Printable View
Swapping out jackplates this weekend and would like some advice on how to evaluate and reseal transom.
How can you tell if water has been in the transom. Where do you look for signs of damage. Having pulled the trim on the top cap how do you reseal. Any and all advice appreciated.
Start here....http://www.bbcboards.net/zerothread?id=638872
Thanks.
Any other suggestions before I do this.
86, my boat is the one in the link that Roy provided. On mine, I noticed that one of the lower motor mount bolts was slightly sunken into the inner fiberglass skin (inside the bilge). Also, there was a stain (again inside the bilge) where water was escaping from a crack in the glass skin near one of the knee braces. I took everything off to try to dry it out and left it under the heat lamps for 2 weeks. But when I tried to push some air through the transom from my air compressor I noticed that the force of the air caused the outer glass skin to push away from the transom core. From there I used some thin wire to probe down into the transom and realized it was soft pretty far down. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/crying.gif
I don't remember what topic it was under but ChampionMan had a great post outlining the proper way to seal everything back up and proper torque for all the bolts.
If you have any screws in the transom that may hold a cable clamp on remove it and wait an hour or so to see if the evil brown ooze comes out.
Also while your plate is off remove the lower bolts from the transom and check for intrusion. You'll know pretty quickly. Another thing you can try, I myself haven't tried it) but you can set a multi meter on Ohms and put one lead on one trailer tie down and the other lead on the other tie down. If you have continuity then there is water in the transom.
With your top trim piece off coat it with either 3M 4200 or Starbrite silicone. Both are for below the water line. Seal it well and silicone all screws before install.
On the mounting bolts apply the starbrite silicone around each bolt hole and let it tack up. Coat the bolts with anti-sieze grease too. Mount the plate and torque the plate to 40-50 foot pounds in an X-pattern. Run a bead of silicone around the outer and inner edge of the plate as well.
Coat the motor mounting bolts with anti-sieze also and torque to 60-80 foot pounds.
With trim off take a 1/8 wire and push through your trim screw holes and see if its solid or soft.
Also seal top of screws ( looks like a little hersey kiss ) on trim after you tighten them.
Paul
These are all great tips. Very much appreciated.
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by ChampioNman »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote"> set a multi meter on Ohms and put one lead on one trailer tie down and the other lead on the other tie down. If you have continuity then there is water in the transom.
</td></tr></table>
Genius. I never would have thought of that. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif
Yeah that is an interesting test... You might have to go k ohms or M ohms because I am guessing that because of the distance there would still be a nice amount of resistance..
Checked transom for flexing by moving motor... none. Pulled motor off and removed jackplate. Removed all screws that were holding speedo and temp gauges etc. No brown ooze. Removed all trim and everything looks solid with no signs of rot. Checked for intrusion from the lower transom bolts... none. All looks solid. Even checked for resistance using ohm meter as suggested. Meter read 0. I think its all good.
Pic of transom
http://i51.tinypic.com/2u6nuqu.jpg
and another...
http://i55.tinypic.com/2s1b243.jpg
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by 86 inches »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Checked transom for flexing by moving motor... none. Pulled motor off and removed jackplate. Removed all screws that were holding speedo and temp gauges etc. No brown ooze. Removed all trim and everything looks solid with no signs of rot. Checked for intrusion from the lower transom bolts... none. All looks solid. Even checked for resistance using ohm meter as suggested. Meter read 0. I think its all good.</td></tr></table>
Good deal. http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif
Transom sealed and trim installed.
http://i52.tinypic.com/ibfj14.jpg
Great Job! Looks really good! http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/thumbsup2.gif
I would seal around metal trim and screw heads with 4200 it might look differant but the screws won't leak.
Paul
Thats where I had my problem on my 203
Everything is sealed with Starbright Marine underwater silicone. Pretty much coated the top of the transom before replacing the trim. Squirted into screw holes before running the screws. I think its pretty good. Hope I did it right.
Do you mean I should cover the screws with 4200?
I would think if you put it on the screw threads AND the counter sunk holes it would be fine.
Thanks. I had a pretty good feeling that it had been done well. I tried to follow your instructions as best as I could.
-
Modified by slinkeey at 8:52 PM 3/9/2011
Well,
I just tested my Transom with an OhmMeter. Here are a few odd things.
Note: I set the meter on 2MegOhms..
I read a negative value for resistance going from transom tie downs to the screws that hold the ladder so that is odd.. Capacitance, or something generating a small current that overcomes the meter's current used for testing ohms?
Well then I went from transom tie down to a motor bolt and got about .355 MegOhms, but it was jumping all over.
Well I backed the meter down to 200kOhms since it was reading a decimal. When I did this it would flash a number on the OhmMeter and then flash Open.
Now, is it possible that Baltek has some weird electrical properties being end-grain balsa? Air Capacitor!! hehehehe
My Transom Looks beautiful from the outside. Yes I know that is not a valid test. I cannot find a single crack. I try bouncing the motor up and down when it is trimmed up and I don't see any movement. I pretty much just shake the whole trailer around. I just figured I would test it even though I had no reason to suspect a problem.. This posting caught my interest.
My boat is a 2000 Champion 190SX
Picture from my blackberry of where I was measuring.
http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_Ea...somTieDown.jpg<br /><br />
Modified by slinkeey at 9:08 PM 3/9/2011
Modified by slinkeey at 9:09 PM 3/9/2011
<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by 86 inches »</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">Even checked for resistance using ohm meter as suggested. Meter read 0</td></tr></table>
0?
0 Ohms?
That is the total opposite of an open circuit.
He either means the meter did not move or he forgot to turn it on. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/Laugh.gif
He also did not state what ohm setting the meter was on. That makes a huge difference. I did that test not too long ago and got all kinds numbers bouncing around, so I took off the metal cap and drilled some test holes. I did have a damp transom but cought it in time. I pulled the motor and all fittings then cut out a portion of the glass on top (hidden by the metal cap and reasealed later with epoxy resin) of the transom and drilled some deep holes about 6" apart and 2 holes under the bottom about 3" up. It was very damp but not saturated. I dried it out under halogen work lamps for 2 weeks then applied CPES followed by epoxy laminating resin then filled the holes with epoxy filler. Materials cost about $300 including shipping. Re-mounted and sealed everything with 3m 4200 quick cure sealer. Never had any flex to begin with but I know it is very solid and eliminated any worries. The whole process took about 3 weeks due to the drying time and CPES/epoxy curing. I still get a very minute reading on my multi-meter when set a 200k or 20k ohms (don't have M ohms) but any dry wood still has 8 to 15% moister content and will give some reading if done with a good moisture meter or a proper setup with an ohm meter. In order to get an accurate comparison between each of us we would have to conduct the exact same test i.e. the same ohm measurements taken at the same locations etc. To get a more accurate flex test you need to place a jack or something under the trailer to keep it from bouncing.
Well I'm not an electrician... although I sometimes tote the tools for my electrician buddy...
Yes the meter was turned on. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/smile.gif
Ideal 61-732 clamp meter auto ranging
With one probe on each tie down bracket it reads 0.L M ohms which I assume means the resistance is so great it can't be measured? Or open loop?
Its the same reading I get with the meter on and the probes not touching anything. Its the same reading I get with the probes pushed into the plywood top of my work bench or a plastic cup.
I don't know what it tells me about my transom. And... like slinkeey... I got a strange result when I put one probe on a trailer tie down and the other on the jackplate... something like 30 M ohms... or maybe K ohms... I don't remember.
You got it.. Open Loop or Infinity..
Sorry, I should have assumed the L was left off. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/newyear1.gif