Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 82
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Kiln Mississippi
    Posts
    837

    Champ Full Transom Replacement

    This is how I replace rotten transoms in all boats. The skinning cut is different from hull design to hull design but the process works in all transoms. It is easy to cut rotten transoms out but the devil is in the details. Your first is always the hardest since you must learn how to make your power tools work at the best efficiency. Now, many transoms later, I can turn one around in as little as 2 weeks all Vinylester epoxy jobs take longer. First - layout where you are to cut with 2in blue tape. A 3in flange is preferred by me in large engine applications, 2in under 100HP. I use a saws-all with a short metal cutting blade to cut the inside line of tape through the skin into the wood. Take your time. After outline is cut, patiently pry skin off. The more damage done to the skin at this point the more work on the other end. Once skinned I cut a grid of lines 2in wide vertical & horizontal anywhere the wood is solid. After removing the easy stuff I use a old air chisel blade and ball peen hammer to break out the squares. A Fein tool is used to cut 1in cuts in good wood between the flange and inner skin. After cutting use hammer and punch to break the pieces out. For cleaning up all the wood from the inner skin I use a Dewalt 9in Grinder/Buffer with these killer grinding disc I buy from a body shop supply house. Grind off all wood as clean as pictures posted. I have 3 right angle die grinders with 3in, 2in, & 1in 24-36grit rotoloc discs. These are used to clean the flange out of all wood residue. A 5in air grinder from harbor freight is used with the disc installed backwards to grind the backside of the flange. I need to do this post in stages so look at the pictures, your prep work should look like mine. More later,

    Champ 21 Transom Skinned.jpgChamp 21 Transom Skin.jpgChamp 21 Transom Skinned.jpgChamp 21 Removing Wood in Edges.jpgChamp 21 Engine Bolt Pulled.jpgChamp 21 Transom Clean Except 2x4 Brace.jpgChamp 21 Transom Channel Clean.jpg

  2. Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Virginia Beach, Virginia
    Posts
    64
    #2
    Now that's diving in deep!! A few questions. Is it really worth it on a older hull? If that work is job related, about how much to complete the boat pictured? You have a lot of knowledge that you pass on, thank you, do you flip boats for a living?

  3. Member
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Kiln Mississippi
    Posts
    837
    #3
    Quote Originally Posted by va. bass View Post
    Now that's diving in deep!! A few questions. Is it really worth it on a older hull? If that work is job related, about how much to complete the boat pictured? You have a lot of knowledge that you pass on, thank you, do you flip boats for a living?
    Always worth fixing a boat. Today's boats push too much for speed over ride. Price a comparable new vessel and fixing get very reasonable. What is not reasonable is to do the job with organic materials. Everything eats organics. Composite materials don't cost that much more.

    This boat I replaced the floor, Transom, aft Transom deck, completely rewired, Added Leaning Post, and I made a custom T-Top for it. Out the door $21K. That includes removing the engine (only 2 bolts were holding on), all work gelcoated, re-assembled, and test run with owner. Also added a custom, bulletproof 112 Ulterra mount. I work one on one with my customers.

    No I do not flip boats, except to work on the underside. I just decided to retire and really like, became interested in bass boats. There are a few here just waiting to be customized. The plan now is to keep all but time marches on, only a couple will end up used a couple of days a week the others?

    A Bass Boat can be the best of both worlds. Why more people don't dual purpose a Bass Boat is beyond my understanding.

    Champ 21_1.jpgChamp 21_2.jpgChamp 21_3.jpg

    Knowing the hull is now solid this unit is worth more than the "permanent" repair costs. Will last forever if he takes reasonable care. I plan on finding a 22ft Champ Bass Boat DC and doing it like my 171SC.
    Long Live Champion Boats!
    Attached Images Attached Images

  4. Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Virginia Beach, Virginia
    Posts
    64
    #4
    You make very valid points rojogulo. Thank you for your informative posts. Doing a 21' procaft myself, seem to always find extra things the further I go. I looked up your profile and got a chuckle out of your "interests". We could definitely get along. lol

  5. Member
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Kiln Mississippi
    Posts
    837
    #5
    No kids equals extra toys. '79 Cadillac Opera Coupe, '77 280Z-LS1, '96 S-10 550HP V-8 all cruisers.

