I’ve had similar problems with a number of the ports on my N26U, and am equally unwilling to spring for Atkins & Hoyle parts at Atkins & Hoyle prices.
If anyone knows where to go and can post, “just buy this…”, I’d like to know, too.
I haven’t had any luck finding anyone on-line who advertises a direct replacement.
I did research springs a bit and can share my limited partial knowledge in a few sentences:
- The type of spring we’re looking for is called a “torsion” spring.
- There are a number of sources for stainless steel torsion springs, e.g., McMaster-Carr
- To order one that replaces another, as I notice Brian pointed out, we’d need to know the following parameters: angle of the legs at rest, diameter of the interior, lefthand or righthand wind, number of coils, leg length, maximum torque, wire diameter, and leg length.
If someone had a spare spring, I have a mechanical engineer stepson who could look at it and figure those things out. I don’t have a spare and haven’t worked up the courage to dismantle a working port just to get at one.
FWIW, my hack in the meantime was to remove the screw serving as the hinge, fashion some thick silicone washers, slip them between the frame and port fittings while reinserting the screw, and then tightening the screw until there was enough friction to hold the port in position when opened. Those screws are hex-head bolts and likely held with Loctite, so a right-angle tool helps to get at them with enough leverage to get them out.
If I wanted to pass white glove inspection, I should’ve cut the washers a bit more cleanly because they’re visible on close inspection and look like the hack that they are. Doing it better wouldn’t be too hard. I just haven’t wanted to. People who inspect my boat closely enough to notice and judge aren’t people I invite back, anyway.
It’s served well enough for a bit over a year, so I guess it’ll do for awhile.
But, again, if someone knows where to get an affordable replacement spring, I’m interested, too.
– Bob