Bearing lubrication for Mast Rotation?

[Hamin' X]

I would check around with some of your local hardware suppliers and see if the have Oilite (Phosphor-Bronze) washers in the size that you need. I have seen them a Lowes, but not sure of the dimensions.

~Rich

[c130king]

Rich,

So just replace them with new ones from Lowes?

What's the best way to clean the rust colored residue from the base plate?

Thanks
Jim

[Hamin' X]

Oilite type material is a porous material that is impregnated with oil. If you can find some with the same inside diameter and close on the outside, that is what I would use. I find that wetting the surface with water and rubbing with aluminum foil will remove rust from most things. Rust is iron oxide and there seems to be a chemical reaction that turns the rust in to aluminum oxide, as the water will turn black. Sounds crazy, but try it.

~Rich

[c130king]

Muchas gracias amigo.

Jim

[Catigale]

Mild phosphoric acid with aluminum foil..

Materials list

Aluminum foil
Coca Cola (tm)
Rum

1 add coca cola to stain and scrub with foil
2 rinse with copius amounts water
3 repeat
4 add rum to leftover coca cola and dispose of appropriately.

[c130king]

Mild phosphoric acid with aluminum foil..

Materials list

Aluminum foil
Coca Cola (tm)
Rum

1 add coca cola to stain and scrub with foil
2 rinse with copius amounts water
3 repeat
4 add rum to leftover coca cola and dispose of appropriately.

Could I use Diet Coke? What about Classic Coke...

[Highlander]

Jim
Just clean them up with emery tape & lube them with some Luithium grease or siliconed base lube. I use the same stuff I use on my sail track & mast track I beleive its called Sail kote dry lube so no mess or dirt to collect as on the grease method
PS If that big nylon lock nut is loose on the threads replace it or it will work its way loose !

J

[mika]

I find this discussion very interesting. I have a brand new "M" and my dealer, a very reputable, knowledgeable, and respected Mac dealer, made no mention of anything, nor did he furnish anything, to be placed beneath the mast when I step it. No mention of this issue in the M's owners' manual. So I have nothing. So far, my mast seems to swivel just fine; sometimes too much so, in my opinion. But I appreciate the advice and will plan to install one of the items suggested here next season. Answer me this: What holds these washers or other items in place?

[Hamin' X]

The bolt behind the three rusty washers. The washers go on top of the bolt, then the mast plate, then the nut.
Thanks to Jim for the photo.

~Rich

[seahouse]

Hey Mika--

You most likely already have the washers installed if your Mac is brand new, so you don't have to do anything. You won't encounter them when you step your mast because they are already present on top of the plate on the bottom of the mast. Maybe you just haven't seen them yet?

-Brian.

[c130king]

What Brian said...

I have had my since Nov 2006 and this is the first time I have ever taken that mast base apart to see the washers. But I have taken the mast up/down probably 100 times.

You have them and you can see them if you look betweeen the the two pieces when the mast is down. And it is very easy to remove the mast base and then seperate the two pieces to get to the washers. Literally took less than 5 minutes and a couple box wrenches.

J, thanks for the tip...I have a can of Sail Kote and will clean (with Coke and Rum as Stephen mentioned) and then spray and then put back together. That is today's job after I get home. Then I have to get all my soaked cushions out so they can start drying out in the garage.

Cheers,
Jim

[mika]

Aha! Thank you guys for that explanation/clarification. I will seek those out next time I remove my mast. . . . Here's still another example of how incredibly educational and helpful this website is! Can you imagine owning a Mac without it?

[c130king]

Aha! Thank you guys for that explanation/clarification. I will seek those out next time I remove my mast. . . . Here's still another example of how incredibly educational and helpful this website is! Can you imagine owning a Mac without it?

Well said...

Cheers,
Jim

[Hamin' X]

Jim,

J sails in fresh water and you in salt. Yours are just going to rust again.

~Rich

[c130king]

Rich,

Did not know that J is a fresh water kinda guy. But no big deal. It was so easy to take base plate off and get to the washers that I will do it a lot more often. Even with 5+ years of oxidation on them it still rotated...just not real good.

I bet after I clean and lubricate with Sail Kote it will be a big improvement.

Cheers,
Jim