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Illusion x tower pins stuck


svnfightsvn

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So I just winterized my 2007 VLX and I want to do some maintenance on the trailer (new bunks, carpet, grind down some surface rust and paint) so a have to get the boat off. I don’t live on the water but a marina near me has a “boatel” where I can store the boat. Basically they take a forklift and lift your boat off the trailer and stick it into a spot. Problem is, I can’t do it with the tower up. I tried to get the pins out but they are stuck. I took off all the speakers and board racks, wiggled up and down on the cross member and even held it up with a car jack and 2x4 while I tried pliers on it and still no luck. I can’t budge or even rotate them at all. In fact the keychain type rings they have through them are now all bent up from me prying on them. Is there anything I can do? Could I maybe weld a longer piece of metal to it (I think it’s stainless?) and use that to pull on?

 

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Unlikely but they may be bent from wear. So as not to be straight and not pull out. Then they would need to be drilled and replaced. I know I need to keep an eye on mine so they don’t fall out. With all the shaking on a tower I can’t see them being rusted in place. Let us know what you find. 

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7 hours ago, Eagleboy99 said:

Do they go right through?  If so, you could drift them out.  If not PB BLaster and let it sit a while.

They don’t go through. Only in and out one way. And I did spray PB Blaster into it and let it sit for like 20 minutes. Maybe I need to let it sit longer...

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8 hours ago, Sparky450 said:

Unlikely but they may be bent from wear. So as not to be straight and not pull out. Then they would need to be drilled and replaced. I know I need to keep an eye on mine so they don’t fall out. With all the shaking on a tower I can’t see them being rusted in place. Let us know what you find. 

I hope they aren’t bent but they do hold the entire weight of the tower with all its accessories. When you say “drilled”, how would I go about that? I could drill a hole straight into it with a titanium bit or something but how would I get it out? Tap it, thread a bolt into it and pull on that?

Edited by svnfightsvn
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That's strange.  Mine are tough to get out sometimes but usually if i put my shoulder under the tower and lift up right where the tower begins to curve above the base , while pulling the pin it will come out.  Then I can do the same on the other side.  I had my boat for like 11 years before I ever needed to lower the tower.  Now I have a garage that requires me to lower so not sure if that made a difference with mine.  I also only have two racks and two tower speakers so not much weight.

 

 

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7 hours ago, Sparky450 said:

Unlikely but they may be bent from wear. So as not to be straight and not pull out. Then they would need to be drilled and replaced. I know I need to keep an eye on mine so they don’t fall out. With all the shaking on a tower I can’t see them being rusted in place. Let us know what you find. 

 I constantly check mine because they tend to move and I actually lost one doing a 3 hour drive when I first bought the boat.  I didn’t realize each side has a little Allen screw plunger that you screw down (inside the tower when folded down) that puts enough resistance on the pin that keeps the it set but not so much you can’t pull them out.  Take a look at this 

https://www.bakesonline.com/images/MediaLibrary/IllusionXpin.pdf

You have tried to have someone push to tower up and towards the rear while you tried to pull the pins or rotate them to pull out? 

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16 minutes ago, Cazan said:

 I constantly check mine because

You have tried to have someone push to tower up and towards the rear while you tried to pull the pins or rotate them to pull out? 

I actually shake the tower up and down while my wife adjusts or pulls the pins. They move real easy like this.  I rarely lower my tower. Maybe 4 times in eleven years 🤪

Edited by Sparky450
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43 minutes ago, Cazan said:

 I constantly check mine because they tend to move and I actually lost one doing a 3 hour drive when I first bought the boat.  I didn’t realize each side has a little Allen screw plunger that you screw down (inside the tower when folded down) that puts enough resistance on the pin that keeps the it set but not so much you can’t pull them out.  Take a look at this 

https://www.bakesonline.com/images/MediaLibrary/IllusionXpin.pdf

You have tried to have someone push to tower up and towards the rear while you tried to pull the pins or rotate them to pull out? 

Yes. I shook the tower by pushing up and back while a buddy tried to pull the pin. No dice . Couldn’t even rotate it. 

