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Thanks, mostly as a reminder for the kids and grandkids to tilt the engine up when it alarms.Any good epoxy will be fine...the trick is to make sure there is no air between the puck and the hull...playdough makes a cheap damn is you need one...the only drawback to this approach is if you need to use it in "deep" water - the hull adds an extra level of attenuation...if it was good before, you should have any problem.
make sure both surfaces are clean...
Thanks for the detailed reply.Most on-hull depth finder brands come with Epoxy- it really doesn't matter since it's not supposed to be subjected to any forces that would knock it off of the hull.
Buy the stuff from Ace Hardware with the mixing tube on it (because Ace is all over and the price isn't bad) but be prepared to push hard because it's not always easy. Scrape the old Epoxy off and wipe the hull with Acetone. If the hull is bare fiberglass (not gelcoated), sand it smooth before mounting the transducer.
One thing I want to mention- if the original transducer was installed by the boat manufacturer or dealer, don't assume it was in the best location. They may, but as a boat owner, I don't recommend 'taking their word for it'.
When I worked for boat dealers, I tried to meet the boat owners at the lake, so I could put some water in the bilge and move the transducer to various places- the water is a good coupler (no air voids) and it's easy to see where the puck isn't reading accurately. Once the best location has been found, it's just a matter of thoroughly drying the hull, washing it with denatured alcohol to remove the last of the moisture and installing the puck.
With bare fiberglass, I also recommend smoothing it and giving it a coat of resin, just to make sure the surface is smooth. Another method is to use bilge paint, so it's sealed. Filthy bilges are a pet peeve of mine, from years of working on other peoples' boats which have had years of oil, gasoline and other stuff left on the bottom. That stuff makes mounting a transducer nearly impossible, too.
What color is the bilge? If it's yellow-ish or green, it hasn't been painted, but that doesn't mean it can't be cleaned well enough for the Epoxy to stick well enough.Thanks for the detailed reply.
The fiberglass has a smooth finish on it, makes wiping down the bilge easier. I’m ASSUMING it’s resin It appears to be thicker than gelcoat. Was going to give it a sanding with 120 grit and use your suggestion and wipe with acetone.
The transducer has to go in the same spot, the original installer left about 6” of wire to work with and to complicate the whole process I’m dealing with a “super structure” to support the tow bar. My wife looked at the tight hole and laughed, offered me a pail of lard.
Going to be one of those jobs that should only take 10 minutes but I know better. I’ll get my upper body in that enclosed space and be sniffing acetone and epoxy. Jim Stafford’s song Wildwood Weed comes to mind.
If you flick the edge of the old Epoxy, you may find that it peels off- I used to do that when a puck came off and then, I would wipe it with Acetone or Lacquer thinner to make it stick better.Bilge is a grey colour with bits of blue splashed in. Could be painted, it’s kevlar reinforced so the sticker says.
Outboard, no fan/blower. Was thinking of putting the shop vacuum hose and run it as a blower. Room is tight.
I’m going to sand the bottom of the puck holder, there is a bit of the previous adhesive stuck on.
Not spicing the cable, it’s tied into the wiring loom nicely and wiring loom is attached well above the bilge.