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how to lower dinette table on '85 E35-3 ?

Randall Brooks

New Member
Greetings
Anyone have the secret to lowering the dinette table on an E35-3 ? Mine has a black knob on a lower collar that keeps the table from swiveling, but does not allow the table to lower into a berth. Any ideas please ?

thks !
 

fool

Member III
Hmmm...same knob should adjust height, at least that's how it works on mine.

I'd guess you have an indent that is keeping the table from swiveling, but not lowering. Are you backing the knob all the way out?

Can you try lifting instead of lowering?
 

Randall Brooks

New Member
yes, I backed the black knob all the way out - nothing. When I try to lift the table it seems to hit something and stops. And no luck when trying to push the table down either. It seems to be a mystery....I'm fairly hands on, but either a malfunction or something else.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I have seen other boats with similar dinette style table where the knob was loosened and the table lifted off. Then the pillar was lifted out of the base and stored. Step #3 was then laying the table top down on some perimeter supports and putting a "fill cushion" over it to make up a sleeping berth.
 

Cory B

Sustaining Member
On our 35-3 it lifts up just as Loren describes. It jams a little and sometimes you have to give it a really strong tug while twisting a little at the same time.

We have a knob on the upper collar as well, which you should too if your's is designed to be lifted up.
 
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Randall Brooks

New Member
hmmm, Mine only has one collar at the bottom. Maybe a few squirts of WD 40 and I'll try to lift it out. Thks very much for your suggestions !


Randall
'Endless Summer'
'85 - E35-3, #201
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
The 32-3 had a hole in the floorboard underneath. You lowered the tube into the bilge.

Since these base/tube connections are famous for twisting, a PO may have "sealed" it in place. I'm about to put a set screw in mine, so it doesn't knock out of true.
 

MMLOGAN

Member III
How to keep from breaking your table edges

When you are able to get the table up and off of the post that it came with, you can drop the table into the opening formed by the seats to make a bed. As suggested above there is a lip that the table sits on.

If you have kids with no sense or very large sailors on board that table can take a lot of abuse in the "bed" position. After repairing ours twice, I found a matching diameter aluminum tube and cut it to length to fill the gap between the table and the base in the "bed" position. Have not had a n issue since.

Best,
 

GrandpaSteve

Sustaining Member
Maybe a PO put something inside the post to hold it up steady. Try pulling the table out of the post to take a look.
 

nquigley

Sustaining Member
small pin in mine

For my E32-3 table, I do have the black knob, but I also have a small hole in the shaft (on both sides) and a thin metal pin poking through it that then rests on the top of the outer tube on both sides.
I guess the PO felt the friction knob wasn't holding it up so he put this pin in place. Or, it's there so the friction knob can be backed off at all times to let the table swivel freely as needed.
 

mfield

Member III
dinette table

The table top should slide down until the table meets the teak cleats. However, the single pole table is such a wobbly affair that I have two hose clamps around it to try and stabilize it. In your case I suspect a previous owner glued the whole thing together.
 

debonAir

Member III
possibly corroded

My 84 35-3 table lowers (and raises) just by loosening the black knob. I think the table swivels as well when the knob's not tight. The pole on the table remains on the table in both positions. I imagine your table might have been left in the up-position for years and the aluminum (I think) pole has corroded into the base fitting a bit. Perhaps take out the black knob entirely, heat the base with a torch (not too hot!). That might loosen her up a bit. You might even be able to unscrew the mechanism from both table and boat and use a hammer-drift to tap the pole out from the bottom of fitting on a bench. Could be there is a lip or something on the pole that's catching. Good luck! I haven't used the table as berth yet (just bought the boat) but I am really looking forward to it.
 
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