| Author | Message | ||
     Jeff Roy New member Username: Jeffr Post Number: 94 Registered: 03-2001 Rating: N/A |
A side note on a related topic: If you never remove the spreader caps you might want to take a good look at the machine screws holding them on next off-season. When I bought my boat one of the machine screws was missing it's head, it appreently popped off. The upper shroud was poised to pop right out, which could result in the loss of a mast. When I went to correct the problem I found all 8 of the screws were seriously corroded in the aluminum spreaders. 3 more of them snapped right off when I put an allen wrench on them. I was able to get all but one of the sutbs left of the screws out with a vice grip, but one of them snapped off at the base of the screw. I tried to drill out the remains of the screw left in the spreader but that was impossible because the drill bit wandered into the softer aluminum. I had to drill around the screw to get it out and that left a hole so big that I could not tap it for any screw small enough to fit in the spreader cap. I had to take the spreader to a machined shop and they filled the hole left from my attempts to remove the screw. I then redrilled and tapped the spreader and, so far, all has been fine. |