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27 minutes ago, Sparky450 said:

I actually shake the tower up and down while my wife adjusts or pulls the pins. They move real easy like this.  I rarely lower my tower. Maybe 4 times in eleven years 🤪

Yea I think I’ve only lowered the tower once in 10 years and that was about 5 years ago back when I was fixing the issue I wrote about in this post:

http://www.themalibucrew.com/index.php?/forums/topic/47098-illusion-x-tower-powder-coating-issue/&tab=comments#comment-667563

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1 hour ago, svnfightsvn said:

Yea I think I’ve only lowered the tower once in 10 years and that was about 5 years ago back when I was fixing the issue I wrote about in this post:

http://www.themalibucrew.com/index.php?/forums/topic/47098-illusion-x-tower-powder-coating-issue/&tab=comments#comment-667563

Where are you located? Ocean climate? 

Edited by Sparky450
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There is a set screw on the top of the pin that holds it in place as well, it’s used to adjust tightness of the pin. You can barley see it when you look over the top of the bottom tower mount (if that makes sense) put my boat away otherwise I would take a pic of it. You can maybe see half the hole where there’s a slotted set screw, I can get to mine with a small terminal screw driver. See if it’s tight 

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8 hours ago, Sparky450 said:

Where are you located? Ocean climate? 

I’m in Virginia (the Hampton Roads area) Not really near the ocean but most of the waterways in this area are brackish

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5 hours ago, BaBaLoO said:

There is a set screw on the top of the pin that holds it in place as well, it’s used to adjust tightness of the pin. You can barley see it when you look over the top of the bottom tower mount (if that makes sense) put my boat away otherwise I would take a pic of it. You can maybe see half the hole where there’s a slotted set screw, I can get to mine with a small terminal screw driver. See if it’s tight 

I cannot get the pins out so there is no way I can get to the set screw. The set screw is inside the tower base and to access it you need to lower the tower. If I could lower the tower I wouldn’t be writing this post

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54 minutes ago, svnfightsvn said:

I cannot get the pins out so there is no way I can get to the set screw. The set screw is inside the tower base and to access it you need to lower the tower. If I could lower the tower I wouldn’t be writing this post

You might have to remove the tower from the hull so you can work on it at a different angle.  Not that difficult to do but having 3 people makes it easier.  

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3 hours ago, svnfightsvn said:

I cannot get the pins out so there is no way I can get to the set screw. The set screw is inside the tower base and to access it you need to lower the tower. If I could lower the tower I wouldn’t be writing this post

You can get to it with the tower in the up position with the pin in. At least on mine you can. 

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@svnfightsvn Idea, maybe stoopid......drill and tap both pins with a course thread, 3/8" if possible, screw in an eyelet or something and put a come along between the two and pull.....sketchy, yes but I am a welder and we like to smash things........

Edited by mackie12
  • Like 2
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22 minutes ago, mackie12 said:

@svnfightsvn Idea, maybe stoopid......drill and tap both pins with a course thread, 3/8" if possible, screw in an eyelet or something and put a come along between the two and pull.....sketchy, yes but I am a welder and we like to smash things........

I like how you think ;)

how difficult is it to drill into stainless?

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2 hours ago, BaBaLoO said:

You can get to it with the tower in the up position with the pin in. At least on mine you can. 

You probably don’t have the illusion IX tower then because it’s impossible to access those set screws with the tower up. I looked at your profile and if it’s up to date and you still have your 2008 lsv, you have an illusion XS tower which is different

Edited by svnfightsvn
  • Like 1
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@svnfightsvn dumb question again, but did you try to turn the pins? Mine wont come out unless they are in the unlock position.

and yes, drilling S/S is more difficult but still easy, tapping is also a little more difficult but I would just put the tap in a drill and do a thread or two, back out and go forward again.

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1 hour ago, mackie12 said:

@svnfightsvn dumb question again, but did you try to turn the pins? Mine wont come out unless they are in the unlock position.

and yes, drilling S/S is more difficult but still easy, tapping is also a little more difficult but I would just put the tap in a drill and do a thread or two, back out and go forward again.

Yes and we can’t even rotate/turn them. Oddly enough they were already in the unlock position (with the keychain ring out of its little notch).

Guess I will try drilling and tapping them

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