  6. Member
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Kiln Mississippi
    Posts
    837
    #6

    2ND installment Full Transom Replacement

    So now we have all the wood cleaned out of the transom. A well executed inspection of the inner skin, and all bracing core quality. If the inner skin needs more material, you cut too deep somewhere, a brace core is rotten too, etc, now is the time to correct all inner inefficiencies before measuring for replacement core thickness. If the cap is off or any situation offers a way to slide a new core in from the top great but let me stress here, not required. I pattern the inside where the core replacement will be glued back in. The image material I include here is of a multiple piece replacement core of Coosa 26.

    For this job Coosa 26 1-5/8in thick is used. Due to the size of the engine, lever factor aggravated stress, and for the most bulletproof transom West Systems Epoxy was used throughout the core replacement. You need to number each piece in order of installing as later you will thank me. When you have the transom core pieces cut out, dry fit, again try to do a very good job, minimum gap size makes for maximum strength.

    With the core replacement fitted, all inside repairs completed, the insides sanded, cleaned, and prepped, buttering in the core pieces is next. I rarely use anything but West Systems Epoxy here but it can be done with vinylester or polyester too. Epoxy - 3000psi adhesion, the others 300psi adhesion, which do you want holding your transom together? I use the 404 High Density filler to reinforce the resin then thicken with 406 Silica. If it is your first job, buy the very slow hardener from West Systems. Be extremely through buttering, everything must buttered. I use a bondo spreader to push the epoxy into the pores of everything, everywhere.

    Fill the flange with enough epoxy butter that your core pieces will push out all air leaving just epoxy. Don't worry about the epoxy dripping on the floor since you place a piece of cardboard under the transom first. I press the pieces in slowly (3 pieces here) troweling the excess epoxy around all the joints pushing out any air. Be sure to remove all the excess epoxy you can before it hardens. All cured epoxy must be sanded before the skin can be epoxied back on. When the skin is thin I epoxy extra glass over the new core pieces first while it is still tacky. This allows a chemical adhesion. I tend to make a lamination plan first, if extra glass is required I use a little thinner core material, glass over, then while still tacky reinstall the skin with the same butter epoxy. You have to be creative clamping but it must be clamped level with the flange. Final installment to come.

    Champ 21 Transom Braces Poured Repair.jpgChamp 21 Transom Coosa 26 Epoxied in.jpgChamp 21 Transom Skin Reinstalled with Epoxy.jpgChamp 21 Transom Skin Epoxied to Refusal.jpgChamp 21 Coosa Glassed In.jpg

  7. Member paulrodbender's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Dartmouth, MA
    Posts
    3,484
    #7
    Keep em coming! I like this stuff.

  8. Member paulrodbender's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Dartmouth, MA
    Posts
    3,484
    #8
    3E290427-01B9-4D46-8C1A-26B92AE834FD.jpeg
    Just got my Ranger in the shop and I may need your suggestions on which way to go. I know you like the coosa board but I’m not sure I’m ready to cut the outside but I’m almost leaning that way as it may be best.

  9. Member paulrodbender's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Dartmouth, MA
    Posts
    3,484
    #9
    Attachment 384323

    Without the bad list.

  10. Member
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Kiln Mississippi
    Posts
    837
    #10

    Final Installment

    Well your adhesive should be full cured (does not dent when a phillips screwdriver is pressed on the excess). Here is a easy way to finish up the project. Unfortunately I don't have pictures for this step so I will endeavor to be graphic in description. You should have seams with the thickened adhesive squeezing out. The outer skin is level with the flange all the way around. Also your grinder has a "New" grinding disc on it. So all the seams must be ground out tapering the ground area back 12 times the thickness of your skin. Example, 1/4in skin times 12 equals 3ins on each side of seam. I have not seen a skin that thick but the math is easy. So if you have a 3in flange the outer grinding marks should be just on the inside of the transom edge. Fudging the grind here to 2-1/2ins to stay off the very edge has never bit me yet. I like to stay off where the radius of the edge starts. If you used epoxy and are concerned about Vinylester over the top, don't be. If you carefully cut the skin out as directions dictated the actual width of the seam where epoxy actually is should only be the width of your sawsall blade. Your looking for a even, gradual taper to the center of the seam. Do Not grind all the way through the skin and into the core. No No. When done grinding blow out the work area well. Then take a clean damp rag (with water) and wipe right where the epoxy is. This will remove the residue undesirable, that prevents the vinylester from sticking.

