I just replaced my old Jabsco 1850 with a rule 2000. As the basket sizes are different, I had to make new screw holes. At first the screws thread fairly easily, but about halfway in they suddenly become very difficult to turn, to the point of stripping the screw head. I then switched to selftapping screws and drilled the holes slightly bigger. Could the hard stuff I'm running into be the keel? And finally, should I have backed the screws out and put some sort of seelant down each threaded hole before installing the basket for the new bilge pump? In other words, what can happen down there if bilge water seeps down those screw holes? I have this nagging suspicion that I should have read up more on the project before installing the new bilge pump.
Joel Schwartz
s/v Get-A-Grip
1993 Catalina 36 Hull #1259
Newport Beach, California
Joel-
How long are your screws? You really don't need anything longer than 1/2-3/4 inch. I would recommend completely drying the bilge before drilling any holes, and bed the screws in something like a polysulfide sealant (not silicone). I would suspect that the laminate construction is at least two inches thick before you get to the lead in the keel. …and if you drill that deep, lead is soft and won't offer much drilling resistance.
I'm not familiar with the construction of the C36 keel stub but am with 1 1986 C30 that we owned. After the boat was about 25 years old, it developed the "Catalina smile" (forward keel to hull separation). Re-torqueing the keel bolts only temporarily fixed things. I did a test drill hole in the forward are of the bilge (near the pump) and discovered the keel stub was rotten. In the C30 construction- the bilge area had about 1/8"" of fiberglass followed by 1/2" of marine plywood, followed by about 1/8" of additional fiberglass and the another layer of 1/2" plywood- all encapsulated within the hull. The keel bolts pass through the hull and the laminates into the bilge. The top fiberglass area had fractured adjacent one of the forward keel bolts. Bilge water had penetrated the crack and created a spongy area in the plywood. I noticed that bilge water had also penetrated the screw holes utilized to mount float switch and bilge pump- both of those areas becoming spongy also. Fortunately, only the top layer of plywood was effected. It took me about 30 hours to chip the damaged plywood out and fiberglass a new plywood layer in- an awful job. I suspect the C 36 and other Catalinas may have similar construction. The moral of the story is seal any holes in the bilge area, and don't go crazy drilling deep into the structure.
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B
When I put in a new bilge pump, I was amazed that the same company, rule, decided to CHANGE the damn hole spacing on the same sized base.
I'm still furious! :eek:
I just used one screw, said F-it to the other one. The pump's still there and working.
Yes, use a VERY short screw, all you need, it ain't goin' anywhere. :cool:
Stu Jackson, C34IA Secretary, C34 #224, 1986, SR/FK, M25 engine, Rocna 10 (22#)
Thanks for the advice, gentlemen. I think I will back out the screws and fill them with the polysulfide sealant mentioned above. Sure is nice to have a bilge pump that is more powerful than the last and operating at 100 percent!
Joel Schwartz
s/v Get-A-Grip
1993 Catalina 36 Hull #1259
Newport Beach, California