rondds
Well-Known Member
- Oct 3, 2006
- 8,859
- Boat Info
- 2001 380DA
- Engines
- Merc 8.1s (2008)...Hurth ZF 63 V-drives...WB 7.0 BCGD (2013), Garmin 8208 & 740 MFDs, GMR 24xHD dome
I was helping a buddy figure out why he has a whole bunch of bolts that are loose on the deck plates of his bowrail on a '99 330DA. each stanchion has 3 bolts that hold the deckplate down, and just about one bolt on each deckplate spins loosely when you put a phillips head screwdriver on it. we were able to get to the forward-most one on the starboard side through the anchor rode locker. we discovered that the deckplate is backed by a round aluminum plate and thru-bolted. amazingly, two of the nuts were backed OUT by about 1/4", and they are nylock nuts! if this was the case on the one and only stanchion we could visualize, we assume that this same problem exists on all the other loose ones. i have never seen a nylock nut vibrate loose so we can only figure that the bolt-tightening guy over at SR may have had a 3 martini lunch that day back in 1999.
anyway, another deckplate that has one VERY loose and spinning bolt is allowing water to seep in. thus, the area beneath the area marked SEAM in the pic below is getting wet.
here's the questions for you 330DA owners...
1. anyone else have a problem like this (loose bolts on the deckplates)
2. can the padded panel just below the seam be removed, and if so, HOW. We can get a finger in the spot marked WET and pull the panel down about 1/2", and it seems to be attached at either end of that panel; but, outside of using BRUT FORCE, we cannot find a way to remove the panel to get to the backing plate for re-bedding and tightening. any help would be appreciated! (note: we took off every panel that had visible screws and cant find a point of attachment).
anyway, another deckplate that has one VERY loose and spinning bolt is allowing water to seep in. thus, the area beneath the area marked SEAM in the pic below is getting wet.
here's the questions for you 330DA owners...
1. anyone else have a problem like this (loose bolts on the deckplates)
2. can the padded panel just below the seam be removed, and if so, HOW. We can get a finger in the spot marked WET and pull the panel down about 1/2", and it seems to be attached at either end of that panel; but, outside of using BRUT FORCE, we cannot find a way to remove the panel to get to the backing plate for re-bedding and tightening. any help would be appreciated! (note: we took off every panel that had visible screws and cant find a point of attachment).
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