Seized Spinlock deck organiser

Ian_Edwards

Ian_Edwards

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Hi several my Spinlock TC50 deck oraisers have seized solid. The organisers have a SS tubular axle which is used to bolt the organiser to the deck, and an aluminium sheave. The axle and sheave have been soaked in plus gas, WD40 and AFC50 over several days, and although I've managed to free up some, others remain stuck.
It looks like the only way to release them is to drill out the end of the tubular axil.
I'm reluctant to do that, the 4 sheave organisers are over £250 each.
Anyone got any bright idea about how to release a SS axil from a Al sheave?
 
Hi Ian,
Have you tried hot water to see if you can "break the bond" with different rates of expantion. I see to remember people using vinger to release stanchions from their fittings

Or you could use the two mallet trick - hold one against one side of the sheeve and hit it with the other from the other side.

Tross
 
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I've taken them off the boat and ran them under very hot water, I don't have access to boiling water at the yard, but the water was much hotter than I could put my hands in.
It had no effect.
 
I read that Ammonia will deal with oxidised Aluminium in situations like this. Since then I haven't needed that knowledge, so I pass it on to you to try and report back!
 
One trick to try to free the sheaves is to wrap a piece of rope of correct size around the sheave so both ends emerge on one side. Twist the ends so that the rope becomes very tight around the sheave. Then you can apply rotational pressure on the sheave with the rope by multigrips on the rope or even belting with a hammer. Failing that you will have to drill the pin out and replace the sheave and pin. I like nylon sheaves. I found stainless steel tubing from an old soldering iron and fit a ss 4mm bolt through it. good luck olewill
 
I've tied rotating the sheaves with a mole grip (hand vice) and succeeded in rotating the seized axil and sheave in the end plates. The tube forming the axil is plastically deformed to prevent the axil dropping out. So the corrosion is stronger than the mechanical connection.
I've Googled ammonia and the feed back is mixed. Some suggest citric acid, other sodium hydroxide. The most common problem is an aluminium saddle post corroded into a bike frame, but there is no effective posted that I'd trust.
 
I had the same problem with Lewmar organisers. I eventually freed them off (boiling water did work) but they seized again quite soon afterwards. Swapped them out for new Spinlocks but mine have plastic sheaves, and work just fine.
 
Lactic acid (CLR in the US) has tested best for removing corrosion products without damaging the aluminum.

For breaking siezed aluminum/stainless, most US sailors swear by PB Blaster. The second choice is ATF cut with acetone; sounds like a silly home brew, but it has tested well, over and over.

And don't forget heat. Just yesterday I had to fight with some seized outboard clamp bolts. PB Blaster overnight got one of them. The other required gentle heating of the aluminum casting (to keep it safe, don't blister the paint) with a propane torch.
 
On my boat the organiser consists of a aluminium sheave with a stainless steel floating bush and secured by a stainless steel through bolt. If yours is anything like this then you should be able to have the bushes pushed out by a hydraulic press. It will need a proper mandrell machining to prevent distortion of the bush. Once it is out it can be cleaned up and reassembled with a smear of waterproof grease.
 
I seem to recall unsiezing some years ago using a hammer and old screwdriver held at an angle against the edge of each sheeve. Sounds brutal but did only minor damage which could be filed smooth. I've used the same technique on recalcitrant bolts
 
Laysula said:
On my boat the organiser consists of a aluminium sheave with a stainless steel floating bush and secured by a stainless steel through bolt. If yours is anything like this then you should be able to have the bushes pushed out by a hydraulic press. It will need a proper mandrell machining to prevent distortion of the bush. Once it is out it can be cleaned up and reassembled with a smear of waterproof grease.
Click to expand...

Yes, that sounds about right, but do you know if the "floating bush", which I referred to as an axle, or shaft, or SS tube, has a shoulder machined at either end?

I think it needs something like that, the ends of the axle is plastically deformed to stop the whole thing falling apart, I think the shoulder is required to react the force of the press used the deform the ends of the tubes.

The boat has 12 @ 4 sheave deck organisers, Spinlock's RRP is around £280 each, making a grand total of over £3k to replace them.

So I'm going to call Spinlock, and if I can't get any advice, if not I'll take one apart and see if I can repair it.

I don't think any of the solvents stand much chance of working, there's little or no access for the solvent, it would have to penetrate 10's of mm to clear of the corrosion products.

With luck, the photos below will make what I'm talking about a little clearer.

As moan, why does a reputable company make products which place Aluminium in close contact with SS in a seawater environment?

Just about everyone on the planet, knows that Al in contact with SS will form a cell and corrode.
 
"As moan, why does a reputable company make products which place Aluminium in close contact with SS in a seawater environment?

It looks nice and shiny when new but in fact plastic sheaves work much better.
 
Ok mine is different to yours in that once the through bolts are withdrawn then the whole assembly comes apart., in my case leaving the bushes corroded into the sheaves. It may be that your bushes are pressed into the top rail and can be pressed out through the rail and the sheave. You say you have twelve sets, are all the sheaves seized or is there perhaps one that is free so that you can dismantle it and see how it is constructed. If not and you can't get any help from spinlock is there one sheave that is not used and can be experimented on.
Ian_Edwards said:
Yes, that sounds about right, but do you know if the "floating bush", which I referred to as an axle, or shaft, or SS tube, has a shoulder machined at either end?

I think it needs something like that, the ends of the axle is plastically deformed to stop the whole thing falling apart, I think the shoulder is required to react the force of the press used the deform the ends of the tubes.

The boat has 12 @ 4 sheave deck organisers, Spinlock's RRP is around £280 each, making a grand total of over £3k to replace them.

So I'm going to call Spinlock, and if I can't get any advice, if not I'll take one apart and see if I can repair it.

I don't think any of the solvents stand much chance of working, there's little or no access for the solvent, it would have to penetrate 10's of mm to clear of the corrosion products.

With luck, the photos below will make what I'm talking about a little clearer.

As moan, why does a reputable company make products which place Aluminium in close contact with SS in a seawater environment?

Just about everyone on the planet, knows that Al in contact with SS will form a cell and corrode.
Click to expand...
 
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