Strut Alignment Questions
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=20148
Printed Date: November-20-2024 at 8:34am
Topic: Strut Alignment Questions
Posted By: MAN - GA
Subject: Strut Alignment Questions
Date Posted: December-11-2010 at 12:14am
| Starting a new thread b/c this topic is focused on strut alignment issue I am having. The new strut bolt holes are not the same as the original strut and it is causing binding when I bolt it up and causes the shaft to come out of alignment - the width side to side is not an issue it is the center to center length from front to back that is causing the issue the holes in the new strut are approximately 2/3 of the 3/8" bolt diameter longer. When mocking the new strut up by just bolting up the back two bolts it works perfect. Because of the countersink in the strut I cannot really modify it so I am thinking about filling the existing bolt holes through the hull with epoxy and then drilling them back out or would it be OK to drill them out as-is and use some larger washers on the bilge side? I am at a loss on how to proceed with a fix |
Replies:
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: December-11-2010 at 1:40am
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Mark - I had a similar problem when I replaced the strut - although mine had only 1 hole out of position (poor quality). I partially filled the hole in hull with epoxy resin & fiberglass cloth & redrilled to match the strut. I also re-inforced the inner hull (had signs of cracking from the strut damage) & built up the surface to eliminate the cheesey stacks of washers (under the cable mount plate) that was there.
I wouldn't just drill the holes oversize - might be OK but who wants big holes in the bottom of their boat?? ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: MAN - GA
Date Posted: December-11-2010 at 10:48am
| I hear you on the bigger holes sounds like I will be doing a little epoxy work today. The strut quality is horrible I know it is a cast piece, but the flange surface on the top was awful and the squareness of the flange itself was way off - I have already had to grind some on the edges and round the corners to get it to fit into the hull recess. I guess it is better to kind of shape it to fit the boat, but the holes being off has really given me alot more work than really needed it would have been easier to just not drill holes in the flange |
Posted By: BuffaloBFN
Date Posted: December-11-2010 at 11:00am
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That's going to be a lot of work to make up 1/4". For the patch/fill to be any good, you'll have to sand or grind back to bare glass on the inside. It's itchy work!
Chris is right though about doing it right. ------------- http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2331&sort=&pagenum=12&yrstart=1986&yrend=1990" rel="nofollow - 1988 BFN-sold "It's a Livin' Thing...What a Terrible Thing to Lose" ELO |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-11-2010 at 6:44pm
Chris, CC did this???  They probably ran out of the correct length bolts or bought the wrong lentghts!!  ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
SNobsessed wrote:Posted By: Fl Inboards
Date Posted: December-11-2010 at 7:34pm
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I have run into this many times over the years, some worse than others.
If everything lines up with the rear fasteners in place and the chasing the front holes is going to over inlarge the holes then the right thing to do is fill the front holes either with epoxy or some sort of proper filler ( I like to use marine-tex for these types of fills) and lay acouple layers of glass in the bilge area to hold it all in place. Tape it off and be clean about it it will be a very nice repair. More than likely the cheesy washers were from some shade tree repair in the past. If memory serves me the original strut had been adjusted or percieved to be in the past. You all would be real supprised at what we find from the shade tree repairs... Scary!!! ------------- Hobby Boats can be expensive when the hobbyist is limited on their own skill and expertise. 1993 Shamrock "fat" 20. 2008 Nautique 196 5.0 |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: December-11-2010 at 8:04pm
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Jodi - I'm pretty sure the washer stacks came from the factory. It was the original strut. The washers were used to level the steering cable mount plate. It performed the function OK so maybe I am being a little harsh with their design criteria.
Here is a photo form the post I made 2 yrs ago on this - you can see the washer imprint around the rear hole.  ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: Fl Inboards
Date Posted: December-11-2010 at 8:22pm
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The way that older system was "supposed" to be attached was utilizing a rather long fastener thru bolting to the hull with a large fender type washer and either a lock washer and nut or a nylock nut. Then the steering angle mounted and fastened on top of the strut retaining nuts and retained again with either a lock washer nut set up or a nylock. Now their is always a chance that someone freelanced and installed it incorrectly but in those day's their were long term craftsmen assembling and building the boats. But my guess is that it had been apart and someone reinstalled it different. ------------- Hobby Boats can be expensive when the hobbyist is limited on their own skill and expertise. 1993 Shamrock "fat" 20. 2008 Nautique 196 5.0 |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: December-11-2010 at 8:26pm
Come on Jody!! You must have been somewhere else in the factory the years you worked there when CC did stuff like this. Don't get me wrong as I'm not comming down on my favorite boat company but it is fact that the workmanship sucked through many years. It was a carry over from the wood when they used their "finishing hatchets", and plenty of "dumb dumb" (bedding compound) to fill in the poor fitting joints. I don't feel you've been exposed to the woods, early glass and even later glass that much. I've seen plenty! My 54 and my 77 have washers under the nuts because they didn't have the bolt length correct. In my years at Watercraft Sales in the late 60's and early 70's I saw plenty of CC's with the same issue! It was so crude that I wondered then and still do do today is why??????? Can't they get the bolt length correct? Same is true with rudder ports!!!! Maybe you were out back at the old factory doing something else? ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: MAN - GA
Date Posted: December-11-2010 at 9:49pm
| Mine did not have washers or shims underneath, but during mockup they were needed to get shaft centered in log. Because I had to fill holes with epoxy I spent some time and feathered in epoxy in place of the washers to get it built up in the rear to lift shaft up some - I will let everything cure overnite and drill holes out tomorrow and do a little sanding to smooth things up and set the final alignment. Thanks for the help again guys |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: December-11-2010 at 10:32pm
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Sure can tell winter has set in - we are debating trival items.
I withdraw my statements, Jodi is most likely right about a owner repair. Now back to Mark's project - post some photos! ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: December-12-2010 at 11:22am
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snob, very redundent....polish change oil winterize polish change oil winterize with the occasional what oil should i use?, thrown in there lol ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: MAN - GA
Date Posted: December-12-2010 at 11:16pm
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Finished up this afternoon here is some photos of the finished product - still a little dirty in the bilge I plan on cleaning it up this week, setting alignment, and reinstalling rear floor section
Thanks for all the input  
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