Mast extension stuck

Aerobzh · Joined: 08 Dec 2009 Posts: 17 Location: Central New Jersey

Hello,

Any tips on removing an aluminum extension stuck in a mast?
I think I have tried pretty much everything … 2 booms clamped on the mast, filling it up with vinegar to try to dissolve the salt, the last attempt was to attached the end of the mast to a tree and the end of the extension to the car …. No success, the line broke and the extension is still stuck. At this point I’m ready to sacrifice the extension in order to save the mast ..
Any suggestion would be welcome.
Thank you.

Aerobzh · Joined: 08 Dec 2009 Posts: 17 Location: Central New Jersey

Tapping the extension or the mast ?

tm00 · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:17 pm Post subject:

Try tapping it with a rubber mallet.
tm00

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

What's the configuration of the extension at the universal connection point?

If its a 2 pin configuration, you can insert a large screwdriver through the two holes in the extension and lever the extension loose. To anchor the mast while you do this, I would recommend fastening the boom close to the base of the mast and stand on it.

Another thing that might help in the effort would be to cool the inside of the extension with some ice cubes in a plastic bag. It just might aid in reducing the diameter of the extension.

Aerobzh · Joined: 08 Dec 2009 Posts: 17 Location: Central New Jersey

Hi,

I did the screwdriver trick but broke one of hole on the base ... still stuck and now unusable as the extension is broken !!! Don't want to buy another mast ...

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

If the extension is already toast, you might want do the ice cube thing and then take a large screw driver or cold chisel and place it against the pulley assembly and then beat it out with a hammer. Pretty brutal, but it might be worth a try.

Aerobzh · Joined: 08 Dec 2009 Posts: 17 Location: Central New Jersey

Yes the extension is dead anyway .... Do you think ice cubes would be cold enought to shrink the base ? What about dry ice ? Could it damage the mast ? In addition to that can I heat the mast with a heat gun or would it damage it as well ? (Mast SDM 60% carbon)

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Wrap the extension and lower mast in ice (or submerge it in near-freezing icewater) until it's all very cold.
While it's chilling, boil a few quarts of water.
Assemble hot water, the mast, and a friend.
If you have no friends, pay a kid or a bum $5 for two minutes of his time.
One of you maintains pulling and twisting pressure on the stuck stuff.
(Make sure the puller/twister person is clear of the hot water.)
The other person yanks the ice off and pours hot water on the mast.
If that fails, repeat with a third person ($10 is still cheaper than a mast) tapping on the mast with a rubber mallet.

Your primary objective is to achieve the greatest temperature difference between extension and base, so hot heat, cold cold, and quick transition all matter.

I've had stuck mast ferrules simply fall apart with this technique (and pistons easily drop into cylinders this way).

Mike \m/

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

Any shrinkage of the extension is very minute, but it just might give you some margin. I really have no direct experience working with dry ice, but there's no question that it's far colder. Yet, ice is quite easy to manipulate and form into the ID of the extension, particularly if the extension is a long one.

I though about the application of heat, but I'm unsure of the heat transfer from the mast to the extension. If you elect to try the application of heat, but I would think that a hair dryer would pose less risk.

DanWeiss · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 2296 Location: Connecticut, USA

Mike's right. You need to get both the mast and the extension as cold as possible so they shrink together. Once both are cold, pouring hot water on the mast only will cause it to expand while the aluminum extension remains at its smaller, shrunk diameter.

Before you do this, however, I highly recommend prying off the plug from the top of the mast (if there is one) and pulling out the water barrier that will be either a foam plug or plastic plate. Shove a hose down the mast and blast away. That might dissolve/dislodge the gunk that is holding the extension fast.

You might also try soaking the stuck section in white vinegar. Vinegar will dissolve any corrosion that may be gluing the extension to the inside of the mast, or otherwise helping to solidify the small sand particles that cause all the friction.