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1989 SEA RAY 250 DANCER TRANSOM LEAK

lawrence1106

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LEAKING TRANSOM. I WAS TOLD IT

LEAKING TRANSOM. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A CORRODED ALUMINUM BOLT AND THE TRANSOM MAY BE ROTTED. THE BOAT IS ON A LIFT. CAN THIS BE A REAL PROBLEM OR AM I BEING TAKEN?
 
"Lawrence:

Given the age of


"Lawrence:

Given the age of the boat and the transom is leaking, it is highly possible that the transom is rotting or just good and wet from the leak. Wet transoms can be dried and the damaged area can be repaired without a total transom replacement. If the damaged area of the transom is small your repair probability is good. Drying the wet area is done in a handful of different manners. All of the repairs are done from the inside of the boat.

The first objective is to determine the extent of any rot and the extent of wet wood. Remember that water will wick throughout the wood by heading for the bottom first due to gravity. A series of 1/4" drain holes about 3/8" deep are spaced every 6" across the transom bottom on the inside. If wet wood and water come out of the drill holes, it is repairable while wet black mulch has to be replaced due to the stress load placed on the transom by the engine and OD.

Another series of 1/4" holes are drilled at the water line and yet one more series is drilled a few inches above it. A suction manifold can be fabricated from PVC water line for the bottom holes and attached to a shop vac to draw the water out--several days continuous suction until no water comes out.

Next step is to pump/squirt lacquer thinner into the upper holes and allow it to drain out the lower holes and the liquid collected--FLAMMABLE AND TOXIC FUMES MUST BE VENTED. REMOVE ALL SPARK AND FLAME SOURCES. Lacquer thinner shortens the drying time.

When the transom is dried out, the next step is to inject Clear Penerating Epoxy Sealer, CPES, into the upper holes and allowed to run out the lower holes. Several applications may be required. Then the lower holes are plugged with a mixture of epoxy and fine flour like sawdust and let dry. More CPES is injected into the upper holes and the middle set of holes are filled like the lower. More CPES is injected in the top holes. Allow the CPES to cure for several days while the solvents in it evaporate. If the weather is hot the faster the cure. The boat must be vented 24 hours a day to allow the solvents to dissipate. Using a large fan will speed the process which may take up to 2-3 weeks.

The area around the corroded bolt may be rotted but the CPES will harden the rotted wood like a rock. This area can be replaced by cutting the INSIDE fiberglass skin away and filling it with the same sawdust and epoxy mix and then glassed over. Then drill a new hole. For more info on this process, Google the "Rot Doctor"."
 
Thanks for all that info. Is t

Thanks for all that info. Is there any way to have known an alminium bolt corroded early on. Do you think it was an electrolysis problem? the boat was on a lift for most of its life.Is there any kind of preventive maintanence to not allow this again
 
Make sure all of the small gro

Make sure all of the small ground wire (several) connections are clean (not corroded) and tight on the outdrive outer and inner parts. Check the sacrificial annodes and replace if needed.

Are you using shore power?
 
The boat is on a lift and hook

The boat is on a lift and hooked to shore power when out of water. Thanks for the info I will check these things out
 
"Make sure the shore power ser

"Make sure the shore power service is grounded at their end of the cable and your circuitry is connected and operating properly. If there is a shorepower ground problem, your engine and OD becomes the ground when in the water and electrolysis occurs in strange places."
 
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