Creaky seat pedastel

L

Lord Farringdon

New Member
Feb 19, 2010
515
New Zealand
Boat Info
2005 Sea Ray AJ, Raymarine C80.
Engines
285 HP, DP-G Duo Prop Stern Drive
Does anyone experience a creaking of the helm seat pedastel when underway? I can stop it creaking if I undo the height lock lever and allow the seat to drop but as soon as I raise it and lock it into positon, the creaking starts again. It's particualrly annoying :smt013 when underway in a slight chop since the forward and aft rocking motions exagerates the creaking . Any suggestions:huh:?

Thanks in anticipation.
 
I get this too but I haven't tried to fix it yet. It's just a matter of lubricating the pedestal but the questions are; where and with what? I'm adding this to my spring list if someone has a solution.
 
Re: Creaky seat pedestal

Bump.:grin:

I figure me and Tonka Boater are not the only guys with this problem. So guys, all you have to do is say..." Hi, Im whoever, and I have a creaky seat problem":smt089. LOL

By the way, sorry about the spelling of pedestal in the original title. :smt013 Think I have corrected that now.


Terry


Nope. Can't change the spelling error in the thread title,only in the individual threads. Dang!
 
Pull your base screws/lugs fill the holes with epoxy and retap/reset....
 
Thanks TBC but I'm pretty sure the problem is not with the pedestal attachment to the floor but rather the contact between the upright pedestal from the floor and the telescoping piece from the seat that fits inside it. There are small aluminium filings where chafing and abrasion has occurred between the two and I'm pretty sure that sort of wear doesn't occur without noise. Like Tonka Boater says, "It's just a matter of lubricating the pedestal but the questions are; where and with what?" Maybe there is some sort of insert that would work?

Once again, thanks TBC for the suggestion.:thumbsup:

Terry
 
Terry,
I have the same creaky noise as you hear. I'm 1,85m and set the helm seat at the most upper level to sea outside over the windshield.
Since the leg has minimum part inside its base while the seat is at maximum up position, the leg is moving small amount and causin creaky noise while passing a wave or when the boat jumps etc.
To solve it, I disassembled the leg/helm seat totally out of its base and put a few cable ties and placed them around the leg(the triangle side inside throug the leg base) and tied them with a large cable tie around the leg to not move out and put the leg (difficultly) in to the base. So the noise almost dissappeared.
I guess this will solve your problem.
Best regards.
Melida
 
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Lord Farringdon said:
Thanks TBC but I'm pretty sure the problem is not with the pedestal attachment to the floor but rather the contact between the upright pedestal from the floor and the telescoping piece from the seat that fits inside it. There are small aluminium filings where chafing and abrasion has occurred between the two and I'm pretty sure that sort of wear doesn't occur without noise. Like Tonka Boater says, "It's just a matter of lubricating the pedestal but the questions are; where and with what?" Maybe there is some sort of insert that would work?

Once again, thanks TBC for the suggestion.:thumbsup:

Terry
Click to expand...

Sound's like you are on top of the culprit, ha ha. seriously though, remember: noise is friction and friction causes wear, hence the fillings that you are finding. periodic lubrication in the proper location should take care of your noise.
 
Terry, Do the manly thing and bring out the can of WD40. :grin:
 
Originally Posted by techmitch
Sound's like you are on top of the culprit, ha ha.

Nice one techmitch:smt043

Thanks guys for the ideas. I wish a spray of WD40 would do the job Wayne but judging by the filings coming off this baby, I think a bucket of high pressure grease would be more in order :lol:.

Melida, given the similarity in our boats and our physical heights, it sounds like you have exactly the same problem as me. As you described so well, the pedestal telescopes up to an upper position and rocks (and creaks) with the movement of the boat due to there being less support at the extended height. You explained it better then me.

It is really annoying when sitting at anchor and the wind and tide sets the boat at right angles to the swell.

Plastic ties seem like a good idea. They would act as a buffer between the two pieces of aliminium and at the same time reduce the clearances between them which causes the rocking.

Well that's my weekend sorted out!!

Thanks for the help guys.

Terry
 
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Thanks Endless Seas. After Melidas suggestion it made me wonder whether there might be a part (like a sleeve) missing, although he has the same problem on a very similar boat that came out of the factory within a year of mine. I will need to take a closer look but I think you are suggesting the sleeve in the top of the pedestal might be worn. Hmmm, I'll check that out on the weekend as well. Thanks:thumbsup:


Terry
 
You may want to take some pictures when you take it pedestal apart. There are some small screws (5mm I think) that may be broken and the base has to go back into the sleeve a certain way. I had to try it a couple of times to get it right.
 
