Visit our Popular Forums

Fingalcat · 05-06-2013, 11:11

Hello, I sail a Danish motor sailor, an LM30 called Rockabill, from my home harbour in Skerries, Co. Dublin, Ireland. In 2010 I sailed around Ireland, normal cruising ground is East coast of Ireland, West coasts of Scotland, England and Wales. Once I get the hang of this forum I hope to look for guidance on gear problems, discuss sailing areas etc. I am nearly 72, married, four sons eldest of whom sails a Contessa 32 out of Galway Bay.
Just now I need to change oil in Rockabill's saildrive. Find it difficult to open bottom drain screw while kneeling in mud at low tide (she's bilge keel). Screw seems stuck. Plan to apply freeing oil, then a rag tourniquet and heat with boiling water, then gently tap an impact screw driver. Anxious not to damage threads.
If you have any better ideas they would be very welcome!
Best regards.

DefinitelyMe · 05-06-2013, 11:16

Sounds like you have the right idea with the impact driver. If you're taking the screw or bolt out then you don't need to worry too much about messing the threads up - that tends to be more of a problem when people over-tighten things. Of course, you do need to worry about shearing the bolt-head off........... Is it a steel screw going into an aluminium block by any chance?............

haw1961 · 05-06-2013, 18:05

Welcome to Cruisers Forum Fingalcat. Those impact screwdrivers can be a little tricky. You need to make sure that it is set to loosen. I suggest trying it out on a couple test screws to make sure you have it right. Good luck and glad to have you aboard.

S/V Alchemy · 06-06-2013, 07:56

I have a suggestion: Is it possible to lay out blocks or other supports so that the bilge keels rest perhaps a foot off the mud? That would buy you some perhaps needed time to work this problem out (literally and figuratively) and if you need to apply any thread-lock or other "dissimilar metals" or gasketing goo to the threads of the screw in question, it has more time to settle in.