I'm seeking ideas for how to make the nut for my helm wheel stay tight.
One of my first projects with my boat was to free the wheel that had rusted into place on the helm axle. I greased the axle and key liberally, and the wheel became easily removable.
Too-easily removable in fact. The back and forth of the wheel turning has a tendency to loosen the plastic retaining nut that keeps the wheel on. This is not a big deal in normal use, because I can reach down and ensure the nut is hand tight and there is no problem. However, I am about to cover up the nut with a wheel drum for my wind vane, which will cover the plastic Edson nut and prevent me from accessing it to ensure tightness. It would be a bad scene if the wheel slipped off the helm and I had to spend 10-15 minutes unbolting the vane wheel drum from the wheel. I guess I would heave-to and break out the emergency tiller.
But I don't want that to happen - so what do you think would be a good way to keep the retainer nut tightened with permanent attachment (I don't want to epoxy the wheel on...)
Some ideas:
1. Clean all the grease out of the threads on the nut and the shaft (well duh)
2. Edson sells a metal retainer nut - perhaps that would be wiser?
3. Put pipe tape (stretchy teflon tape for natural gas pipes) on the threads. I think that should help somewhat?
4. Use some caulk or 4200-type stuff. (Seems like a clumsy messy way to solve it, but hey, if it works...)
5. I don't want to put loc-tite on the threads because I still want to be able to remove the wheel without damage when necessary. I guess I need a loc-tite-ish product....
Thank you in advance.....
One of my first projects with my boat was to free the wheel that had rusted into place on the helm axle. I greased the axle and key liberally, and the wheel became easily removable.
Too-easily removable in fact. The back and forth of the wheel turning has a tendency to loosen the plastic retaining nut that keeps the wheel on. This is not a big deal in normal use, because I can reach down and ensure the nut is hand tight and there is no problem. However, I am about to cover up the nut with a wheel drum for my wind vane, which will cover the plastic Edson nut and prevent me from accessing it to ensure tightness. It would be a bad scene if the wheel slipped off the helm and I had to spend 10-15 minutes unbolting the vane wheel drum from the wheel. I guess I would heave-to and break out the emergency tiller.
But I don't want that to happen - so what do you think would be a good way to keep the retainer nut tightened with permanent attachment (I don't want to epoxy the wheel on...)
Some ideas:
1. Clean all the grease out of the threads on the nut and the shaft (well duh)
2. Edson sells a metal retainer nut - perhaps that would be wiser?
3. Put pipe tape (stretchy teflon tape for natural gas pipes) on the threads. I think that should help somewhat?
4. Use some caulk or 4200-type stuff. (Seems like a clumsy messy way to solve it, but hey, if it works...)
5. I don't want to put loc-tite on the threads because I still want to be able to remove the wheel without damage when necessary. I guess I need a loc-tite-ish product....
Thank you in advance.....