My two cents; The backstay ram is meant to add tension, not remove all slop from a poorly adjusted rig. The rig should be adjusted so when the ram is relaxed and full length, it is not so slack that the mast is jeopardized. Also, if you start with some tension on, without hydraulic pressure, you can get by with less pressure on the seal, when sailing. Again, while at the dock, common sense suggests you remove tension on the ram to make this initial adjustment, like crank down on the mainsheet, to pull the mast back, check your rake, prebend, etc, headstay tension, adjust the backstay rod adjustment to this starting point. Then if the ram has a problem, the rig stays in the boat. Losing the function of the ram will still allow you to sail. You just may have fuller sails than otherwise.
Before I had my ram repaired, my system leaked fluid at the remote pump station and at the O-ring at the top end of the ram cylinder. It still functioned but wouldn't hold pressure for long. You could pump it up to 2500# but it would lose all pressure and within less than 20 minutes, would be at zero. My local Hydraulics guy pressure tested his work for me and showed me how well it held pressure. We pumped up the pressure to 2 x normal and watched it for 30 minutes. He said I could come back the next day, but convinced me it was good. And it's been very reliable holding pressure for weeks when I'm away from the boat. That repair was done seven years ago. BTW, the Challenger tragedy, seal failure happened because they launched when it was too cold, and ice formed under the seal causing the failure. The warning from the builder was ignored. Chuck Resolute 1990 C&C 34R Broad Creek, Magothy River, Md ----- Original Message ----- From: "Leslie Paal via CnC-List" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> To: "Charles Nelson" <cenel...@aol.com>, cnc-list@cnc-list.com Sent: Thursday, February 5, 2015 3:30:11 PM Subject: Re: Stus-List Navtec pump service gentle reminder about 'not rocket science'. The Challenger tragedy occurred because of a simple seal failure. Leslie retired from JPL/NASA of course the scale of potential damage is not comparable. -------------------------------------------- On Wed, 2/4/15, Charles Nelson via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: Subject: Re: Stus-List Navtec pump service To: "Tracy Hirsh" <tracyh1...@gmail.com>, "cnc-list@cnc-list.com" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: "Robbie Epstein" <repst...@embarqmail.com> Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2015, 7:21 PM I may live so far out "...in the sticks..." in Eastern NC that "...we have to import the sticks 😄..." but we have many hydraulic shops, mostly because we have a lot of farm and logging equipment in use. I had my Navtec unit (after about 15 yrs in use) seals replaced, cylinders smoothed/rebored?, etc. for about $300 at one of these a few years ago. Compared to the size and complexity of most equipment these shops deal with, my Navtec unit was a piece of cake, especially to the "...good old boys..." who are used to more complexity and quicker turn-arounds. (If you have contracted with an equipment lessor to get your crop planted, fertilized, harvested, etc. during a certain time interval, you or they cannot afford to wait for a 2-3 week repair time!) With appreciation to those "actual rocket scientists" on the list, this repair/rebuild does not even approach rocket science. It's a hydraulic cylinder for Heavens sake! The fact that it is used on a sailboat may inflate the repair cost (if it is repaired by a rigging shop) but at the end of the day it is a simple hydraulic cylinder. Charlie NelsonWater PhantomC&C 36 XL/kcb Sent from my iPad.. On Feb 4, 2015, at 9:15 PM, Tracy Hirsh via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: Thank you Robbie. I got a suggestion from Francois Rivard to try Zern Rigging in Pensacola. I will let you know how it goes - Rick Zern will be closer for you as well! Tracy On Feb 4, 2015 7:47 PM, "Robbie Epstein via CnC-List" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: I had my Navtec pump and back stay cylinder rebuilt at Florida Rigging in St Petersburg a couple of years ago. I live in Fort Walton and couldn't find anyone close by to do it. They were easy to work with, and did a great job. Robbie 1980 C&C 40, Thorfinn Fort Walton Beach, FL Sent from my iPad > On Feb 4, 2015, at 2:28 PM, cnc-list-requ...@cnc-list.com wrote: > > Stus-List Navtec pump service on Upper Gulf Coast _______________________________________________ Email address: CnC-List@cnc-list.com To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the bottom of page at: http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com _______________________________________________ Email address: CnC-List@cnc-list.com To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the bottom of page at: http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ Email address: CnC-List@cnc-list.com To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the bottom of page at: http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com _______________________________________________ Email address: CnC-List@cnc-list.com To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the bottom of page at: http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com
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