I used Locktight on mine (screws kept coming loose), although not sure the design of mine is the same. Solved about 80% of the problem.
 
Thanks for the photos Melida, that makes more sense to me now. I somehow thought you were using the plastic ties 'around' the insert (not up and down it) and I kind of gave up trying to fix the problem. Other things happened too (like some good weather) and so I haven't got back to that problem just yet, but it is still annoying me!

Changed the drive belts on the KAD300 last weekend. Everyone said it was difficult to get the correct tension on the belts (including the Volvo techs) but I used a torque wrench in accordance with the manual and it worked fine. No squealing or slipping. I will retension the belts after about 5 hours of running.

Hope you are having some holidays or a break of some sort over this new year period and that all is well. Hope to post some pictures soon.


Cheers:grin:


Terry
 
Terry,Good to hear from you again.
Sorry fort he misexplanation about putting up and down the ties. I wanted to say putting them inside the leg through down and 1 big tie surrounding the leg containing the little ties.Hope this solves your creaky noise which solved mine and I’m happy with it since the first days I bought the boat.:thumbsup:
However it’s not a good scenery and you’ll got comments from the guests onboard as I got and will “did your daughter squeezed them inside the leg base ?”:smt043
I bought the belts this summer ordered from USA and a friend brought it to me. Because of the economic crisis Volvo Penta does not stock the rare necessary parts(once a 5 year to replace the belts). I’m gonna change mine in spring maintenance, but I'll let my mech changes them for me b/C I can't do tiny and stiff jobs with my halfly disabled right hand fingers also the valve clearance must be done that time.
The weather was good here at the weekend, not as sunny as a hot summer day, rainy but not wavy and not cold so daughter, admiral and I did a Christmas cruise on Sunday. Went to the farthest island 8,5Nmiles and had a hansom tour around the island, had a late lunch and turned in the afternoon.
I’ll post some photos and video in a new thread to warm up the snow suffering members of CSR.:grin:
Hope to see your photos of boat/engine where you cruise.
Best regards.
Melida
 
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melida said:
However it’s not a good scenery and you’ll got comments from the guests onboard as I got and will “did your daughter squeezed them inside the leg base ?”:smt043
Melida
Click to expand...

:lol::lol::lol:. I'll try and make it look a little better but in the end if it stops creaking then mission accomplished...regardless of what it looks like :grin:.

Your right to let the volvo techs do your belts if you have a bit of trouble with your hand. They are a bit fiddly and the space is a little cramped. I have 'tennis elbow' and in case you are not familiar with this, it is a pain that radiates from the elbow down to the hand and can make gripping anything extremely painful. I dread having to shake someones hand and they must think I have a really weak handshake, but it just too sore to shake hands properly. Needless to say, twisting spanners and torque wrenches was a slow job performed mostly with my unfamiliar left hand but i got there in the end.

May I suggest you keep your old drive belts as spares in the unlikely event you break one at sea. Of course you will need every spanner (ring and open ended) from 13mm through to 19mm and I think a 21mm socket for the water pump pulley, but at least you can get home without a tow.


I have another 50 hours yet before valve clearances need to be adjusted and I will definately get the volvo techs to do that.

Looking forward to your photos.

Keep well Melida.

Terry
 
Terry,
I have a general principle about what I have own e.g. cars, houses, boats they must serve me, I mustn’t be the servant and they must make me comfortable. So the comfort is the priority for me, scenery is the second. With my simple mind I solved creaking problem by putting the ties as a child did. Of course I tell everyone that my daughter made them I can’t take out them.:smt043
Last year I fell down from the boat to concrete pier. I was on the deck just front of the windshield where the highest point of my boat you can stand up is and the pier was just 30 cm up from water line. To protect my face I covered it with my hand and my hand squeezed between my face and pier.:smt089 Long story short after more than 35 séances of physiotherapy got back the hand muscle and carpus but lost half of power of the fingers.
As you suggested I always keep replacement parts not the wet filters. I have 2 impellers from last two year and they are as good as a brand new, no torn wanes but tiny cracking which in case of emergency could let me to go home port.
Also have lots of tools two set, one has metric measure and the other is imperial size. Also have saw and electrical, #80 emery paper for cleaning the props from barnacles, marine grade silicone, dive equipment 10mm cressi wet suit, ½ hour air tank, palette, snorkel, eye goggles, knifes and the most important spare part for me is 10 micron racor pre fuel filters.
Best regards.
Melida

 
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