Bow Eye Replacement

[willy]

How tough is it to replace the bow eye that sticks thru the hull and has the backing block inside the anchor locker, my boat has that block and two nuts pretty corroded ?

[fishmaster63]

did it on my sea ray a couple years back... if i remember correctly it was a real pain in the ***. just gaining access to the area and getting the old hardware out... not a big job, just kind of tough is all.

[willy]

were you able to cut off bolts on inside and just pull thru and if so what did you replace that backing block with on inside

[Franco]

Hey Bill, break out the sawzall our go to the local flea market, I bought a small handheld grinder with a metal cut off wheel for 24 bucks, thats a bad dude, wet down a couple of old towels to catch the sparks - you'll have it of in 15 minutes

[willy]

Thanks Franco, is it embedded in glass under it, all I can see is the rusted surface in the anchor locker and a couple of rusted nuts, whats under it that reinforces that eye.

[Franco]

I didn't have to replace mine. I'm guessing that your talking about the plate inside the hull is embedded in the glass. I was checking one of those lifting eye/bow eye combinations at the boat store. If you cut the nuts off, you should be able to break it free and drive it out using a hammer and a drift - just be patient. If its not damaged outside you can us some 3m 5200 sealer as a bedding compound when hyou replace it. If it has any damage go to the west system site and look in the online manuals of using that as a bedding compound. You ought to talk to skools out, he is one sharp dude on stuff like that. Not to mention a good guy

[willy]

I know skool rules

[macojoe]

Get a grinder!! Its a boaters best friend!! Will make short work of getting the old one out.
I might replace mine in the spring?? It is bent to one side.
I will grind it and then install the new one with some 1/4 inch dimond plate Alummin I have hanging around.

Pretty easy fix!!

[jaysea]

I REPLACED MINE LAST YEAR AFTER HALF THE LOOP SNAPPED WHILE PULLING THE BOAT UP THE TRAILER ,I CUT MINE FLUSH ,ON THE OUT SIDE THEN PUNCHED THE PIECES IN SIDE THE HULL, GOOD LUCK

[reelapeelin]

Jaysea, THAT'S exactly what I's gonna suggest...cut it from the OUTSIDE then knock 'em in... ;)...

Willy, once you get the "eye" cleared outta the way, IF you can get to the metal reinforcement, wire brush rust away and paint w/zinc-heavy spray...then install new eye...

[willy]

Thanks RP and all, so the consensus is to cut eye off oustside and drift punch it in, find a suitable piece of no rust metal cut to shape, 5200 area to seal, but where do you get the actual correct size bow eye from ???

[JeffXJ]

Did the same thing on mine, just make sure you cut close to the hull as you can because the u-bolt on mine had a bump-out that stuck out to keep the u-bolt from going past a certain point. I'm sure someone else can make more sense of my gibberish :-[ , but you'll see what I mean if you look at it closely.

[jaysea]

when mine eye broke my thought was to get one bigger an stronger but after going an shoping for the new eye the easiest ,was to get the same size,no redrilling or resizing the hull,there standard sized

[willy]

so you guys are saying that the outside is larger diameter than the part that goes thru the hull so that it won't pull in when you tighten it from inside right

[JeffXJ]

yes

[Skools Out]

do you need one? i think i have several here that are new.

[willy]

Absolutely Skools let me know cost ,

[willy]

I sent you a post

[reelapeelin]

Ya know, Jeff's right...I think there IS a ''shoulder'' on the outside of the bolt...which means you're back to the INSIDE for cutting...you might find it easier to drill out the nut...go at an angle and drill into where the side of the bolt and top of the nut meet...tap it and strart small... ;)...

[macojoe]

Mine was so badly rotted that all it took was to tighten it a little and it snaped off!

On this boat I might have to grind it?? But they also have outside plates so when you tigten it it won't pull through. I might go this way with the new one?

[Skools Out]

So boats i've just put a new nut on top of the old nut and run it down with the air impact and it will bust the old rusty one off and keep tighting it till the eye breaks off or just back the new nut off. Be careful if you run it down to break that the eye doesn't pull thru the hull and crack your glass. Hey Willy measure your eye and let me know the size you need. I'm not sure what all i have nor lengths. need to know the spread of it the diam. and the length of the threads.

or hey Willy you may be close to boatfix.com's hub in NJ.
go to this link and see which style you have or like.

Check here for sizes and styles
http://www.boatfix.com/catalog/581.pdf


check this one for their prices
http://www.boatfix.com/bykeywordnew2.asp?textfield=bow+eye&texttype=2

[willy]

Ok Skool I'll check it next week and let you know, I am easy to confuse and you guys sure got me there ??? am I going to cut off outside close to the keel and push thru from outside or am I going to do like Franco said earlier and cut/grind from inside and push out in/out in/out in/out in/out in/out in/out phew sorry could'nt stop 8)

[C YENSEN]

any idea where i can get a new backing plate ???

[Skools Out]

just buy a new eye conside it good insurance look at the links above they aren't high. or can make one out of a piece of steel flat stock.

[willy]

Thanks again Skools for the link ;D

[Skools Out]

hey hey stop lol Best deal i've seen on them check out links below. Better than the last several i bought.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-Stainless-steel-bow-eye-boweye-3-8-UBOLT-U-BOLT_W0QQitemZ4575885690QQcategoryZ26446QQssPageNa meZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-Stainless-steel-bow-eye-boweye-3-8-UBOLT-U-BOLT_W0QQitemZ4575961526QQcategoryZ26446QQssPageNa meZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[willy]

:-*gotcha ;)

[Skools Out]

hey Willy i checked and all the eyes i have are to small for the V-20 hull compared to mine.

[willy]

Ok Skools thanks I'll work it out when the time comes