Portlight removal

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 8:22 pm

(An appeal to those who've been there and done that)

I happened to have someone with me at the boat today, so I shoved a visegrip in his hand and Tom Sawyer'ed him into helping me remove the fastenings from all of the deck hardware.

We removed the four bolts that secure the portlight frame to the cabin side, but it wasn't immediately obvious how we should get the assembly back through the hole without disassembling it farther, so we let them be and proceeded onto other objects.

What's the trick? Is it just a matter of wiggling this way and that? Do you disconnect the hinged part from the frame? if so, how? I couldn't see an easy way to pull the pin.

Post by **dasein668** » Wed Nov 24, 2004 11:49 pm

I just pulled all of mine... it was a misery due to the ridiculous quantities of silicone sealant that were used...

I'm now re-reading your post and am not 100% clear on what you did...

In my case, I removed the six screws (not 4 bolts) from the trim ring (exterior). The rest of the port is one piece. I suppose the hinged part with the glass could be removed, actually, but it isn't necessary. Once the exterior trim ring is removed, its simply a matter of "pulling" the port loose from the interior. It was very very very difficult to do on my boat, but after much swearing and grunting I was able to get a 5-in-one tool (and screwdrivers, and the claw of a hammer) in behind the interior lip of the port and prying the f*!%ing thing loose. Death to silicone.

Does that make sense the way I described it?

Maybe Tim can get some pics of the castings (they are still in the shop Tim, on the shelving unit near the epoxy cart) as removed if that would help, or else I can do it next time I'm at the boat (this weekend).

That was a very parenthetical (well, for me at least) post! Sorry guys!

kaynee30 · Post by **kaynee30** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 3:15 am

Hey! I had those four-screw ports on #30 when I got her.....old design, no interior trim ring, right? Mine were talcified aluminum...which is why I replaced them....all gooped shut, frozen, and glass-broken. Not reparable cuz they're ....aluminum.
Anyway, they come off outside, not inside. All you have to do is open the interior part about 45 degrees, and slide the notched part of the resulting 'butterfly' over to one side....cabin wall's edge in the notch..... then the other side of the interior part will fit through the opening.
Hard to visualize with the unit shut or in place...bit of a puzzle.
I still have the old ones [why, Jeff?] and I just gave a look to refresh my memory.
Hope this is helplul.
Jeff

Post by **Tim** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:10 am

That old design sure is different from the ones seen on most Tritons. They sound like real junkers. I've not looked closely at any of that old design, so don't know anything about them.

Post by **dasein668** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:43 am

Ah! Ok, well you can ignore what I posted then!

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 1:09 pm

I must have an earlier version of what Jeff described. Mine are bronze.
No interior trim ring. Just an outer flange with four screws, nutted on the inside with those pathetic 3/32" thick square nuts. Nary a washer to be found.
The castings are in great shape, actually. But without the interior trim ring, the fit on the inside has a rather clumsy appearance.

Yay! Another item for the "things that vary from one triton to the next" list!

Thanks guys.