eruptn 95 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Hi This is aimed at current and ex Noelex 30 owners who have had the pleasure of servicing the hydraulic ram in the centreboard. There may also be so service/industry people out here too who have done this ..... It would appear there are two methods of doing this; the traditional/common way is to lift the boat with the board extended and pined. Locate the bottom pin, release it and extract ram out of the top after undoing hoses, top pin etc. The second and much less common way is to cut a new hole above the ram, lower the board enough to locate the bottom pin, release it and extract ram more vertically through the new hole. A plate/cover is made afterwards to cover this new hole. I'm after advise/experience with either of these methods. I have been able to talk to a couple of owners and boat yards, who have been a great help. The boat is currently on a trailer in a boat park at Lake Rotoiti (Rotorua). Things I do know, the board is pinned at top and near its bottom. The best guide I have so far is the bottom pin is 240 mm above the bulb top, and 240 mm from the trailing edge of the board (covered in bog). Evidently this is just above the drain holes. There should also be a grub screw on the starboard side, some tell me (others have never seen this). Method 1 In detail (Short form) the boat is placed in a cradle with board down and pinned. Bottom pin is located and released. Top of ram is located and a rope attached (stops it disappearing, evidently this is very important), hoses removed and top pin removed. Ram is rotated and worked out the hole in the deck. Boom has to be off. Method 2 Boat is on a trailer or in a low cradle and the board is lowered enough to locate and release bottom pin. Board would be on ground in most cases. Top of ram is located and a rope attached etc, hoses removed and top pin removed. Ram is worked out through a new hole directly above the top of the ram in it usual location. Again the boom has to be off. I'm biased to method 2 as I should be able to do this in the boat park, leaving mast up etc. Method 1 means dropping the rig and towing the boat to Tauranga to use travel hoist and cradles there. I'm told to allow 3-5 days for the ram to be serviced. As mentioned above all advice and experience greatly accepted. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,235 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Yep, sounds right from what I remember. I took mine out in the water - no cradle, no pin required. It's basically method one, but you need a marina berth or anchorage for a few days. What is the problem? The Pumps fail WAY more often than the rams.... Link to post Share on other sites
eruptn 95 Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 Hi Its the ram, its leaking oil, lots of shiny stuff on the water around the boat. Top up the pump and it works for a while. Link to post Share on other sites
ballystick 72 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I think method one works but you just have to swing the boom to the side. You have to get access to the pin in keel so I'm not sure how could do it as it is bogged up. Also, the ram stops the keel from coming right out of the hull. The pin stops this as the keel will sit on the cover plates that fair it into the hull - could let it bust through. I put a bag over the open ram pipes as the oil squirts everywhere, especially when it is compressed which needs to happen to get it out of the original hole. Trying to bring it out with the keel up would need a larger exit hole I think, why don't you raise the trailer on stands or blocks or put over a pit, that would avoid the tow to Tga etc. it may not have to go all the way down to get it out the original hole? The pin can be exposed easily underneath the trailer. Link to post Share on other sites
The big T 41 Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Did mine years ago (25ish) with method one. The bottom of the ram stays in the water all the time which is where mine failed. Took ram out (on land) and tracked down the company that had made it - Dynamic Hydraulics or similar in Captain Springs Road Onehunga. They pulled out a notebook out with all details of the ram etc and basically grafted on a new bottom. May have measurement etc for pin - I do remember marking this and grinding out with trepidation. See by Google they could now be Dynamic Fluid Systems Int. Ltd - ph 095800480 - 77b Station Rd Penrose. Web site www.dfsi.co.nz. Link to post Share on other sites
eruptn 95 Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Update; Dug a 40 cm deep pit under the board, lowered the board and soon located the bottom pin, it wasn't at the 240 x 240 mm location, more like 260 x 235 mm, but the first pilot holes found the pin area. The grub screw turned out to be on the port side. Pin tapped out with next to no effort. Next stage was to open up the deck above the ram head, ie open up more of the centre case. Then came the real challenge, the top pin. This bugger fought us all the way, but with heat an a very heavy hammer it did yield. Then it was just a matter of disconnecting the two hydraulic lines an lifting the ram out ( it's not light). Thanks to all who contributed advise, memories an data ..... Link to post Share on other sites
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