[E29'] Removing car from jib track sitting in recess of toe rail - How to?

[svcalypso]

Hey all -

Consider me a maintenance newbie. I had a block on my starboard genoa track crack due to UV damage. I need to remove it from the track to replace it but cannot figure out how to do that.

Question: How do I get the car off the track if the track is in a recess of the toe rail?

Notes:

• Boat: Ericson 29'
• The track is in a recess of the toe rail / the edges are flush with the boat - thus, the car will not just slide right off the end.
• Do I need to unscrew all of the screws on the track? I am hoping there is a better way.
• If I do need to unscrew the track, the screw most forward will not budge and I'm afraid of stripping it. Any advice to get it out?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Loren Beach]

To keep from bending the track, you will have to remove or loosen bolts for the last couple feet. That aluminum is really strong and stiff. There are nuts and washers underneath; two person job - inside person needs a socket wrench or an end wrench. Might was well take the track off and re-bed it. One of the best deals on a new block and car is likely to be from Garhauer.

 

[Christian Williams]

Hard to see by the pix why it won't slip right off the end of the track.

If the car is just binding on the last screw head, or hitting the gel coat on the side, I would apply a grinder as necessary.

 

[gadangit]

That looks like the forward end of your track that dead-ends into the toe rail. We have the same. Check the aft end of the track (see attached pic) and see if it will slip off that end. I don't think moving the car the length of the track will be easy, it certainly wasn't for us. But with effort, grinder, file and hammer it will go all the way.

There was a time I thought it would be nice to replace this old SS track, but it has been fine. We adjust our jib car leads just a bit fore-aft when close hauled and then with a tweaker as we bear off. So the track stayed. Chris

 

[Pat C.]

If it won't slide off either end then I would remove the last bolt on one end, probably the end where the nut on the underside is easiest to access, then cut the rail back to the next bolt with a hacksaw. That should give the car room to slide off. Then just clean the bedding off the small removed section and epoxy the hole closed. If there is space to slide off on the other end, spray the car and track with some McLube to help it slide easier.

 

[Christian Williams]

cut the rail back to the next bolt with a hacksaw. That should give the car room to slide off.

Bravo!

Now you'll have a gate in the track, and can reinstall the piece you cut off!

 

[toddster]

It comes off the back end.

Under no circumstances should you ever loosen any of the bolts on the E29 genoa track, unless you are ready to remove it entirely and demolish the toe rail. Inside the toe rail is a piece of wood, through which the track is bolted. The bottom of the rail is glassed over, leaving an inaccessible little void. Once you loosen a bolt, there is no way to tighten it again. And usually if you loosen one it will just spin without removing the nut, leaving it half-in half-out.

If the track has slightly buckled over the years, due to the above or other misadventures, a hard mallet or dead-blow hammer will help "persuade" the car to move through the bent area. A good thing to have on board.

 

[Bob Robertson]

My cars easily slide off the tracks. Looking at your picture I see two things. One is the bolt at the end of the track doesn't have a flat head like all of the other bolts. (I'm not at my boat, so I can't be sure all of my bolts have flat heads, but it looks like a possible cause of your problem.)
The other thing I see is what almost looks like solder at the end of your track. It looks like it could also be a problem.

 

[bigd14]

I had the same problem with the car binding. Found some rough spots and dings that was holding it up. Some filing with a flat file and a few whacks with a persuader (dead blow mallet) was all it took. Try that before removing screws or cutting track. Make sure you tie a line to the block when you are "persuading" it the last inch off the track!

 

[Tegski]

Semi-Hijacking this thread. How about if your toe rail has bent up in an area and the bolts have been pulled out as well.......

 

[toddster]

Flatten the track as best you can with a hammer. Tap any protruding bolts back down with a mallet and punch. Persuade the car to move over the area with a dead-blow hammer.

Edit: I haven’t tried this yet, but I’m thinking the final solution is to drill a 1” hole perpendicular to each problem bolt, through the side of the toe rail. Then one can get a wrench on the nut and remove the bolt. Or the bottom of a cut-off bolt.

Can’t drill up from the bottom because you don’t know exactly where each bolt is. And it’s up inside the little duct which restricts access. Can’t drill down from the top because bolts (or remnants thereof) are stuck in the way.

I suppose one might use an oscillating tool with the blade attached at 90° to cut away the entire top of the duct/bottom of the toe-rail from inside. If the blade will reach.

Any of the above seems to have a high frustration potential.

 

[Tegski]

Jeez, I was hoping for more of an epoxy filling and redrilling situation.

 

[toddster]

Well, that might work if you could get the old bolts out. But the nuts are down inside a sealed void - once loosened, there is no way to get a wrench on them.