Found two broken bolts in bilge...any ideas?

matt_unique

I found two broken bolts in my bilge today. I found one on the port side and one on the starboard side in almost the exact same spot. They also look to be brass.

Any ideas?

Thanks

matt_unique · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 5:48 pm Post subject: Pics

Ooops...here are the pics of the bolts.

They were found just behind my bilge pumps (aft bilge close to transom).

Thanks

journey on · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:16 pm Post subject:

You didn't mention the size nor material. If they're 3/16 dia and ~3" long, I just got through replacing them on Journey On"s macerator.

Boris

Minnow · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:32 pm Post subject:

Ditto. Macerator bolts. Not sure why they break, but I'm running on three.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:38 pm Post subject:

Matt-

They look not only to be brass, which you mentioned, but also be threaded shanks, with acorn nuts on their ends, as best I can tell. Can you tell what size and thread type they are?

They look like something from a do-it-yourself after-market project from someone. Are you the first and only owner of the boat?

If you can't identify the source, maybe someone is playing a joke on you?

Sometimes we did things like that when we were racing sailboats, just dropping a few loose screws, nuts, ring-dings, or clevis pins into some competitor's boat, though we did it only as a parking lot prank, and never let anyone think they had a real or serious problem with their boat.

Joe.

Captains Cat · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:29 pm Post subject:

Matt, quit poking around in the bilges and wax the exterior. You're making a lot of work for the rest of us!! Cry

Charlie

matt_unique · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:07 pm Post subject: Bolts

I'm the first and only owner. I did not install anything with these kind of bolts.

I will take a look at the macerators.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:15 pm Post subject:

Matt-

I "wuz a-gonna" say that they look kinda like the brass closet bolts that hold the toilet tank at home to the wall, although those have wood screw threads on one end, 1/4 x 20 machine screw threads on the other, and sometimes have acorn nuts on the machine screw end to finish them off. but thought the guess was to far off the wall, so to speak......

If there from the macerator, I might have not been too far off! (?)

Good luck on your quest!

Joe. Teeth

journey on · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:52 pm Post subject:

Minnow, I replace those brass bolts with stainless threaded rod. The bolt shop called it "All-Thread", and sold me a 3' length of it. Easy to make 4 new studs, 2 long and 2 short.

Also, if those studs are corroded, it's probably time for a rebuild. Jabsco service kit 18598-1000, if your pump is a Jabsco 18590 series. Don't forget to pump the tank first. BTY, the rebuild kit only comes with 2 short studs. I guess they don't think the long ones corrode.

Boris

starcrafttom · Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:36 pm Post subject:

I don't know how they would get to the back of the boat but they look like the bolts holding the motor together on the Windlass. Not familiar enough with the 255 to know if they can migrate from the bow to stern.

thataway · Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:43 pm Post subject:

No way in a Tom Cat that these bolts could come from the Windlass. Also look too small for the windlass. I would also suspect your fish box macerators--loose and vibrated out. The head macerator is confined to under the Galley, and it should not end up on both sides of the bilge.

Joe, you were way too kind to your competitors. Some of use would distract the other crew, and then pitch a nice "soft" brass shackle on the mainsial, so it slid on the deck as we glided by....It would be a fitting that was obviously not from that boat.

Captains Cat · Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:11 pm Post subject:

And I'm running on no macerator bolts in the transom as mine are hanging on their hoses. Rolling Eyes

Charlie

matt_unique · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:20 pm Post subject: Bolts

By the way, I looked at my fish box macerators and they are solid on the transom. Still a mystery as to where they came from.

Thanks again for the suggestions.