3's job was to go in the same direction as the top guys with a long wrench. It eventually turned & came out. I believe the issue is electrolysis where the screw touches the traveler. I had a tough job finding those very long screws--needed to order them from Catalina. Steve, your boat's nearly as old as mine (sure love those signatures). If they haven't been turned yearly, they will be very difficult to remove. If all this fails, I would drill the screwhead off & drill down about 1/2". Then get a very short stainless 1/4" rod & try to pound it down, gradually going to longer rods. I've said it many times & will repeat. Annually, I turn most stainless screws that go into aluminum 1/2 turn or so. That includes all traveller, foot block, sheet stopper (the forward one is pretty easy, aft one sometimes requires taking the halyard out), and any added screws on the mast or boom. I've taken all traveller screws out (only for preventative maintenance) & put tons of anti-seize on them. I haven't done the winch screws, pretty sure primary genoa ones have ss nuts, cabin top ones probably go inside aluminum backing plates. ~~~~_/)~~~~ Norm Perron, Hull #600/2 cabin, Aphrodisiac, Marina del Rey, CA
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pporcheron	Traveller bolts	#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 47 01/09/08 08:16:20	Electrolysis may be a large factor but these bolts are SS304 not 316. I had my dealer change them when new. They had the bolts made because they apparently are not available. Also upon reinstallation dont forget the electrolysis preventer (lanacote) Pierre #899 2 cabin Pullman
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nickwigen	Localize the heat	#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 210 01/09/08 11:21:50	I learned an old trick years ago to get stainless fasteners out of aluminum. Using a good heavy set of jumper cables pass a current through the fastener and the aluminum. Clamp the "-" cable to the traveller and a large bolt in the "+". Set the + side on top of the bolt head to complete the circuit. The resistance heating is concentrated at the oxide that forms around the bolt and aluminum. Heat the SS bolt until it starts to turn yellowish-brown and try the impact driver. It may take a few cycles. Each heating cycle seems to loosen the white oxide. A better method is to use an arc welder if you have one available. I've done this a few times with impressive results. The anodized coating on the aluminum doesn't seem to conduct electricity very well so the "-" side has to connect through another fastener. Nick Wigen Ursa Minor #178 FK, 3-Cabin Portland, Oregon
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CaptNorm42		#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 616 01/09/08 14:46:20 Moderator	Nick, I've never heard about this before. Am I correct in assuming you use a high capacity 12-volt battery for the current source? In this case, I would think if he is working on, say the port side, he would unscrew the end-cap screw on the port side of the traveler & temporarily screw in another screw that has no paint/anodise for the "-". About how long would you keep this circuit "shorted"? seconds? about how many minutes? ~~~~_/)~~~~ Norm Perron, Hull #600/2 cabin, Aphrodisiac, Marina del Rey, CA
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ajchan		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 145 01/09/08 14:54:33	do335 wrote: I'm trying to remove the two traveler bolts that pass thru into the cabin. I have tried soaking the heads with penetrating oil and trying to unscrew them with impact wrench(the type you hit with hammer) but they don't budge. Even hammering them from below doesn't persuade them to move. I'm assuming the aluminum traveler and stainless steel bolts are reacting and have become solid with corrosion. I'm thinking of heating the traveler with a torch in hopes the aluminum will expand faster than the stainless steel bolts and allow me to move the bolts. Anyone learn a trick to loosening these bolts? Any suggestions I should consider? I couldn't find any other entries on the forum that addressed this issue, but I may have missed it. Thanks for all ideas. I removed the two bolts from my boat last summer to install the new traveler cars I ordered from Garhauer. I tried everything to get them to move with the traveler in place to no avail. In the end I ended up using a crow bar and a couple of blocks of 2x4 to pry the entire traveler assembly upwards until I could deadlift the traveler straight up. Once the traveler was off and laying on the deck, it was relatively staright forward to hammer the bolts free. If you follow this method, be very careful that you do not end up losing all of the balls in your line organizer. In hindsight it must have been a pretty funny sight to see a grown man with his butt in the air and a Mcdonalds drink cup in the other trying to pick up millions of little brown delrin balls. When finesse stops working, brute force and a little ingenuity works miracles! The new travel cars are awsome, so it was worth the effort! Good luck Addison Threepenny Opera 1999 C-42 MK II, 2CP Wing #640 http://the-voyages-of-threepenny-opera.blogspot.com/
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CaptNorm42		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 616 01/09/08 18:38:19 Moderator	I also replaced the car, from the 1-point attachment to the 3-point. Did not need to remove the track, just both end caps (not positive on both, but at least 1 end cap) and the 2 screws for the outboard blocks, on both sides. Having hull 640, which is quite a bit newer than 600, I would expect you had the same actual traveller track. I do agree lots of colored ball-bearings go all over the place. Luckily, Garhauer has a transfer track that allows the new car to gently slide on the old track, keeping the new ball-bearings in check. Here's a shot of my car in case you want to compare http://www.catalina42.org/images/imtriple.jpg ~~~~_/)~~~~ Norm Perron, Hull #600/2 cabin, Aphrodisiac, Marina del Rey, CA
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ajchan		#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 145 01/10/08 02:03:32	CaptNorm42 wrote: I also replaced the car, from the 1-point attachment to the 3-point. Did not need to remove the track, just both end caps (not positive on both, but at least 1 end cap) and the 2 screws for the outboard blocks, on both sides. Having hull 640, which is quite a bit newer than 600, I would expect you had the same actual traveller track. I do agree lots of colored ball-bearings go all over the place. Luckily, Garhauer has a transfer track that allows the new car to gently slide on the old track, keeping the new ball-bearings in check. Here's a shot of my car in case you want to compare http://www.catalina42.org/images/imtriple.jpg Hi Norm Thanks for the pic. The reason I had to remove te traveler was to remove the end cars. On the older model of traveler there was an aluminum bracket and a couple of shims that bolted to the underside of the traveler bar in order to keep everything flush. When I spoke to Garhauer about how to handle the bracket, they told me I had to either grind it flush, or lift the traveler and remove it. If I chose the latter route they would supply at no extra charge some additional shims to full the gap. I chose the latter method because I was loath to take an angle grinder to my traveler because one slip and ....... Addison Threepenny Opera 1999 C-42 MK II, 2CP Wing #640 http://the-voyages-of-threepenny-opera.blogspot.com/
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Removing Stuck Traveler Bolts

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