retractable wheel fish house frame problem

[JIGGS]

I have a retractable wheel fish house from Ice Castle. My problem occurs when trying to set the house down using the winch. The pivot point (steel bar inside of steel pipe) has rusted to the point that even the weight of the house does not budge it. Anyone had this or similar problem? Looking for suggestions to fix it.

[upnorth]

Try soaking it with penetrating oil yet? Or maybe a little heat?

[eyebjim]

yes. It is fairly common. Most of these do not come with any way to grease the tube that is the problem. Solution: drill 1 or 2 holes in the outer tube of the pivot and tap to 1/4-28. screw in a zerk fitting and grease the heck out of it. It will likely take some moving back and forth to get the grease thru the pivot and it may take a bit of heat too. once it frees up keep it greased and it wont get stuck again.

[Eric Wettschreck]

When all else fails, get a bigger hammer.

Just kidding...........kinda. I'm a boilermaker, we don't use little hammers.

The advice on drilling and tapping a 1/4 28 hole and screwing in a zerk is spot on.

If that doesn't work, beat the snot out of it with the biggest hammer you can find. It's rusted and the rust needs to be broken loose.

[JIGGS]

I have one side broken loose and moving freely, the other side is still very hard to move. Any other ideas?

[eyebjim]

Have you tried using a little heat? get a propane torch and heat it up, move it, heat it up, move it. And add some more grease periodically so it may get further into the rust. I think once you get it moved back and forth several times like this and adding grease at different positions it should get looser.

[Phred52]

Jiggs, I just finished getting mine broke loose last Tuesday. I didn't want to use heat as my frame is powder-coated. I started with penetrating oil and an 8# maul. Got it moving a little at a time, back and forth, each time some new rust came exposed, I'd buff it off. Took ALOT of time and effort but my paint is still intact and my swingarms now are equipped with zerks and working freely. Good Luck, Phred52