Help! Heq5 Altitude bolts 'stuck'

[JohnJ]

I'm currently sitting here with heq5 in a bit of a panic!

It's its cloudy so the last couple of nights I've been getting to know my mount and setting it up, practicing etc.

Tonight I have went to move the altitude using the 2 bolts provided but I can get them to go in more than 10mm before tightening up on me. The altitude dial doesn't move and it happens on both bolts on both sides!

I don't get it because I was able to use bolts last night no problems when I was polar aligning. Tonight they won't budge!

I hope this is just me being stupid, any suggestions would be great.

Also I notice that I can move the 'altitude' by hand but its stiff.

Please help

[Bizibilder]

The bolts are "opposing" - that is you have to undo one of them before moving the other one. If you undo both bolts (anti-clockwise) they should become free (and you will lose your altitude setting). Undo them fully and you should be able to move the "altitude" but it will be stiff to move. When tightening them don't overtighten - move the one that you need to adjust the altitude of your mount then just "nip up" the other bolt to "lock" the altitude in position.

The bolts operate against a metal "lug" that sits between them - as one bolt pushes on the lug the other has to be released first. Hope this helps.

It is possible that by overtightening the bolts you may have bent them - this has been known to happen!

[JohnJ]

But the thing is I can't get them in to begin with they instantly tighten up after a few turns. It's strange!

[Astro Imp]

Don't want to be the bringer of doom but have you bent them or stripped a thread?

[Sirius Bizness]

The bolts are known to bend. Can you get them out completely? Then have a look if they are straight.

[ronin]

Are they the ones that came with the mount?

If so they are notoriously bendy.

If you have replaced them with better ones then no idea, problem is you are describing what is a fairly normal problem.

[JohnJ]

They look straight. Like I say I've needing using them last night no problems. Just tonight I've come to put them back in and they won't seem to go in.

[JohnJ]

These are bolts that came with the mount

[VigdisVZ]

Any lubrication?

[Andymac79]

You shouldnt need any lube. If they only go in a few turns either they are bent, the threads are damaged or there is an obstruction. Work through all 3 carefully and find the fault.

[Pig]

Did you release the clamps that lock the mount movements before removing the bolts ? if not you may have deformed the threads. also the clamps will have to be released before you can put the bolts back in ?

[Bizibilder]

If you roll the bolts on a hard flat surface you will soon see if they are bent. You may just have some grit or paint stuck in the threads - you may be able to clean the holes if you have a thin "brush". For lubrication use vasaline (or grease) if you have some.

[studdedsole]

Try screwing in both bolts from one side to see if one will screw in better than the other, they may just have become "sided" due to use and thread variability and won't interchange with each other, I know it's unlikely but you never know

[VigdisVZ]

Luckily if worst comes to worst, the bolt issues have a number of possible fixes. Lets not hope it comes to that however.

[JohnJ]

There is some metal immediately through the hole, but I thought is was supposed to be like that? It's as if something has 'happened' and all Iof a sudden I can screw them in.

Both wife and I can't see that the bolts are bent.

[JohnJ]

Is this normal?

[VigdisVZ]

Any chance you could try and take some pictures of that, through the hole??

Well depending on the angle of the the mount, you should be able to screw in atleast one of the bolts...

Can you nudge the altitude by hand with no bolts inserted?

Do you have an astronomical society closeby that could take a peek at it in person.

[VigdisVZ]

Is this normal?

Can you nudge the head by hand to about 50 degrees?

[JohnJ]

It's stiff but I can freely move the altitude by hand. But that seems to make no difference to where the screws are getting stuck (after a few turns)

[VigdisVZ]

The mount and head look normal to me.

Is it both screws from both sides?

Also can you verify they stop befor they touch the metal lip on the head.

[Pig]

how difficult was it to remove the bolts ?

[Bizibilder]

That piece of metal is the bit that the bolt pushes against to adjust the altitude of the mount - you can see the marks where the bolt has scuffed the paint. That bolt will only go in a short way but the opposite bolt should go in quite a way until it contacts the other side of the metal part that you show in the picture.

[Chris]

You could try running the bolts through a nut with the same pitch thread just to make sure the bolt threads are ok. Same with the thread on the mount, try another bolt.

[VigdisVZ]

To be honest replacement bolts is an idea even if there is no apparent problems.

[Chris]

I know these mounts have friction bolts under the plastic side panels it could be that these are set too tight like the ones on my EQ6, mine took a bit of work to set to 52 degrees.