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 Post subject: Mast step replacement
PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 7:32 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2004 6:47 am
Posts: 4
Location: Greensboro, NC
2 weeks ago I busted the casting of my 1981 H16 mast base while stepping the mast (IMAGE 1). There's always been this unpredictable resistance spot about half way up that I couldn't see and my wife couldn't relay (all of my cussing and bitching didn't help). Most of the time I can wiggle once or twice and drive past it. This time I proceeded to use a bit too much muscle and there was an aweful "PING" sound and then hardware rattling around.

Last week I received a new base, foot and link. The base had no holes for the rivets and I knew drilling to match the current ones was going to be a beyach. After removing the old rivets I proceeded to pop the foot off the cross bar but to no avail, the dolphin striker is threaded into the base. Take a look at your H16 and you'll now discover my nightmare; the entire trampoline must be removed and dissassembled to replace the mast foot! Oh well, I went to work.

3 pages of text later and my question would be this; has anyone ever performed this task without ordering a new crossbar with mast base and striker fully assembled? If not, how on earth can you thread the striker "back" into the cross bar, much less drill the rivet holes to align with those in the cross bar. Oh, I left out the part about the striker hole not aligning with the base(IMAGE 3) when properly seated to catch the lip over the tramp grove (IMAGE 2). HELP![/img]


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 10:54 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:11 pm
Posts: 5197
Location: Detroit, MI
You made it way harder than it really is. :roll:

If you remove the rivets on the old mast step (knock the heads off with a cold chisel, then drive them through with a #2 Phillips screwdriver), you should be able to push the dolphin striker up enough to unscrew the old mast step.

You might have to loosen the ends of the dolphin striker a bit.

You then screw the new step on, push it back down, drill the new holes and pop the new rivets. (Hang a heavy weight off the dolphin striker to help hold everything together while you drill and rivet).

Tighten the ends of the dolphin striker until you get a good "thummmm" when you hit it with your hand. A loose dolphin striker will make a dull "thump."

If everything goes well, this job should take less than a half hour. I've done it in under 20 minutes. 8)


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:02 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:11 pm
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Location: Detroit, MI
I neglected to notice the year of your boat - you do have a problem in that the newer mast bases are located further aft than older ones to accomodate more mast rake. You can grind / file off the lip on the step so that it fits flush to the crossbar. Otherwise, though, you shouldn't have any problems.

Don't try to match up with the old rivet holes in the crossbar. Just drill new ones at least 1/4" away from the old ones. Drill through the base and the crossbar at the same time. Drill one hole, then rivet that hole. Drill another hole and rivet that one, etc. If you drill all the holes, then rivet, I guarantee they won't all line up.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:22 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2004 6:47 am
Posts: 4
Location: Greensboro, NC
The upper hole of my front beam is threaded and the striker tightly screwed into it, not allowing me to raise the striker at all.

Any idea what year model you performed this replacement on? I've considered opening up the striker hole to bypass the thread (for reseating) but that doesn't help the fact that the base's threaded hole doesn't mate with the beam's. Boring holes to "make them match" is not my preference, but may be my only feasable option. Remember how the base has a lip on the tramp side? In this picture (#3) I have the base seated as tightly as possible and the beam's hole is clearly out-of-line.

How did you drill rivet holes in the new (holeless) foot to match the old rivet holes or did you drill holes ajacent? If I simply drill to meet hole-to-hole I'm afraid I'm going to compromise the beam's integrity.

Attached are pix that i failed to include in the original message. Thanks for taking the time.

Image

Image

Image


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 12:11 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:11 pm
Posts: 5197
Location: Detroit, MI
I'd just enlarge the upper hole in the crossbar to match the hole in the step and be done with it. It looks like its only about an 1/8".

The new rivet holes should be drilled adjacent to the old ones, which probably wouldn't hold new rivets well anyway. The top of the crossbar is in compression, so the extra holes are not going to affect the structural integrity of the crossbar.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 12:48 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2004 6:47 am
Posts: 4
Location: Greensboro, NC
Once more. Are you sure about enlarging the upper hole instead of filing off the step's lip? That sounded like a solid solution. If there's significant fore to aft pressure from the mast it seems more likely that the striker would shift in a spacious hole than grinding the lip and keeping the striker hole tight.

You can see that I've already drilled the rivet holes. They were close but no cigar. I intend on sodering them full and taking your "straddlers" advice. Thanks again.

Thanks MB, you're a credit to your hobby. I wish more people were so helpful and generous with their time. Good luck, I hope to see you around.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 2:55 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:11 pm
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Location: Detroit, MI
Ultimately, it's your call.

If you can get the lip on the step to seat down well so that it hooks on the tramp side of the crossbar AND you get the rivets pulled tight (rent / buy / borrow a heavy duty rivet gun), I don't think you'll have any problem with the enlarged hole in the crossbar.

In any event, it won't go catastrophically - the rivets will stretch, the lip will start to lift - you'll have lots of warning that there's a problem. (I'm talking over the course of several hard sessions of sailing). It's only going to move an 1/8" until it hits the front of the hole anyway.

The advantage to putting the step in the "new" location is that you'll be able to rake the mast back further, which will give you better upwind performance and controllability.

Thanks for the compliment. I've been racing 16's for over 30 years now - I'd like to think I've seen / heard / done almost anything with them & I'm happy to share. Occasionally I do get down to a regatta in your neck of the woods - I grew up in Richmond and raced up and down the east coast when I was in high school / college. I still have a number of Hobie friends from that area. You should hook up with Hobie Fleet 191 in Greesnboro. Their web page is here


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