Eq3 mount azimuth bolts stiff

[Thalestris24]

Hi

It sounds like your rear bolt might have bent... . Perhaps you could post a photo? You might be able to screw it in a bit rather than out? That should reveal the end of it which could allow you to straighten it enough to unscrew it else saw the inside of the bent end off. Astro Developments do upgrade bolts: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EQ5-CG5-Replacement-upgrade-Altitude-Adjustment-Bolts-/280618415279 They don't specifically mention EQ3 bolts so I would contact them.

Louise

[bradfrankshaw]

Hi - yes I've loosened the rear bolt as much as and taken a close up with my mobile plus flash. I can see a slight bend at the far end near the mount body. It's only perceptible up close and it may be twistable with someone with better fingers but no hope for me Any thoughts? I saw a cross post about the same on an eq5 or 6 and the solution was to rebend it with the bottom bolt.

Frank

[Thalestris24]

Hi - yes I've loosened the rear bolt as much as and taken a close up with my mobile plus flash. I can see a slight bend at the far end near the mount body. It's only perceptible up close and it may be twistable with someone with better fingers but no hope for me Any thoughts? I saw a cross post about the same on an eq5 or 6 and the solution was to rebend it with the bottom bolt.

Frank

Hi

Can you post the picture - might be useful. You might need somebody's help with it... I expect someone else here can come up with some suggestions

Louise

[RichM63]

Hi - yes I've loosened the rear bolt as much as and taken a close up with my mobile plus flash. I can see a slight bend at the far end near the mount body. It's only perceptible up close and it may be twistable with someone with better fingers but no hope for me Any thoughts? I saw a cross post about the same on an eq5 or 6 and the solution was to rebend it with the bottom bolt.

Frank

Thoughts, with your dodgy fingers in mind, why not take it to your local old fashioned garage (if you have one) the mechanic will have unlimited experience with bent and stuck bolts/screws/studs and how to extract and then straighten them.

If your fingers were OK I'd say pull the bolt then screw a couple of nuts both above and below the bend. Then place the unit in a vice and tighten against the bend and the nuts, by default this would straighten the bolt without damaging the threads.

[bradfrankshaw]

Hi everyone sorry for the delay. Attached is a picture. It does look bent I'm in Horsham and my closest astro shop is Astronomia in Dorking. Are these shops geared up for repairs like this? If not there is a well known handyman store down the road I could try. I'm simply not tooled up for repairs myself.

Once this is repaired how do I avoid doing this again?

Thanks

Frank

[Peter Drew]

Definitely bent.  The bend reduces the original thread pitch on the inside of the bend and increases it on the outside, this is why it is difficult to unscrew. There are several ways to help the extraction but if, as you say, you have a physical and experience problem then the suggestion to seek professional help is a good one. Ultimately the bolt will probably need to be replaced, to avoid a repeat of the problem make sure that the pivot is free enough to be stiffly moved by hand, this component seems regularly to be overtightened on assembly by the manufacturer.  Good luck. 

[Thalestris24]

Hi

Hope you can get the bent bolt extracted. Most folks get the altitude upgrade bolts - much better quality In any case, when adjusting, always loosen one bolt before tightening the other.

Louise

[bradfrankshaw]

Hi all - ok I've taken the altitude section apart and the news gets worse I thought the two bolts were equal size. As it turns out they're not. The little one is out and fine. The bigger one is bent badly. See the photos. So how the heck would anyone get that bolt out!! Can the complete unit be replaced?

Frank

[Thalestris24]

Hi

Oh dear, that's not good. If you can't extract it yourself then I suppose it would have to be a workshop job But I think it's recoverable.

Louise

[bradfrankshaw]

Wish I knew how I'd messed it up so badly. I will find out from Astronomia if they fix this sort of thing.

Frank

[D4N]

Wow that's properly bent.

It looks like the latitude bolt was somehow on the wrong side of the plate it's meant to push. Did you insert the bolt with the RA axis vertical rather than horizontal?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Thalestris24]

Wish I knew how I'd buggered it up so badly. I will find out from Astronomia if they fix this sort of thing.

Frank

Hi

Maybe try a local garage/car mechanic if you happen to know one. I think the best strategy might be to screw it back in and then cut the inside part of the bolt off. It should then unscrew ok.

Louise

[JamesF]

If the bolt will screw in then I'd screw it in a few turns until it becomes easier to turn, cut the bolt, say, 5mm from the outside face of the mount and then saw a slot into the cut face.  It should then be possible to screw the bolt in the rest of the way with a screwdriver and have it drop out inside.  Something like a Dremel would probably make the job pretty straightforward, but I'm sure any mechanic or engineering shop would be able remove it faster than you'd be able to get your wallet open to offer them the price of a beer.

James

[Thalestris24]

If the bolt will screw in then I'd screw it in a few turns until it becomes easier to turn, cut the bolt, say, 5mm from the outside face of the mount and then saw a slot into the cut face.  It should then be possible to screw the bolt in the rest of the way with a screwdriver and have it drop out inside.  Something like a Dremel would probably make the job pretty straightforward, but I'm sure any mechanic or engineering shop would be able remove it faster than you'd be able to get your wallet open to offer them the price of a beer.

James

In fact, thinking about it, it might simply 'screw in' with fingers from the inside.

Louise

[bradfrankshaw]

Cheers guys n girls. Is this approach something I should take up with an astronomy shop who might have experience in this or find a local precision engineer workshop?

Cheers

Frank

[Thalestris24]

Hi

Well I think just to get the bent bolt out, anyone with a few tools should be able to do it ok.

Louise

[Lonestar70]

Cheers guys n girls. Is this approach something I should take up with an astronomy shop who might have experience in this or find a local precision engineer workshop?

Cheers

Frank

 All you need is a small junior hacksaw.

Cut the bolt as in the picture and then cut a slot in the end.

Use a screwdriver to screw the bolt right through to the inside... and remove it.

Purchase a new set of better grade bolts and re-assemble the mount.

You should then be able to align it.

Hope this helps.

Best regards.