Big Will
03-01-2008, 06:47 AM
I had to remove the bow rails after 10 years. Mine are held on with 3/8" stainless steel bolts.
Like a good soldier I went at it with vigor, grabbed a ratchet, gave it a good tug, and in less than a minute "snap" had my first bolt head off . 001 004
After a few minutes of cussin' myself I went to the shop and got the torch - applied a moderate amount of heat and prayed. 008 Moving the flames over the aluminum thoughts of oxidation and discoloration raced through my mind. I was careful to not apply too much heat and waited to hear a sort of a crackle - I guess it was the corrosion crumbling or maybe the thin seal of 5200 burning loose, whatever it was, it worked. It was a close race for a few, but I did'n't break any more bolts.
Went to the hardware store and bought a tap, a drill (bit), and a new bolt. Thankfully, we were able to fix the broken bolt and have rails on once again.
Like a good soldier I went at it with vigor, grabbed a ratchet, gave it a good tug, and in less than a minute "snap" had my first bolt head off . 001 004
After a few minutes of cussin' myself I went to the shop and got the torch - applied a moderate amount of heat and prayed. 008 Moving the flames over the aluminum thoughts of oxidation and discoloration raced through my mind. I was careful to not apply too much heat and waited to hear a sort of a crackle - I guess it was the corrosion crumbling or maybe the thin seal of 5200 burning loose, whatever it was, it worked. It was a close race for a few, but I did'n't break any more bolts.
Went to the hardware store and bought a tap, a drill (bit), and a new bolt. Thankfully, we were able to fix the broken bolt and have rails on once again.