remove ski pylon

wakerwes · Outlaw Joined: 31 Aug 2003 Posts: 135 City: belgium

does anybody know how to remove a ski pylon from my ski nautique 2001?
i have to remove it, i have loosen the 4 bolts and the one bolt below but its not getting out Mad

tryan · Soul Rider Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Posts: 257

the pole might just be stuck in the two 3/4" pieces of plywood. if you have removed the shear pin / bolt in the hull, try giving it a twist.

BIGMAC · Posted: Nov 03, 2003 6:49 pm Post subject:

Why are you taking it out?

Wake upPp · Soul Rider Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 338 City: NOR-CAL

i must admit that i wanted to take mine out also. our inboard wakeboard boat gets used for wakeboarding only, and the ski pylon is just in the way. i was going to pull it out and make a plug for the floor... well i spent about an hour trying to get that sucka out...not happening...i tried heat, lubricant and anything else i could think of to no avail. i think electrolisis has locked it in place since on my boat the bracket that ties the pylon to the stringers is steel and the pylon of coarse is aluminum. i'm open to suggestions... i kinda still want it out.

wakerwes · Outlaw Joined: 31 Aug 2003 Posts: 135 City: belgium

mine ski pylon is bent a lot, from the other owner Sad

,
gonna take it out and replace
buts its not going out

marcg · Addict Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 944 City: Salt Lake City

I had an 88...the pole was slighty bend against the hatch (by design)...so the extended pylon would sit
crooked..I took it out by simply removing the 1 pin that went through the base plate and center of the
pylon...once removed it just lifted out....I then put it in a machine press to straighten it out.

wakerwes · Outlaw Joined: 31 Aug 2003 Posts: 135 City: belgium

marcg, the pin that you are saying is that the pin at the bottom?
with me it isnt a pin but a screw trough it with a bolt on it, buts its pretty stuck Mad

marcg · Addict Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 944 City: Salt Lake City

So is it screwed through the pylon?...or just thread on the on end for the nut to tighten it?

What do you mean by stuck?....you got the nut off the end but cannot pull it through?....mine was a pin with some thread on the end for a nut so basically it just slid through the baseplate holes and pylon hole. So I took off the nut and just pulled it out....sounds like maybe you have corrosion or gunk in the hole that the pin is through.

If thats the case go to a marine store, they have some high end crazy spray stuff for corrosion...I bought some for something else, the name was "Corrosion Block" small little spray bottle expensive as hell but the stuff worked like it was from another planet in freeing stuff up.

wakerwes · Outlaw Joined: 31 Aug 2003 Posts: 135 City: belgium

i've used corrosion block couple months ago. so i will give it another try but it still won't loosen. Evil or Very Mad

the screw on the bottom is removed.
anybody some other tips to remove it?

Broccoli B · Posted: Apr 30, 2004 1:06 pm Post subject:

All you need is a BFH, that is what i used.

wakerwes · Outlaw Joined: 31 Aug 2003 Posts: 135 City: belgium

whats a BFH Confused

Erik · Posted: Apr 30, 2004 5:54 pm Post subject:

I would imagine its one of the below pictures...take your pick.
Big Fu**ing Hammer

The ski pylon parts can get really jammed together. I was not present for this moment, but Dan aka Eldorett saw his boat get lifted several inches above the trailer bunks when he was trying to remove the tow eye from the pylon shaft on his 1986 Ski Nautique. He and a family friend had hoisted it up with a vertial hoist/pully and not even the biggest f'ing hammer would have solved the problem. HANGING the boat, literally, from the toe eye, did.

I hope you dont have to hang your old boat from the pylon. Is it really worth it to take it out? You'll never pull a fat tuber or skier? It's got to be worth it at some level just to leave it in there, no?

wakerwes · Outlaw Joined: 31 Aug 2003 Posts: 135 City: belgium

the problem is that the previous owner has saw of the tow eye. and its bend alot.
so i want to remove the pylon and replace it with a new custom made one Laughing

maybe i drill a big hole in the pylon and put a metal bar trough it and wrench.
gonna buy a BFH also Twisted Evil

can't hang my boat because i don't have a tow eye Sad

Bluesman · Posted: May 01, 2004 7:45 am Post subject:

Leave the pylon in place. (That's a clever way of saying "Don't repeat my mistake".) The footing for many of the pylons in model 2001 is embedded in the fiberglass hull of the boat. The footing and the pylon itself are dissimilar metals which generally bond together tight enough that you could lift the whole boat without breaking the bond.

Additionally the pylon is the best place to tie your rope for those times when people want to tube. If you use the lifting eye at the rear of the boat, you may notice the eye flexing as the boat accelerates. The pylon is a stronger tow point.

Lastly, if you tow somebody else's broken-down boat you'll have better steering control if you tow from your ski pylon than from the stern eye. That's because your pivot point will be forward of the rudder.

Nor*Cal · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9479 City: Sac

When in doubt????

Cut the base off and it should slide through easily. Of course it's junk at that point or maybe you could mill it down to a mini baseball bat. Rolling Eyes

Nor*Cal · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9479 City: Sac

Dyslexic comment...

882001 · Posted: May 01, 2004 11:46 am Post subject:

Erik · Posted: May 01, 2004 8:23 pm Post subject:

UncleGianni · Posted: May 02, 2004 7:22 am Post subject:

I like NorCal's idea -
If you are going to remove it and not replace -
Then just remove it anyway you can -

Brit Rider · Posted: May 02, 2004 9:22 am Post subject:

how much heat did you try? maybe a combination of BFH and a torch would get it out?

Have you made any progress on it yet?

wakerwes · Outlaw Joined: 31 Aug 2003 Posts: 135 City: belgium

i gonna try heat it up and with a bfh.
if this don't work a gonna drill a big hole and wrench with a metal bar
i realy want a ski pole with a nice tow eye Mad

let you know how it was Laughing