Replace the bolts….

[tarpon]

Speaking from experience, replace grab handle hardware from time to time. I have good condition 2004 2520Xl. Recently was hopping on my boat from bow of another and grabbed the handle on side of cabin and both 5/16th bolts broke depositing me and handle in water. In the dark. Blowing 20+. No life jacket. Managed to get to bracket and crawl aboard, but those 2 bolts breaking could have been my demise. They were a little rusty but are now replaced !!

 

[Reefrunner]

Bolts that Tarpon is referring to are the hex bolts you see from inside of your pilot house and v-berth on the overhead. These bolts go thru the cabin roof and thread into the bottom of the grab rails. The bolts on my 2006 over the years have also shown signs of surface rust. I have cleaned the rust in the past. This spring I decided to replace the bolts and was surprised when I went to remove the bolts the hex heads snapped off without any effort. I was able to remove the washer and grab the remaining stud with vice grips and back the bolt out. Threaded section that went through cabin roof into the grab rail looked like new stainless. The rust/corrosion was just behind the bolt head. I replaced bolts one at a time without getting into removing and rebedding the grab rail as they were not leaking. Squeezed compound up in the hole before putting the new bolts in. Recently noticed the pulpit bolt heads look the same so they are on my list to replace.

 

[warthog5]

The bolts are 304 series stainless.... They will rust. Step up to 316 stainless [special order] Tef Gel on the threads.

 

[Reefrunner]

T

 

[Bodick93]

Good tip.
If you see ANY rust, metal has gone away to make it.
And good tip on the tefgel. I need to do my tank sending unit and all the cabin bolts.

If y'all have a bolt on under- platform ladder, those bolts need tefgel badly as well.