    Next step, I buy 8in mat tape. It is sold by weight on a roll usually. From here on out Vinlyester or Polyester resin is used. 2 schools of thought arises here, do you start with small strips in the middle over the seam and gradually increase the width until the whole seam is filled or go all the way across with the first piece of mat gradually getting narrower as it builds up? I can't say one works better than the other as I have never had a problem doing both ways. Use a nap roller with the mat rolling out any air you see but don't put any resin outside of the seam. I use the 8in tape but only wet where I need to, in the center. as I build it up I may cut down the width but never wet all the way to the cut edge, I leave the very edge dry to make it easier to grind flat later. I can't say tearing the edges so it lays seamless between the layers is worth the trouble here. I buy very good grinding discs.

    So now the seam is cured. I let then go a few days so not sticky on the surface. You can cut strips if visqueen and press over the glass repair to speed up curing. The visqueen will pull right off when cured. Grind just a tad lower than level, this leaves room for a thin application of faring compound. I don't buy commercial fairing compound for this I use Rage Gold Bondo mixed with some vinylester resin. In 40 years I have never had a crack in my faring compound, even with the old bondo's of yesteryear. Make sure every pinhole is filled, sand flat and square. Long sanding blocks are available if you don't have a Hutchens' Hustler. Sand to a 80 Grit finish.

    Now on to finishing. Duratec's Vinylester primer is the "Bomb" here. Spray prime your work allowing ample time for the product to fully flash between coats but not dry. A large tip Gravity Feed gun works here like the one I always reference. Spray a very good film build, I usually do 3 coats over the whole transom. Allow to fully cure, it does not take very long. Machine sand to a 240 grit finish or hand sand to a 320 grit finish, wipe down with a prep solvent, allow to fully dry. I wait 2 hrs just in case I missed a pinhole, a huge fish-eye will come up when you start spraying gelcoat.

    You can do yourself a big favor any buy Duratec's Patch Additive I think they call it High Gloss Additive. I use MEK to thin the first coats of Gelcoat enough that I keep a wet line across the whole transom. If your first coats are dry the sanding job on the other end is Ugly. Only mix what your going to spray in that coat. Clean your gun & especially the tip by backwashing after each coat. So assuming 3 coats of Gelcoat have been applied thinned with MEK switch to Patch Additive. Mix patch additive 75% gelcoat / 25% additive for 2 coats. Then mix 50%/50% the last 3 coats. Seems like a lot but we have thinners, solvents, etc that are lost to evaporation. Gelcoat needs millage. You don't get that in 3 coats. No Wax!

    Checking for cure, (I use my thumbnail, if it leaves a mark wait another day). Start watersanding with 400-600 grit. Not a lot of water, put in a spray bottle with 4-5 drops of Dawn, will help keep your paper unplugged. Sand all orange peel out at this stage. Switch to the next grit until you get to 1000 grit. The gloss will be easy to see after sanding with 1000 grit. Finally machine compound for a beautiful, lasting, shine.

    Champ 21 Transom Skin repaired and Primed.jpgChamp 21 Transom Gelcoated Color Matched.jpg

  11. Fishing is a Passion
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Wilmington, NC
    Posts
    3,176
    #11
    You do very good work.
    2002 Pro Craft 200 Super Pro- 2005 200 Mercury Optimax, Retired
    Empty Nester- Proud Grandfather 5-30-2014-Boy-Aiden, 8-2-2017-Boy-Calen

  12. Member
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Kiln Mississippi
    Posts
    837
    #12
    I rarely take pictures of jobs, most pictures are insurance work or T-Tops. Anyway I found some pictures of my Crappie Beater where I replaced the transom core due to a untimely connection with a cypress tree in Pearl River Swamp.

    Method is the same, since my boat I rushed with Vinylester all the way through. Took 3 days. Bass Boat transoms have much less square foot area to repair.

    My clamping methods vary but this works quite well. Notice 7 pieces of Coosa are in this core. I used scraps. My boat. Also shot the outside with Black single stage Urethane instead of Gel, really had to get back on the river, fishing was hot. By painting a contrasting color I made a feature out of a rush job.

