Harvey,
I did most of the work on my side working through the access hole in the
quarter berth.Sore arm to prove it. The nuts were frozen to the bolts. Mild
steel on aluminum. I cut them off with a grinder.
If you slack off the cable tension at the quadrant wheel on the rudder
post it gives you enough slack to lift the chain off of the drive gear in the
pedestal. While it's off of the gear remove the cotter pins in the master
link and part the chain.Drop the ends down through the pedestal and the
backing
plate with the sheaves mounted on it will drop out of the way. Bolts cut,
chain removed and pedestal guard removed the pedestal is moved out of the way.
Back down in the quarter berth there is a run of wires just inside the
access hole running fore and aft. Remove the screws holding the wire run up.
Remove enough of them to allow you to pry open the gap between the deck and
the liner over the engine, both of which were left in place just forced open.
I
used a large screwdriver and a combination wrench to hold it open at first
and after a trip home I used steel wedges. Anything that will work.
With the gap opened I pulled the large pieces out as much as I could get
from the quarter berth. Next I went in the port locker to shove anything
remaining on the port side either to the middle hole in the deck or over to
the
stbd. side to be removed in the quarter berth. I used an ice pick,
screwdriver, file and what is more or less a large hose clamp, straightened
out to
scrape the old wood out. It wasn't glued in.
The plywood I remove was 1/4" thick. I don't know the original length
and width so I guessed what would fit back in. From a scrap of starboard I
could get 18' x 26 1/2". 20" wide would have worked also.
I shoved the new piece in as far as it would go then used a mallet to
drive it flush with the edge of the liner and used a thin piece of hard wood
to
drive it the rest of the way in. I marked a center line length wise on top
of the board to gauge when it was in far enough. Centered in the hole in the
deck. New board in place I drilled the four holes for mounting the pedestal. I
stood in the cockpit and drilled through the original holes in the deck.
After each new hole I put the bolt in to keep things from moving. With the
four
bolts in I drilled a starter hole in the center opening, where the cables
will come through, and used a jigsaw to cut the opening to the same size as
the
hole in the deck.
Pry open the layers and inject sealer, 4200 in my case, in all the gaps
but not the bolt holes, yet.
Back in the quarter berth I put washers and nuts on the new bolts and
tightened to squeeze the sealer and let set for two days.
Drop strings down through the pedestal, one on each side of the wheel
shaft. Back down in the quarter berth tie the strings to the corresponding
chain and remove the nuts and washers. Up top pull the strings until the ends
of
the chains are high enough to put the master link back on. While it's still
up off of the shaft put the cotter pins back in. Back in the hole, put the
bottom plate up in place and two of the nuts to hold it.Up top, put sealer on
the two bolts without nuts. Go down and put nuts on those two, remove the
first
two and seal.
A helper would make a lot of this easier, I didn't have one! To hold the
bolts from turning I made a tool from a pair of Vise Grips and a 1/2" nut.
Weld/braze the nut to both jaws of the vise grips, cut the nut in half to be
the new jaws which clamp on the threads of the bolts and keep it from turning
while you turn the nuts. Works great!
Put the cables back in the grooves on the quadrant wheel and tighten the
slack. This is as far as I've gone. I have to drill the for the pedestal
guard feet, mount the guard, fish the wire for the compass light up through
the
pedestal, mount the compass and clean up all of my mess. Beer to follow!
Clear as mud! I hope this helps.
Ray Winkle
5275
Knot Home
Sarah Creek
Gloucester Point, VA.
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