Help! FCT captive bolt stuck

[patoloco]

I've taken my tower up and down tons of times with no problem. Just tried to put the boat in the garage and the "captive bolt" knob on one side is stuck.

I can tighten it down all the way ...but no matter how much I loosen it, it will not allow me to pull it down to free the top part of the tower. If I continue to loosen it, it pushes the top part of tower up, but it will not release. Tried some WD-40 in there to see if it would loosen it up with no luck

Any tips??

[DanielC]

RE: Help! FCT captive bolt stuck

Patoloco, I am guessing that part of the aluminuim thread on the upper part of the tower has come loose (stripped) and is stuck on the stainless bolt on the knob. Once you get it apart, a helicoil thread insert will be needed to be put back in the tower. If you can lift the upper part of the tower and hold it up, a gental tap with a block of wood on the knob, down may break it loose. It might also break the knob, but that can be replaced, if you need to.

[Grant_West]

Is the bolt stuck on both side's I would have some one push up on the tower as you un screw the bolt. See if you can get any bite on the threds by forcing the tower up as you un screw. My tower did the same thing. and thats how I fixed it. After I got the tower down I put 2 heili coil's in each leg

[patoloco]

Thanks for the tips

Bolt was stuck on one side, spent about 2 hours working on it in the freezing cold, tried the push up and turn thing, but not on both sides, as I was by myself. I actually had plenty of bite on the bolt, as it would go from tightening it down to actually pushing the tower leg up out of the hole...but never releasing.

Took it to my dealer and of course he popped it out in about 2 minutes..haha. (Thanks Mark!) At least now I see how to do it if it happens again. Thinks maybe there is some sort of clip loose.