Anybody install Pop-up cleats?

[kaneboats]

Has anyone installed pop-up cleats? I'm going to tackle this one night this week so I thought I'd see if anyone had any great advice (or even good advice -- I'll even take average advice as long as it's based on experience). Thanks ahead of time. Boat's a 2000 OB LS.

[Waynes345]

I installed pop-up cleats last year.

Use tape where you are drilling (blue masking tape works well).
Run the drill in reverse to keep chipping to a minimum.
Make sure you've checked top and bottom to make sure you have them where you want them.
Measure twice.
Measure twice.
Did I mention measuring twice?
Use some Loctite on the threads.

Good luck.

[kaneboats]

Thanks a bunch. I need to get around to this soon.

[NCSUmoomba]

Wayne hit it pretty much spot on. Check everything repeatedly. Make sure you have enough room to tighten the nuts on the bottom. And make sure you scrape any foam out of the way that may be under the rear ones.

[kaneboats]

Didn't get to it this week-- I'll have 'em in for Tampa though.

[Northofthe49th]

I did a full set a month ago here are some hints
Make a template of the bottom of your cleat out of sheet metal preferably
Trace this on the masking tape once you measure out location
Drill 3/8 or 1/4 where bolts go through
Always pilot drill to avoid chipping
Then here's the the best tool
Use a router with a cylinder cutter (full size two handed type)
cuts fiberglass like butter join the bolt holes following your pattern
Make sure you leave masking tape on boat for protection
You can even protect the router base with tape too
I also made thin rubber pads for the cleats to sit on to avoid spider cracks
four cleats done in less then a hour once your set up

[kaneboats]

What did you make the pads out of?

[Northofthe49th]

1/16 black sheet rubber

[pickle311]

I also did it a couple of years ago on my Outback. I just covered the area with masking tape and marked where I wanted the holed. I drilled a small pilot hole then the size I needed. I don't remember what size it is. I don't understand why everyone says to drill in reverse. You would crap your pants if you had seen all the holes I drilled in my new LSV and I never had a single one chip. Heck, I drilled 6 holes on the outside from thru hull fitting for the ballast system, no chips.

The only problem I had was tightening the nuts on the cleats. I didn't have a socket that big, only a wrench. There was no room to turn the wrench enough to get them snug on the rear cleats.

[PWO]

I have a probably easy question about installing some cleats on the bow. How do you get access underneath to tighten the bolts?

I have a new to me 06 OBV. I played with it a little today and if I took the front seats off and reached under and up towards the bow, I could touch where the base of the cleats would be but really wasn't sure how I would securely tighten the nuts there. Maybe I could with a ratchet but seemed like it would be a pretty tight squeeze.

I didn't get a chance to try today but it also looked like I could probably take off the front speakers for slightly better access.

Is it one of those two methods and just dealing with it? Or am I missing another way to get at that space?

[jmvotto]

the front cleats are slightly ahead of the windsheild, they are not that far up to where the speakers are. IMO thats were they should be though.;)

[PWO]

the front cleats are slightly ahead of the windsheild, they are not that far up to where the speakers are. IMO thats were they should be though.;)

I don't have any front cleats unless they're really well hidden. I wanted to add some about where the speakers are (or maybe even slightly in front of that). I'll just take those off when I get a chance and see what I see.

[jmvotto]

SC/dealer installs them between the tower feet as you can see from the pic. IMO i wish it was further toward the bow but those spots are hard to get to as you are experiencing .

https://forum.moomba.com/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=109

[PWO]

Yep they are MIA; I just have the rear ones.

[kaneboats]

I like 'em better further forward too but the boat narrows a lot very quickly up there. So, if you put them too far forward you can't use them to tie off when you raft up and stuff. Keep them close to the widest part of the hull if you want to hang your hoppity hops or bumpers from them.

[mmandley]

It depends on how fare forward you add the cleats.

The factory location on the front cleats puts them a few inches before my front tower leg. When looking into the cubby you can access them on the Port side. Starboard side its under the dash up near my ski locker ballast drain hole.

The rears are in the ballast storage lockers.

Heres the only real picture i have of the inside where the cleat comes threw. This is the divers area. The passenger area same location right in front of the brace you see in this picture.

The rear are in a flat section just drill and drop no obstacles.

[PWO]

Got the boat out of storage and the next main thing to work on is getting to this cleat install. I have a few questions about placement.

Many of the places I would dock the boat have slips you pull into, with lines/poles around the corners and the only dock at the bow perpendicular with the boat. I want to make sure I put the cleats in a place where docking like this is both not a pain and will of course keep things as secure as necessary. Specifically like these:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_x-_HOfpIzK0/SqhTrEIgfSI/AAAAAAAAB58/p8f8L3DzIGI/s800/IMG_1032.JPG

I understand the factory placement of the cleats with respect to dropping bumpers from them. If I don't put cleats there I can always hang a bumper around one of the tower legs if needed, so it's not a major issue for me. I worry that with the factory placement they are a little too far back for docking at slips like above.

I've tested around the bow and near the very tip where the triangle of the bow is still open there's plenty room to get under and ratchet the cleats if I put them there. Further down the gunnel is probably going to be a little tight and I would probably not want them there in case I put in a bow rail later.

So, at the tip/triangle of the bow, I could put them on the same portion of the gunnel that that that the factory cleats are on (just way more forward of course) but this section isn't exactly flat and has a bit of a curve. I wonder if it's too curved to put the cleats on or if it would be ok? The baseplate I got wobbles a bit in this position but it's a bit wider than the cleat.

If the curve is a problem there is the very flat portion at the top of the bow but I wonder if that's just an odd/odd looking position for cleats.

Any thoughts? Maybe some pictures will help I'll try to get some later. In the mean time this mspaint recreation may help. Red vs. Blue in terms of the bow position.

[VanGaal]

I took the factory installed ones. Quite frankly I hardly use them. When in the harbor I have my boat covered, and the cleats are under the cover :(

[kaneboats]

On my O/B, I thought they would be more useful further forward. The pic shows my 2000 OB in the foreground and Maxpower's newer (08?) OB in the background. Mine were located in a slightly curved part of the decking. No big deal. You can put a piece of inner tube or ski binding under it for a pad and cut the center out to take up the slack if you want.

[Waynes345]

On my O/B, I thought they would be more useful further forward. The pic shows my 2000 OB in the foreground and Maxpower's newer (08?) OB in the background. Mine were located in a slightly curved part of the decking. No big deal. You can put a piece of inner tube or ski binding under it for a pad and cut the center out to take up the slack if you want.

That is exactly where I installed mine on my '99 Outback. I don't have a tower or anything else up in there, so there was a reasonable amount of room to work.

[maxpower220]

The only thing I like about the location from SC is that I can reach them from the driver's seat. I usually have a bumper there when pulling up to a dock, easy to install and remove.

[jacum-gee05]

I have an 05 mobius ls and I'm thinking about installing some factory pop-up cleats does anyone have any pics or any advice on installing these on this model boat?