nitrousnolan

I have a 93 35' Fountain and the front port side grab handle is loose, just like 3 or 4 other boats I've seen. I was just wondering the easiest way to get to the back side to tighten it down and double nut it. I was thinking about going through where the radio is in the cabin and if I had to take the side panel off in the cockpit and try that angle I was going to. Anyone have any insight on this topic, if so I would love to hear it. Thanks

soldier4402

I did this to my 29 dont know how similar our boats are but Im fairly sure they are similar. If you go in the cabin you have your lights on the sides by your bed at the ceiling. Pop the caps of the screw tops if thats what you have, then take the screws out of the panel that hold the lights and that will come down. You will see the bolts/nuts. I cant rememeber if you can get to the rear bolt the one where your rail comes into the winshiled area. Also on mine you have to take apart the front mirror to get the first one. If your going to do it I reccomend you sillicone cone and tighten down everything, that was a source of water coming in for me. If you tak the rail off or part way off your going to need a guy on top holding the rail in place while you wrench it back on otherwise its a real pain in the ace.

10x

If it's the hand rail that's on the side panel, just in front of the port bolster, I think you can get to it from the triangular vent opening that's just past the bolster on the outside of the boat. I believe if you take off that vent, you can reach forward enough with a ratcheting wrench to tighten up the nuts. It's a 1/2" size nut, on a 5/16' stud. Another alternative would be to find a super skinny guy with long arms and have him go through the side storage sliding doors just behind the bolster, and maybe he can reach those studs with a wrench.
I tightened mine when I had the interior out to replace the fuel tanks, so I'm really not sure if these methods can be done, but it's what I'd try to do if mine were loose. Or, maybe take out the radio and go in from the cabin, might be a shorter reach. Whatever you decide to do, have a 1/2' ratcheting wrench handy.
Good luck.

Frank

soldier4402

thinking he was talking about the forward hand rail

nitrousnolan

Well I did get to it using a magnet that is intended to pick up dropped bolts/screws that was an extending like car antenna style and taped a ratcheting open end wrench to it. I tied a rope to the handle that needed the tightening, ran the rope over to the starboard grab handle on the rear of the bolster, then laid on the floor with my head in the lower side (floor) storage area. I pulled on the rope to keep the nuts tight to the side of the boat so the rachet action would work and slowly got it tight. I could only make small swings due to the other bolts in the way from the bolsters and such but I got it.

Can not get to it from behind the radio due to the cabin wall.

1/2 wrench is the ticket and going to put double nuts on them tomorrow.

Thanks for all the insight!

10x

I put 5/16th SS lock washers on all the studs. You need to find a midget with long arms and stuff him into the storage compartment with a 1/2" ratcheting wrench. LMAO Glad to see it worked out for ya. Royal PITA tho.

green lightning

I used a 3/8 air wrench with the trigger taped down and some extension,s taped to the handle so i could reach the nut went through the storage compartment had a friend adjust the air pressure