Should you bed genoa track stop fittings?

[yachtsovereign]

The track stops on my genoa tracks have all cracked and fallen off. Looking at where they used to be, I don't see any evidence that there used to be any kind of bedding compound underneath. Considering that one may want to remove these occasionally to replace cars on the track, should the end stops be bedded?

If they should be bedded, which bedding compound will be the easiest to rebed if I need to replace the cars?

[atoll]

sikaflex,5200 etc for bedding.

any hole through the deck is a potential source for a leak,that can cause costly damage inside a boat,and therefore needs to be bedded in a sealing compound.

[roverhi]

Butyl

[yachtsovereign]

Whoa! 5200 sounds like a really bad idea to me for a fitting that has to be frequently removed.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by yachtsovereign

Whoa! 5200 sounds like a really bad idea to me for a fitting that has to be frequently removed.

unless you are really unlucky ,or do extensive ocean passages,cars should last at least 10 years,nesscatating their removal

,hovever even a tiny leak after a year can cause many thousands of dollars worth of damage

[rtbates]

IF the fastener goes into the boat structure as opposed to simply attaching to the track, as mine do, yes use a bedding compound. You should pick one that remains flexible rather than turning hard.

[Stu Jackson]

5200 for that use is plain stupid. 5200 is SATAN'S GLUE and should not be sold to boaters.

Since I removed and replaced many track fittings: fairleads, midship cleats; I just removed the aft end stops and siliconed the thru deck bolt. That was years ago. When I redo them I'll use butyl.

5200 - yech.

[Target9000]

Since the track stop is under compression it is a prime candidate for butyl tape. Countersink the hole.

[Jim Cate]

Dunno about yours, but mine are keyed into the end of the track and secured with a single countersunk #8 screw. All you really need to do here is to use some sort of sealant on the screw itself as that is the only deck penetration. Sikaflex Pro or 291, 3M 4200, Lifecaulk... doesn't really matter. The screw isn't typically loaded, and the sealants task is pretty easy.

Cheers,

Jim

[Roy M]

Am I the only one who is reading track STOPS? Sure, bedding the track machine screws is necessary, but if you want to replace a track slide, or sliding block, all you need to do is remove an unbedded machine screw in a threaded hole in the deck. Just drill an oversize hole, mix up epoxy with a graphite/silica filler mix, grease the threads on the screw and place the stop in position. So what if the stop fails from UV? Make a quick and dirty one from a scrap of plastic or whatever, and simply screw it into the hole with the machine screw. No sealant needed for this particular fitting, there's nothing to seal since it doesn't penetrate the deck. And it's easy to change out the track accessory that you are using. Hopefully no one is actually hoping to use a track stop as an active stopper. That's not what they were designed for. Sorry, Jim Cate got it.