Wednesday, the 3rd March, 2010

Exhaust pipe removal.


Q. How do you remove a 100mm exhaust pipe that is four metres long and has been in place for the best part of 40 years?

A. With two ropes, a socket set, a screwdriver, hammer, and with a number of sacrificial pieces of timber to hit.

I have to remove the exhaust pipes to be able to get to the hull behind them. Each exhaust pipe is four meters long and 100mm diameter. Having used the socket set and screwdriver to remove the bolts and screws holing it in place – the first length of rope makes a support system to stop the pipe from hitting the pipe from hitting the ground when I finally get it free.

With the second rope I create a prussic loop around the end of the pipe and tie it around a fence post a couple of metres behind the boat. A piece of pipe creates a Spanish winch – allowing me to apply some lateral tension to pull the exhaust pipe off – and the hammer at the front end loosens it enough to easily pop off (eventually).

The sacrificial pieces of wood – they were for banging my head against – when I said ‘eventually’, I meant about an hour.