Part Wanted Bow Eye

Hello all. The bow eye on my 1959 Starcraft is not secure. The bolt that goes through to the block of wood is rusted and I can't tighten or loosen the bolt on the inside. I've crawled all the way forward and it won't turn. I can wiggle the eye around pretty easily. I can't seem to find anywhere a replacement bow eye of this design to just swap them out. I thought about trying to find a welder to weld it to the boat but I really want a new bolt I could trust and a larger backing block on the inside as well. Any suggestions on where one could be found? Or....perhaps....does anybody have one? (Fingers crossed....)

Thanks.

Your either going to have break the bolt or take a wood chisel or osculating tool to split the wood block allowing the bow eye to move forward and cut through the bolt. Then you can see what the next step will be.

lckstckn2smknbrls said:

Your either going to have break the bolt or take a wood chisel or osculating tool to split the wood block allowing the bow eye to move forward and cut through the bolt. Then you can see what the next step will be.

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Yep. Agreed. I wonder if a welder could weld on a new stainless steel threaded bolt to the eye? The eye itself actually seems in okay shape.

I'd cut the bolt and replace it. Unless that's somehow not possible and I'm missing it.

Those are usually just threaded shanks with a V block of wood inside and a nut. Take a Dremel tool or grinder and cut the nut off, remove the bow eye, wire wheel and chase the threads with a die and reninstall with a new stainless steel nylock nut. If the threads are too far gone, and they may well be, your looking at heating up the bow eye to free up the old stud to remove it. If its stainless, your already good to go. Cut a new piece of hardwood or machine up a chunk of aluminum and it'll lest the next five owners their lifetimes as well.
Your lucky, a lot of bow eyes are riveted on and you either replace the rivets or tighten the old one's with an air hammer and backing block.

You can try a nut splitter.

I would try some PB Blaster. Try to get it down in behind the eye and let it soak a couple of hours. Then try to turn the bolt again from the inside.

Awesome. Many thanks for the replies.

KMixson said:

I would try some PB Blaster. Try to get it down in behind the eye and let it soak a couple of hours. Then try to turn the bolt again from the inside.

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Just my 2 cents. Did this stuff for a living.

"Knock'er Loose" is far better than PB Blaster.

So is Kroil.

If you can, soak the nut and bolt in whatever lubricant you can. Then, if you can do it safely, take a torch with a pencil flame and heat that nut up and it will come off. Depending on your boat, it may be a little difficult to get to, but heat gets them all off.

thill said:

If you can, soak the nut and bolt in whatever lubricant you can. Then, if you can do it safely, take a torch with a pencil flame and heat that nut up and it will come off. Depending on your boat, it may be a little difficult to get to, but heat gets them all off.

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Couple of the few tools I don't own is a set of torches and a welder.

Before I retired I always had them available.

Heat works wonders.