Backstay Adjuster Fixed!

[SEMIJim]

Some of you may recall our Fried My Backstay Tensioner? problem from last fall. Yesterday we gave the thing to a friend of a friend that owns a machine shop. Our friend had told us "Marty can fix or make anything." He certainly didn't seem daunted by the prospect of having to fabricate any parts that needed replacement.

Imagine our surprise, upon returning from a day at the boat today (prepping for the spring splash next weekend - whoo hoo!) to hear it was done! He told me no parts needed replacing. He didn't even have to re-chase any threads. He said all he had to do was clean up the threads, replace the missing ball-bearings (most of which were lost all over a shop floor on the initial disassembly by somebody else), lube it up and it was fine. He allowed as how the tops of some of the threads in the threaded insert were a bit shortened, but nothing enough to affect the performance or reliablity. There's no slop in it at all.

So we're back in business! Yay! Now I just have to figure out the best thing to keep this baby lubed with. The machinist said "I'd just use petroleum jelly." He's a machinist, I guess he should know.

For those who may be interested in "before" pictures: Index of /misc/sailboat/Abracadabra/backstay. You can see what the threads on the screw looked like here and here. (56K warning: Very large, hi-res pictures!)

Jim

[Faster]

Looks like you had some galling goin' on there... Which should mean there's some material missing from the female threads where it happened. Probably plenty left for strength, though.

You might try Lanacote as something that will stay in place longer than petroleum jelly - good to have some around anyway.

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by Faster

You might try Lanacote as something that will stay in place longer than petroleum jelly - good to have some around anyway.

Thanks for the suggestion, Faster. That stuff looks handy. Good to put on your turnbuckles?

Is the stuff low-viscosity enough that you think I could put some in a small syringe for getting it into the space where the bearings are? You can see a picture here. (56k warning: Large, hi-res picture.)

Jim

[Faster]

Originally Posted by SEMIJim

Is the stuff low-viscosity enough that you think I could put some in a small syringe for getting it into the space where the bearings are? You can see a picture here. (56k warning: Large, hi-res picture.)Jim

Jim, it's quite thick and sticky... not syringe worthy, I'm afraid. If you run the threads through a few times before you connect the backstay some of the stuff should get inside, I'd think.

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by Faster

Jim, it's quite thick and sticky... not syringe worthy, I'm afraid.

Ok. I'll have to find something syringe-worthy, then.

Originally Posted by Faster

If you run the threads through a few times before you connect the backstay some of the stuff should get inside, I'd think.

I'm thinkin' probably not. Or not enough, anyway.

I'm not inclined to take chances. This last was nearly a $1000 incident. The machinist didn't tell me how many ball-bearings where in that bearing, but it cost him $17 to replace the ones the other place lost. So I imagine there are quite a few. He told me it's that bearing that's taking all the load. Or is supposed to. I suspect that part of what caused the failure last fall was that bearing probably being dry as a bone. Lanacote sounds good for the threads, but I'm going to need something injectable for that bearing.

Jim

[sailingdog]

Any good bearing grease should be "injectable" since they're often applied using a grease gun, which is little more than a special purpose syringe of sorts.

[luckytexan]

Another thing you can do is mix your own. They used to sell some lube oil called Triflon with teflon it was a super-duper anti-galling lube but not real weather worthy so we would mix it with a little lubriplate 630 until it was thickened and would then inject it with a syringe which was made for oil (I think), it was all stainless and had a glass vial you could fill up. But the point is you can make your own sometimes and have your own custom lube.

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by luckytexan

Another thing you can do is mix your own. They used to sell some lube oil called Triflon with teflon

They still do, only now it's called Triflow.

I'll take your idea under consideration. Thanks.

Jim

[blt2ski]

Now whom said I could fix anything?!?!?!?!? I make things, not sure about fixing things.............

Oh, wrong "Marty" you mean there is more than ONE of me! Lord help us, that is worse than more than one Alex!

Any way, enough of my tirade of goofiness! Glad to know the back stay is fixed. If you have not put on a 4-1 micro on your main sheet system, try it, really nice! I went with a 4-1 std, and did the 4-1 micro, works well.

marty

[Freesail99]

The backstay is great and I am happy that it got fixed and all, but what I really want to know is, how did Semijim manage to wean himself away from sailnet for 6 months, 6 months !!! We all know, we sure as hell can't!