Loose Screw fix?
 

I have continually had a proglem with the screws that hold my bolsters down coming loose and am frankly getting tired of tightening them all the time. T was thinking of drilling the holes bigger and putting lag bolts in instead. Does anyone know of a permanent fiw that will still allow the bolster to be removed if needed?

Those screws are big time undersized. The are loosening because the holes are stripped out. The deciding factor is wether or not you have acess to the area below. If you do have access, then drill the holes out and use some 1/4" button head bolts and lock nuts. Depending on the floor's construction you may want to fabricate a backer plate from some aluminum stock.

My guess is that you don't have access. The question why not? It's proably because the fuel tank is there. That creates a problem with using a lag bolt, because the bolt will be too long. You could try a wing anchor like what is used for drywall, but they don't come in stainless, require a huge hole, and need several inches of clearance below the floor anyways. They make these threaded inserts that can be installed on the underside of the floor. These would allow you to then use a standard bolt without a nut. But they must be installed from the backside. I'm thinking that you are going to be stuck with a screw. My suggestion is that you try a #12 pan head SS sheet metal screw. Drill the hole out and see how thick the floor is and if you have any obstructions below it. Get the screw so it's just slightly longer than the floor+bracket. Before you run the screw in, inject the hole full of silicone (or even better, epoxy), coat the screw with the stuff and then run it in. I'd also recommend increasing the number of screws holding each bracket down. 5 would be a good starting point.

Now if you find that the flooring comes out black, well then you have a whole different problem...

Is there any way to epoxy a stud in? I assume there is no access from below.

I have seen "bolts" with a lag on one end and machine threads on the other. Could you use one of these, SST all thread or as SST bolt to use for studs? You could cap it with one of those hemispherical nuts that cover up the threads and lock it down with locktite or something.

I am curious how you address this, because I anticipate having similar problems in the Magnum.

I'm still working on the fairing design. Hopefully, I will get a quote back tomorrow. If they can't do it for a decent price, I'll get with you about cutting down the original windshield like we talked about.

Good luck.

BTW-having the carpeting under the bracket will allow it to squirm around and loosen the screws. You may want to consider cutting the carpeting out so the bracket rests directly on the floor.

THRU BOLT IT!!! If you don't have access then get some covers and cut a hole in floor. Use good stainless fasteners with nylon lock nuts and large "fender washers" against bottom of floor. I had the same problem and this is how I fixed it. 4 years later and I have never tightened them again.

BRS can you get to the under side to through bolt it? if not I can fax you two pages from the west system user manual and they have two ways of takeing care of the problem useing epoxy!Cord had a good point too.Wildfire can fax you a copy?James:cool:

Okay guys here is what I have found in ansure to your suggestions to help narrow it dowm a little. Cord you are right on the money about no acess and the gas tanks being right underneath. I pulled a screw out and stuck a small wire in the hole to see how much room I have underneath and it is not much. Only about an inch and a half from the top of the bolster bracket. The screws are already #12 and there are 5 of them. I replaced the catpet a couple of years ago and there was no discoloration in the floor nor is there any soft spots. The floor is encapsulated. If I cut acess holes I would not be able to get at the bolts to through bolt unless I cut one hole next to each bolt and I don't think swiss cheese floor would be worth it. James I would like to see the info you have you can fax it to 586-786-9530 c/o Dave. Wildfire I will post a couple of pix of the faring so you can see what I was talking about before.

Does that last post at 100 make me a Senior Member? Wildfire here is another pic

wildfire one more for luck

Boy you wouldn't know I graduated college by the way I spelled answer!

Thanks for the pics. They help a bunch. Good luck with the bolsters.

Question: Was your windshield that height to begin with or did you cut it down to that height?

I think that 100 makes a Senior Member.

B.R.S.

Through bolted is ofcourse the preferred method, but maybe another suggestion would be to move the bolster forward or backward 1/2" or 1" then screw it down again.. Being that you already have #12 screws in there, you can't go much bigger in those holes, , the holes are already too big. By re-positioning the brackets and bolster, you will be able to fasten it to fresh material. The brackets on the bottom of the bolsters should cover the old holes.

The problem with that is if I move the bolster I would have to rework the upolstered sidepanels because the bolsters fit tight into them. I also thought maybe a flat piece of stainless with studs welded to it to hold the bolster and a dosen or so smaller screws to hold it to the floor?

How much clearance is there between the underside of the floor and the gas tank? If you have an inch or more you should have enough room to get washers and nuts in there for thru bolts. A 5 inch deck plate centered under each bolster would allow you to have access for the nuts and washers. Patience and a set of long needle nose pliers should do the trick to get the nuts started. Then use a long, flat wrench to hold them while you tighten them from above. The carpet won't be a problem if you can thru bolt it. I think the deck plates in the floor would look a lot better than a bunch of screws, too. Good luck! :cool:

You could get a stainless 3/8 - 1/2 thick plate that is as wide as the leg of the Bolster, drill Countersunk holes and screw that to the floor with twice as many number 12's, positioning them so that you have room in between a few of them to bolt down the bolster. Then you would have to drill and tap the stainless plate so you can fasten the bolster down with lets sat 7/16 machine bolts. And you can Powdercoat the stainless to match the interior so it doesn't look rigged. I have a machine shop -- so let me know if you need help machining or material.

