fanatic viper

Question
QUESTION: I jus bought an old 11' fanatic viper. everything was great until i got it home. the mechanical u-joint that holds the mast snapped in half. where can i find a part that old or is there some kind of modification i can do, to ride this thing. any help is much appreciated.

ANSWER: Hey Jason,

Those older mechanical joints tend to do that. I recommend replacing it with a rubber universal joint. You should be able to get what you need here - http://www.chinooksailing.com/products/index.php?cPath=2_76

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover

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fanatic viper u-joint  

fanatic viper u-joint   QUESTION: I had been looking at doing that but i'm curious the mech. u-joint has screws coming out of each end. should I get some all-thread and cut it to fit. I'm a mechanical person but i'm not sure how to do this. I cant find any kind of manual to know really how to do this. what all do I have to replace?

Answer
Hey Jason,

Thanks for the pic. It helps me see what you need to do. For the upper part of the base, you need to remove the pins. Look down inside and hook the flat band with something so you can pull it out. Push the pins in and pull the band/pins out. You should see either a bolt or a nut holding the top of the base to the joint. It is probably aged and will be difficult to remove. Use some liquid wrench or similar penetrating fluid to get it to loosen up. Spray it well and let it sit overnight. Because the joint is broken, it won't hurt to clamp it in a vise or with vise grips. Remove the bolt/nut. If it is a bolt, save it or replace it with the same. If it is a nut on a stud, you will need to remove the stud or replace it. You can clamp the stud in a vise using wood between the stud and the vise jaws to prevent damage to the stud. If you need to replace the stud, take it to a local machine shop or parts store to get the threads measured so you can order the correct size stud. Note: All the female inserts on joints are METRIC. Be sure to buy stainless steel to prevent rusting.

The bottom section looks like it has a pin that connects to the board. You will need to remove that pin from the bottom part. It is vital that you NOT damage this pin. It is very likely that you will NOT be able to replace this pin. There are a few aftermarket pins out there but chances of one fitting your board may be slim. If you can't remove it, you could take it to a local machine shop and see about getting one custom made. The screw in part would have to be the same thread size as the stud on the top part.

To remove the pin, again, douse it with penetrating oil overnight. You can clamp the pin into a vise but be sure to place wood on either side of the vise jaws to prevent damage to the pin. Use vise grips or similar on the joint part to remove it from the pin. Use a wire brush to clean up the threads on the pin before installing on the new joint.

Lastly, be sure to use some 'Blue' locktight on the threads of the stud and pin before inserting them into the u-joint. DON'T use Red locktight. Blue is removable, Red is almost permanant. You want to be able to remove them if you find yourself in this position again. If your top piece is a stud/nut type set up, use a nylock nut.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover