Strainer swing arms

[PeterK]

Another of my long line of potentially dumb questions: Is there a tool or trick to inserting the split barrels in the strainer cover swing arms? I got so frustrated, I put a bronze cotter pin in just to close one back up.

 

[rustybucket]

Do you have the old barrels out?

I had to replace a few on our old boat. I just cleaned them with some wd-40 and drove in the new barrels. You get the barrel started by holding the barrel with a pair of needle nose pliers and hammering it in with a small hammer, then when barely through one side put the swing arm in and tap the barrel through the rest of the way.

While it wasn't fun, I don't recall it being too bad.

 

[PeterK]

Unfortunately, I really don't have room to use a hammer. The replacement arms came with new barrels.

 

[rustybucket]

Unfortunately, I really don't have room to use a hammer. The replacement arms came with new barrels.

Eh, that is going to be tough... Maybe you could position/squeeze the barrel with needle nose and use a big screwdriver or pry bar to get them in?

Maybe a channel loc opened up very wide so that one jaw is on the other side of the strainer bracket and when you squeeze it it pushes the barrel in?

Maybe a small C clamp in the same fashion as the channel loc but used as a press basically?

If you had 3 hands it would probably help!