[Doug Odgers]

At last  A90 is afloat after 4 years.

Now the learning begins :  the nut and sealing rubber on one of the pivot bolts  is leaking, to such an extent that I have bought an automatic bilge pump (I am fitting it  this Tuesday ).

I have a suspicion that the bolt is not engaging with the ‘stopper’  flat that stops the bolt continuing to turn when tightening the nut onto the rubber seal. (Don’t  really want to correct this until the boat is craned out in the autumn).

Can I :

–  take the nut and seal out whilst still afloat ?

– put in a new rubber seal.

– use a different grease?  (Currently bog standard marine grease).

– use a combination of oakum and grease?

. . .  all help gratefully received!

Doug

01929 792368

 

Topic

[Nick Phillips]

Doug

From your text it is one of the two pivot, rather than the four clamping, bolts which is the problem?

How old are the seals – they deteriorate with age. I could send you a single replacement that I have in the garage if you want? (Not a set).  I don’t think grease / oakum would help but a new seal should.

You should be able to remove the nut and seal when afloat with only a small amount of water ingress. However if the bolt is out of place due to mating with the ‘stopper’ on the plates, it might leak more.

N

[Doug Odgers]

Nick, thank you so much for your reply and offer of new seals. I am okay, a quantity of new seals came with the boat.

I think the seal in place is a new one. I went onboard today after 6 days absence and the bilge pump seems to be managing the water intake. So it now looks as if I can keep her afloat and use he until she comes out in the autumn.

Then I’ll  have the bolt plates out to see if the ‘doublers’ are letting the pivot bolt ‘pass by’  .

[Mike Dixon]

Doug – couple of thoughts.  Nick is correct that the seals do harden and deteriorate over time and putting new ones in makes sound sense.  No use in putting replacements in if they’re the same vintage……………………

I had problems nipping up bolts on T4, until I realised that I was backing off the nuts so that the bolt disappeared outboard too far, such that the lug no longer engaged on the head of the bolt. And unless  that lug is engaged, it’s virtually impossible to nip the nut up tight enough to stop water leaking in.

Only other suggestion is that if possible, could you beach the boat and let her dry out for three hours or so whilst you whip off the bold head cover plates to check if the lug is engaged on the flat of the bolt head?

Also, just a little nervous if you are relying on a float bilge pump to get rid of the water.  These pumps have been known to fail.  Also, batteries do flatten with excessive use.

 

Cheers, Mike

[Doug Odgers]

Mike,

Thanks for that guidance.

It would appear that the ‘pivot bolt nut’  leak has stopped.  I did change my approach to tightening up the bolt by pulling the nut to midships as I tightened.  Myth or Magic, we’ll see !

Doug

[Author]

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