Trying to remove the wire from furlex foil !!!!!!

[StevenJMorgan]

Mast down and renewing rigging. Trying to remove the wire from the forstay foil. Have removed the bottom half of the stalock style fitting (that attaches to stem head fitting) to expose the end of the wire which is twisted round and through the wedge which is inserted into the other half of the fitting.

Trouble is, the wedge is well driven home and only protruding max 10mm from the fitting. I guess in order to remove the wire by pulling from the top I need to remove this wedge so that the cable can pull through. Can't get the wedge to budge though - have untwisted wires from outside of wedge but there is just nothing to pull on -

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

 

[john_morris_uk]

When you say 'wedge', are you referring to the cone that is fitted over the inner strands of the wire and that has the outer strands shaped over it?

If you are, there are two options.

1. Cut the wire off close to the cone at its narrow (upper) end. Use a drift to punch the wires through from the narrow end.

2 Cut the wires off and buy a new cone. They are not expensive.

 

[StevenJMorgan]

John - yes I am referring to the cone.

The trouble is the cone is pushed up inside the female part of the terminal and so I cannot remove it easily, and I need to remove it to get the wire out. I have unwound the wires around the outside and also tried punching the wires through the middle and tried to pull the cone out with grips and its not budging.

If I cut it off where it protrudes from the fitting I think it will still be stuck and I'll have nothing left to pull at. Not worried about replacing the cone - just need to remove wire for now !!

 

[fireball]

Can't undo the other end and feed it down the other way??

 

[mainmarine]

you could try heating the cone with a small blowlamp, to expand it and break the seal on the wire.
Malc

 

[salamicollie]

The approved Selden method is to re fit the other part of the fitting 3 turns only without the little former. Make sure the top of the stay is disconnected from the mast and free to move - give the bottom fitting a good hit in line with the stay with a hammer which should free the wire and cone from the female part when you unsrew.

Cut the outer wires where they bend over the cone and free the cone by widening it with a screw driver - suggest a new cone and former when rebuilding.

seen http://www.seldenmast.com/download.cfm?download=7762&webnode_id=2103&filename=595-018-E.pdf

 

[BAtoo]

About to try this on my furlex.
Can you slide the foil up away from the cone to get better access?
As an "add on" to heating the cone you could try cooling the wire - or the whole lot first - with ice or even one of those plumbing freezing sprays and then heating the cone gently.

 

[morgandlm]

I had exactly this problem during the winter refit. A local rigger told me to cut two slots in the wedge (one each side) where it protrudes from the cone. Then using two large screwdrivers you can prise the wedge out. This worked for me. Before doing this I had tried several other methods without success.
Good luck
Morgan

 

[Gin]

Not sure if this is going to help but having installed a Furlex last year, with all new rigging, but having had to remove it again to shorten the forestay still more I comment as follows.

1. Assuming the wire and cone once extended just beyond the bottom of the drum fitting (it must have done so or the wedge would not have 'bitten' and the forestay would not have been secure).
Then screw the Sta-Lok terminal back on a thread or two.
Make sure that the whole length of wire is free, i.e. the top swaged end is not attached or clamped in any way (most important)
Then take a large hammer and a good grip on the lower drum terminal and clout the end of the Sta-Lok very hard and probably several times.- this drives the wire backwards and releases the wedge. It does work I promise you!!.

However, be aware that when the Furlex forestay is first supplied, the plain end which passes down through small diameter fibre glass spacer tubes inside the extrusion, is annealed into a fine taper to prevent it jamming. Your wire will not have that, so you will either have to use a light taping to hold the wires in place or better, if you have enough wire to play with expose the inner core for a half inch or so, cut off the outer wires around it and then lightly tape over- this will give a tapered lead to run the wire back down the whole length of the extrusion when reassembling.

If you need to separate the extrusion lengths then this is another issue and you may want to PM for further advice

Hope this helps but if it doesn't and you really can't reach the cone and your top end is a permanent swage then I think you will have to sacrifice your forestay- cut the top end off and push it through the drum to release the cone- my 6mm forestay wire on a Furlex 100S cost £108!!