How to free up stainless bolts holding mast tangs

[rescuesailor]

Progress on the Christina Louise is slow these days but I have a nagging problem that I will have to tackle. The bolts holding the mast tangs are frozen to the spacers located in between the mast walls. The bolts and the spacers turn, but to no avail will they come out. I have used several different penetrating oils but nothing has so far been able to break them loose. I have also tried to pound them out but I am afraid of damaging the mast itself. Any ideas?

[Figment]

Back up a step.
Why do you need to remove the bolt?

[rescuesailor]

I am in the process of a complete rebuild. Part of that plan includes replacing the tangs on the mast. i have no way of knowing whether they are stressed or not. I do not want to take the chance since my mast is deck stepped and 53 feet high.

[Oscar]

If whatever is on the bolt on the inside of the mast is spinning, you have only one choice and that is drill. Not a fun job, the stuff is hard on bits. You can get a head start by grinding down the head. Be careful though not to hit the tang or the mast itself. My $0.03

[Quetzalsailor]

Is the mast hollow? That is, can a loose object (like the ferrule and the remains of the bolt) fall all the way out, somehow? Can you get a new ferrule into the mast? I'm thinking that locating a new ferrule at the hounds, more than a few feet from an open end, would be a frustrating chore.

How about: Cut the head and threaded end off, a Dremel or similar would make a quick, neat job. Drill out the bolt for the wall thickness of the mast. Drilling the bolt will be frustrating if the bolt turns. Kick it sideways with a punch to knock it out. Half 'kicked' would be unfortunate and you'd have to finish from the end with a great long stick.

Or: Cut the head and threaded ends off. Use a hole saw the outside diameter of which is a smidge over the outside diameter of the ferrule. Make a new ferrule whose inside diameter was something over the diameter of the hole. Make a new replacement ferrule long enough to go from the outside faces of mast. Add washers to the stack so that the tightened bolt bears on the new, larger internal ferrule and reassemble.

I think I'd inspect it and leave it. Better, have someone in the business inspect it and advise.

[Duncan]

Progress on the Christina Louise is slow these days but I have a nagging problem that I will have to tackle. The bolts holding the mast tangs are frozen to the spacers located in between the mast walls. The bolts and the spacers turn, but to no avail will they come out. I have used several different penetrating oils but nothing has so far been able to break them loose. I have also tried to pound them out but I am afraid of damaging the mast itself. Any ideas?

Is the hole on one side the diameter of the bolt, and the hole on the other side the diameter of the spacer?

I think it should be, since that would be how the spacer went in there in the first place.

If so, the best plan of attack may be to get the entire bolt and spacer assembly out of the spacer hole side. You may have to enlarge the hole, since the spacer tube might have corrosion on the outside.

I've seen some photos and description from someone who had the same problem, but it was a couple of years ago. I'll post a link if I can track it down again.

[Duncan]

Ok, found it:
Here's the bolt head side:

This hole would be the diameter of the bolt.

Here's the other side - you can see the spacer tube surrounding the bolt, and this hole is the size of the spacer tube.



So, if you can grind the head of the bolt off, you've got a good chance you can extract the spacer and bolt from the opposite side.