Removing the Ring and Finger

Hey everyone!

Glad to finally be a member to the site after several months of discovering this great reference.

I just bought my first boat, an 86 SN in pristine condition with only 860 hours on it, and am currently trying to figure out how to remove the ring and finger so that I can use an extended pylon. I have no clue on where to start with this.

There doesn't seem to be a pin that I can remove that actually extends through the pylon. Instead, it appears that the head of a screw or pin was sawed off.



If anyone could give me some advice with this it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

May I suggest that you consider one of the following?

1. Remove your existing pylon and replace with a later/newer pylon which has no ring/finger. save the old pylon for the next owner who may likely want it to be original.

2. Use one of these:
tachyon "save the ring" contraption

3. Buy a pylon whose ring and finger has already been hacked up and replace your good/original one with it until you're done with the boat and then replace your original for the next owner.

Welcome Craig,

Be careful even after you knock out the roll pins. I suggest that you apply some penitrating fluid and then a few days later heat the aluminum up with a torch. Apply upward pressure with a comalong or lift and gently twist with a wooden dow thru the ring. Dont get to forceful with it because it is brass and will bend.

I like Steves idea of using another pylon and saving your good one.

Good luck. let us know how it goes.

Thanks for all of the replies everyone! I just got back from the store with some penetrating oil that I am going to use over the next few days to get her ready. If this doesn't work out I think I will have to try the tachyon contraption, thanks for the suggestion swatkinz.

The only thing that I am really concerned about still is the lowest screw/roll pin. It doesn't extend through both sides of the pylon, and it actually looks as though it was cut or broken.



you can see it clearly in this picture.

So I guess my question now is, should I be concerned with this? Or does it not even support the actual ring/finger all together? Is this something that I am going to have to have drilled out?

You can easily get good money for the unmolested ring and finger. Many have been sawed off by previous owners, and those wanting to get the boat back to original have a hard time finding them. So that pylon should be treated as a treasure.

Just a quick question, how long is the actual ring and finger section that I would be removing? Or how far down does it actually extend into the pylon?

Thanks, that just alliviated all of my worries. I'm going to try tapping those pins out tomorrow.

Thanks for everyone's help and advice. Thankfully this only took 5 min today. Once the rolling pins were pounded out i was literally able to lift the ring and finger out with no pressure at all. Now it's all ready to go for the extended pylon. Can't wait to get her out on the water in the upcoming week!

Craig,
You got real lucky. You are the first one I have heard not having an issue with removing the ring and finger.

the one time I attempted to remove a ring and finger, I spent days with penetrating oil, a come along, a long pipe, everything and the only thing I managed to accomplish was bending the ring. As Pete said, you got lucky. Good for you. Now go skiing!