Or....if you have enough room under the the floor to slide in a 1/4 - 3/8 stainless plate, you can have a plate drilled and tapped to the hole pattern of both bolster legs. This way you would just need to drill clearance holes through the floor, and thread the bolts into the bottom plate. If there is no room to slide such a wide plate under the floor, you can make two separate plates for each leg.

Dude!!! Looks like a Baja. I had the exact same problem with mine!! I put a 5" or 6" access cover directly between the bolsters (just like the one over the gas tank access). If this is a 240 or 250 Sport, you have about 3" of clearance between the bottom of the floor and the top of the tank. I got bolts, washers, and nuts on mine (had to stretch my arm a bit under the floor, but I got them on). Have not had an issue since (probably been 5 years or more). At the same time I replaced those bent aluminum stanchions with some stainless ones I had a buddy make for me at his shop. Added a lot of stability to the bolsters too. If you have a son with smaller arms, a wife, girlfriend, buddy, etc...to hold the nuts and washers while you wrench the bolts, it makes it a lot easier. I had to remove mine soon after installing to fix the fuel tank. With some help, it was real easy to re-install the bolts and nuts.

By the way, if anyone needs one of those alum. stanchions, I have one. One broke, but I still have the other one.

1-1/2" From the top of the bracket. Lets see here...1/4" for the bracket = 1-1/4", 3/4" for the flooring = 1/2" below the floor. That's about what I was anticipating. A T nut is what the factory should have installed, but there is no way for you to install it with that little clearance. I attached a image of a T-nut for your reference.

I wonder if one of the surface mounted T-nuts would work. I got this from Rockler.

http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/showdet...ID=72&CATID=22

The advantage is that if you used 5 of these on each bracket, you'd have 30 screws per seat. They take #6 screws, but still the numbers would be in your favor. I'd then use a stainless polished button head bolt. The one thing that I don't like is that they are a zink casting with a zink chromate wash.

Both the 5/16 and the 3/8" sizes are using the same casting which takes a 15/32" pilot hole.

It looks like hiperf2000 idea of the bolster sized anodized or powder coated aluminum plate is the easiest & best solution. No large access holes needed. The plate could also be bonded to the floor with epoxy & holes threaded into it for the bolsters....
The real question should be, why do manufacturers put owners in this fix? In assembly, they for $10.00 less profit, could prevent this problem with backing plates like Formula uses on their bolsters. Go figure! Maximize profit, let the other guy worry about it! So what if a bolster rips loose while hitting a wave at 65-70 mph:mad: I just doesn't make sense!

Cord those screw in T nuts look like the cat's ass. I think thet might just be the ticket but at almost $7 apiece they are alittle pricey. I am a Builder so I get a discount at the lumber yard hopefully I can get a better price. I am going to give them a whirl and I'll let you know how they pan out. I probably will epoxy the screws in the floor under the carpet. I agree that 5 screws is a pretty chincy way to attach the bolster to the floor but I really can't complain. The old Fountian is 14 years old has 900 hrs on the hull and is still solid as a rock so a loose bolster isn't that much to ***** about.

If the bolts snug up when you tighten them, then apply a small amount of waterproof construction adhesive, like liquid nails, to the treads and re-tighten. This works great for all the screws on the boat that continually vibrate loose. It can be found in small tubes with a cap at Home depot ect. Keep it on the boat for when you find a loose screw. Hope this helps.

B.R.S.,
Is there a fiberglass liner in your boat?

Give the factory a call. They probably are aware of the problem and may have a good solution. Hopefully their solution isn't trading it in on a new boat!

Dan

B.R.S.

I'd also recommend putting some type of silicone/epoxy in with the bolts when you reinstall. I did this with mine, and they don't move.

Doug

I do not recommend the T-nut deal. They are not stainless as far as I know. There is an alluminum deal that I use all the time to insert into the sound boards that I work on, I do not know what the name of them are but I will try and swing my my local hardware store and find out for you. Also would a NUT SERT work? Once you get the thing bolted in make sure your top sapport is solid and you should be ok.

The things that I think may be your ticket are alluminum and they are basically hellicoils for wood. They are make to spiral into wood and then allow you to use a machine screw. They have a allen screw deal on top fo you to put them in. Put them in with epoxy and they will NEVER come out unless your floor is rotten. I will try and get a picture as well today.

Jon

Audiofn those things you describe sound pretts slick too. Any more info on them especially a name or manfacturer woukd be a help. They sound alot like drywall anchors. What is a nut sert? The top of the seat is through bolted and very solid. The problem is mostly the passanger side because people don't hold onto much and let the seat take most of their weight. When it gets rough the passanger is just pounding the seat back and fourth. The dash is too far away for a grab bar so whatever I do is going to have to be pretty tough.

Would you beleive that I bought the insert to take a picture and got home and I must have dropped it!!!!!!:mad: :mad: I will try again tomarrow if I get time. THe box just said wood insert on it. It was in one of those pull out carboard drawers. They go in with a allen wrench

Jon

Rockler carried some of those inserts for wood. I dissregarded it because it appeared to accomplish the same thing as a machine screw. I didn't see an advantage. As for the T-nuts, the standard ones are available in stainless, but that surface one isn't.

Cord I know of the inserts you are talking about and these ones are definatly different. I think that ussually the ones you are talking about are Brass? These ones are Alluminum and have these large spiral "wings" on them that bite far into the wood.