Submarine conning tower hatch

[Robotstar5]

You'd probably need to remove one of the cogs before doing that. If I were having a crack at this I'm sure I'd hit it with a lot of WD40 over a period of days beforehand to make sure it had the best chance of breaking free.

Probably better to use proper penetrating fluid such as Plusgas.

 

[jerrytug]

Another one who is local and happy to offer some help (for what it's worth). Would love to have a look around this, is there any chance of organising a private tour for the forum members?

Top idea! I would jump at the chance and do some rust chipping or spanner work, in exchange for a good look around and asking nosy questions.
(One point, you need to get out to it on a small craft, just a stone's throw but it's not on the wall as far as I know.)

 

[Farside]

When the OP said it had one good dive left in it, I notice he didn't mention it surfacing again.

 

[addjunkie]

When the OP said it had one good dive left in it, I notice he didn't mention it surfacing again.

Future dive attraction?

 

[mcostello]

Underwater fish residences in planning?

 

[Screwdriver]

If it was me, I be putting all my effort into finding some info from the horses mouth.

I bet a Russian submariner would know how to open a stuck hatch in a hurry!

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Faslane Universal hatch key.

From inside using the wheel brace spanner apply pressure in the release position.

Using a air hammer on the outside, with a 2" steel ball welded to the hammer, work round the outer edge and in a cross pattern across the hatch. That will break the rubber seal stiction and shock the hinge pins free.

From the inside work the spanner back and forth and it will give, but it is noisy and can take some time.

The Russian hatch rubber seals were either 2 "O" rings or a double set of liped seals on the casing and in the hatch.

Should only be lubricated with the correct form of lubricant. The wrong one with cause the rubber to break down and become supper sticky.

Old "Boomers" used to call it the noise the hammer made.
Faslane Avon lady calling"

 

[Farside]

Using a air hammer on the outside, with a 2" steel ball welded to the hammer, work round the outer edge and in a cross pattern across the hatch. That will break the rubber seal stiction and shock the hinge pins free.

My suggestion of a Hilti was on the right lines, just not powerful enough, then.

 

[Screwdriver]

A mechanical solution is going to revolve around either a very long pry bar or a very strong but shallow cam action. There must be somewhere to wedge against the fixed body and rotate a cam on some exposed part of the locking ring. As has been said, you only need to shift it a few mm initially to break the corrosion. I'm looking at that stub sticking out in the above pictures and wondering if you might even get a shallow wedge in there. If you can get a shallow taper wedge between the fixed and rotating parts, you can hit the thing as hard as you like.

 

[zeppelin builder]

Another option would be to try and hire a big induction heater and use it to heat it all up, advantage is no flame.

yes we used a miller set to heat up 70mm thick plate it consisted of twin watercooled hoses about 25 mm thick worked great till a welder ground through a hose ,one thing it gave out a massive magnetic field that was enough to stop a grinder if it was near a hose
might stop your pace maker too !or maybe start firing them torpedos off

have you considered welding a lug or lugs on and using a small enerpac ram to move/ rotate the mechanism ,have used this dodge many times to remove the big castellated nut on big capstain winches

If all else fails book it in for a service at Rosyth dockyard might even give you a trade in they got a few pre owned models parked up

 

[Farside]

If all else fails book it in for a service at Rosyth dockyard might even give you a trade in they got a few pre owned models parked up

That would be like taking a Lada into an Aston Martin showroom.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

That would be like taking a Lada into an Aston Martin showroom.

Was speaking to a sonar op at work once and he said Russian gear sounded like a tractor compared to everything else

 

[sovietsub]

Another one who is local and happy to offer some help (for what it's worth). Would love to have a look around this, is there any chance of organising a private tour for the forum members?

Yes no problem organising a tour, at the moment either Sunday's or midweek suit me best

 

[Farside]

Was speaking to a sonar op at work once and he said Russian gear sounded like a tractor compared to everything else

Which is why the Russians were keen to get their hands on the prop designs of the American subs, by fair means or foul.
https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/22/opinion/submarined-by-japan-and-norway.html

 

[Bullet2012]

I re ember seeing this boat moored up alongside at Chatham when I used to work in Gillingham. At that time a sign on the quay simply stated Russian Submarine.
I was able to wander around the docks looking at lots of fascinating things. Obviously pre developed days.

 

[Eric the chicken]

Which is why the Russians were keen to get their hands on the prop designs of the American subs, by fair means or foul.
https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/22/opinion/submarined-by-japan-and-norway.html

Not just the American boats. When I worked in the Dockyard at Chatham the props of our boats were kept covered with tarpaulins when on the dockside. This was allegedly to prevent satellite observation.

 

[Hood]

....., by fair means or foul.
https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/22/opinion/submarined-by-japan-and-norway.html

And we would never try to do anything as underhand as that

 

[daleyd]

There was a fascinating programme on a few weeks ago about Cold War submarines (the silent war, on bbc - well worth searching out) , a great interview with the skipper of a British attack submarine (Swiftsure) that encountered a Russian aircraft carrier and positioned the sub about 10 ft below the propellers and took photographs - for several hours by all accounts Nerve wracking stuff ...

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Not just the American boats. When I worked in the Dockyard at Chatham the props of our boats were kept covered with tarpaulins when on the dockside. This was allegedly to prevent satellite observation.

They still are. The propulsor stays covered even in the build hall and isn’t uncovered until it’s in the water

 

[slim_boy_fat]

And we would never try to do anything as underhand as that

Heaven forfend!! Just wouldn't be cricket, old boy!