    You can get away with murder if; Your prep work is perfect (absolutely no wood residue at all), You do not leave any air trapped in the transom, You paint with a good 2K Urethane (Gelcoat takes extra prep time), You clamp the snot out of each step of the job (I mean stuff squeezes out of everywhere!), You repair your seam in the skin very well (I put heavy mat - 1708 - mat, rolled out all air with peel ply to put extra pressure on the mat, and clamped each step like crazy)

    I have a 320# 90ETEC hanging on the back by way of a 8in setback jackplate. After several years and 500 plus hours still no signs of stress or movement in the repair. I hope you find this informative and encouraging to tackle your own repairs.

    VL100_1.jpgVL100_2.jpgVL100_3.jpg

  13. Member wmitch2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Fresno, Ca
    Posts
    4,325
    #13
    I had one done years ago where they cut the splash well off the cap exposing the bilge and the transom. Then they cut the transom from the inside without going thru the gel coat. Next they remove all the old wood and glassed in 2 x 3/4" marine ply and bracing. Replaced the splashwell and blended it back in. Beautiful job !!
    Ranger Boats / Mercury Motors
    G Loomis Rods / Shimano Reels
    Raymarine / MinnKota Ultrex
    Garmin / Live Scope Plus
    Pepper Jigs / Robo Worms
    Troll Bridge / V-T2 Vents


  14. Member paulrodbender's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Dartmouth, MA
    Posts
    3,484
    #14
    Question rojoguio, Do you use mat or 1708 with west (epoxy) between the coosa and the inner skin and/or outer skin or do you just glue together by applying epoxy to the skins and clamp? Thanks for all this info your providing us.

  15. Member
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Kiln Mississippi
    Posts
    837
    #15
    Paul, since Epoxy has No solvents it will not dissolve the sizing used to keep the strands of mat together. I do use 1708 which has a lite mat stitched in on the back side with great results. The Mfg's of most epoxy resins recommend using cloth reinforcements. To help level and fair out if needed I use a layer of finish cloth to roll out or squeegee out excess resin. If your inner skin is a substantial substrate and you feel it is solid enough just wet both sides with epoxy, squeegee the excess off, butter well and clamp in. Champions were very poorly built, at least every one I have fixed had only 1 layer of chop mat on the inside. Not even a heavy weight mat. You can see the flat washers just pull right through the inner skin so all boats built like that I have to build up the inner skin before buttering the new core in. Remember when your outer skin goes back on squeegee the excess epoxy that oozes out off skin. I even wipe with acetone to get as clean as possible. This allows you to switch to vinylester to complete the outer skin repairs. If you skinned with a 1/8in saw blade that is the distance of vinylester over epoxy. Not enough to worry about.

    Attached are pictures of a bass boat I just pulled the cap off of. You can see the washer has completely cut through the mat. If this had one layer of 1708 along with the glass the transom my be crushed from the bolt but not cut through.
    Hull.jpgHull 2.jpg

  16. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Beauregard, Alabama
    Posts
    4,170
    #16
    Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills. It is very appreciated.

  17. Member paulrodbender's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Dartmouth, MA
    Posts
    3,484
    #17
    Thanks rojoguio, I'll have the outer skin cut off soon and then really get to see the thickness and condition of the inner skin but I think it's pretty solid but we'll see. I'm thinking of adding a layer of 1708 on the inside just to cover any previous holes that may be in the skin. The outside skin looks to be 1/4" thick. I would love to use epoxy on the outside seem but I know I should use vinylester but I have heard of guys spraying gelcoat over epoxy and getting good adhesion.

  18. Member
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Kiln Mississippi
    Posts
    837
    #18
    You can get very good adhesion over epoxy. Do not clean fully cured Epoxy with anything but a damp rag after sanding. Call West Systems, the tech guys will back this up. For insurance I like to shoot a coat of Dura-Tec's Vinylester primer first to fill all pin holes but mainly because of it's tenacity to adhesion. Then Gelcoat over that. It's a 100% job at that point.

  19. Member paulrodbender's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Dartmouth, MA
    Posts
    3,484
    #19
    I agree and I have spoke with West Systems some time ago regarding a truck that I worked on about what sticks to their epoxy. I believe I was told to wash it with just water and a rough sponge. So, should I do the strips on the outer skin with West or switch to vinylester? Will the Rage Gold stick good to the epoxy? What's your opinion? Sorry for all the questions.

  20. Member paulrodbender's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Dartmouth, MA
    Posts
    3,484
    #20
    IMG_0992 (1).jpg
    So far....

Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast