[Public-List] Tiller Head - I'm stuck!

[crufone at comcast.net]

Jeff, 

  

The bolt originally did not go thru the rudder shaft. As Michael mentioned it is supposed to be positioned as a set screw. Repeated heat and cooling works wonders on loosening "frozen bolts". 

Something called MAP Gas produces a hotter flame than propane torches. Wet rags around the adjacent area are a good idea, you can keep them wet as you go along. I wouldn't begin by over heating the bronze head. Copper alloys when quenched actually get softer. So I would begin by applying the PB blaster and then heating. allow to air cool without quenching. You may do this several times without softening the bronze head. Tapping gently but sharply with a ball pein hammer helps to shock the thread interface. Do this as you are heating the fitting. Patience or as Gord puts it persistence is your friend.  Repeat the process over and over again over several days if needed. 

  Once you have finally twisted off the bolt head with out removing the bolt it is time for procedure two. 

Determine the the maximum diameter of the valley of the threads on the bolt. For a 5/16" bolt this might be 17/64". Carefully locate the Exact center of the bolt in the fitting. Center punch this spot. Begin to drill a hole in the exact center and at the same exact angle as the original bolt. If the bolt is Stainless this will be tough, but can be done. Begin with an 1/8" bit or smaller. Purchase several new bits of this smallest size. The first hole it the most critical to be accurate. Using this small drill bit you can angle the drill around to center the bit as you drill. Measure the depth to the rudder shaft and drill NO deeper. After the first hole use progressively larger bits. Don't be in a hurry...... go up in size by 1/64" at a time. This staging of drilling will allow you to adjust the center of the hole a little as you go up in size. Once you have reached the maximum size determined above STOP. You are actually done. 

  With the "Set Screw/Bolt" drilled out it no longer has much holding power on the rudder shaft. Does your fitting have the pinch bolt at the rear side? Remove the pinch bolt. Fashion a tool to 'gently' spread the slot cut in the fitting for the pinch bolt. Use a wedge and a C-clamp to push the wedge in place gently........you don't want to break the ears off the fitting............just help to break the bond between the shaft and fitting. 

  Once the fitting is off the shaft you can remove what remains of the set screw from the dimple in the shaft. Using a dental pick you can actually carefully remove what remains of the threads of the bolt from inside the bronze fitting. Then carefully run a tap in to clean up the original threads. I have been able to do this process with great success and saved many an irreplaceable casting on old mechanical equipment. 

  BTW apply all of Gords techniques along the way  as well. 

Michael #133 



----- Original Message -----




From: "Jeffrey" <alberg30nh at gmail.com> 
To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> 
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2012 3:36:47 PM 
Subject: [Public-List] Tiller Head - I'm stuck! 

I'm about to embark on a cockpit floor re-core, but I've hit a roadblock 
getting the tiller head off. 

In front of the tiller head is a big (5/8 If I remember) bolt head.  This 
bolt..no way is that sucker moving.  So far a couple of days dribbling in 
some PB Blaster and still nothing. The bolt looks like steel. 

What exactly is this bolt? Does the bolt go through the rudder shaft? I can 
just almost barely see the back side, and it looks like there *may* be a 
hole. Is this common to all boats? 


Jeff 

Jeff Fongemie 
#116 Seagrass 

http://picasaweb.google.com/fongemie 
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