3M 5200 getting screws out

[INSURANCEMAN]

Hi friends...

Looking for any advice or suggestions here. So a couple weekends ago we had some major flooding and there was a load of debris in the river. Well as luck would have it I managed to hit something and it broke my transducer right off of the back of the boat. The screws stayed in but the mount cracked as you can tell by the pics. Anyway...ordered a new bracket and have gotten the old one off the transducer itself and new one on. *Now the issue...so the two screws I had put 3M 5200 sealant on and with a hand screw driver I can't get them to start to turn. I will admit I am working while the boat is on the lift leaning over the back of the boat so I am not able to get as much leverage on it as I would like. I think I am going to take a small boat and get behind it and see if I am able to take a power drill to get them out? I have talked to a couple people who have told me to drill them out? I even talked to one guy who told me just to mount the transducer next to it and just drill new screws as he said I won't get them out unless I drill them out? What say you all...do you think I will be able to get them out or am I going to tear up hell trying to get them out of there.

Anyway I had a good day other than that!

 

[RussGW270]

I would think drilling them out would be the best way. I am sure someone with more experience will kick in a word of advice, but if it were me, I would (until smarter people tell us different heh...) drill them with a smaller drill bit than their size and then use a tap to remove the rest. Slowly, so as to not damage the hull more than ya need to.

Probably would mean you need to get a slightly larger screw to replace them, I bet.

GL and let us know how it works out!

R

 

[DennisG01]

As you were surmising, you most likely just need more leverage. If you use a tender, tie off tightly so you don't push yourself away. I wouldn't use a power drill as you will most likely strip the head. An impact wrench/drill... SLOWLY or even an impact screwdriver (the kind you hit with hammer). If you have a screwdriver bit for your socket wrench, that could work - but make sure you keep a lot of pressure on it. The safest thing (to avoid stipping the head) will probably be the impact screwdriver (hammer).

Also, as you may have figured out... 5200 is the wrong stuff to use. It doesn't "seal" any better than other stuff and only causes issues on removal of items. 5200 should only be used on things you deem permanent.

 

[INSURANCEMAN]

As you were surmising, you most likely just need more leverage. If you use a tender, tie off tightly so you don't push yourself away. I wouldn't use a power drill as you will most likely strip the head. An impact wrench/drill... SLOWLY or even an impact screwdriver (the kind you hit with hammer). If you have a screwdriver bit for your socket wrench, that could work - but make sure you keep a lot of pressure on it. The safest thing (to avoid stipping the head) will probably be the impact screwdriver (hammer).

Also, as you may have figured out... 5200 is the wrong stuff to use. It doesn't "seal" any better than other stuff and only causes issues on removal of items. 5200 should only be used on things you deem permanent.

I think I will be picking up a impact screwdriver on my way home and giving that a shot. I have a impact drill but think the one that you hit with the hammer would be the best thing to free it up. YEA...I would have never thought about the mount breaking like that and well never thought I would be removing it either... live and learn!

Thanks!

 

[HTHM]

I would suggest getting a piece of sacrificial plastic about 2" thick and fasten that to the hull for a mounting plate over the sealed holes that you already have with 5200. That way in the future, if you need to remove or reinstall a transducer you don't have the penetration through the fibreglass to worry about.

 

[Sdfish]

+ 2 on the Stern Saver mentioned by HTHM. Patch the current holes up with marine tex, sand flat and install and Stern Saver over the current holes.

 

[DennisG01]

Don't get all "Superman" on the impact driver, though. Stainless heads pop off easier than regular steel. You may still buggah the head or pop it off, but I think this gives the best chance of avoiding having to drill it out.

I'm personally not a fan of the sternsaver since nothing sticks very well (long term) to HDPE. But I have had good success at heat treating the HDPE and then roughing it up really well. If you do pop the head off, just grind it flush, coat with some sealant and glue the sternsaver on over top of it.

 

[seasick]

The 5200 doesn't add a lot of grip in my experience as far as screws go. Nice fish in the photos but I can'r seem to see the screws. I must be missing something.
Ok, back to business. Using a better screwdriver and better pressure may be all you need. Don't drill the screws, it will only make matters worse.
If there is a bit of edge available on the screw head, sometimes a vise grip will help get a grab on it. If all else fails, you can use the abrasive dish to carefully flatten two sides of the screw head to make a decent surface for the vice grip to lock onto.
The abrasive disk can also be used to cut a clean slot in the screw
Note that if you have started to 'strip' the screw head, the impact driver will make it worse.

 

[SkunkBoat]

+ 2 on the Stern Saver mentioned by HTHM. Patch the current holes up with marine tex, sand flat and install and Stern Saver over the current holes.

ditto. Once you get the screws out (or in), seal the holes and put on a SternSaver. It goes on with 3M tape and works great. No more holes on your transom.

 

[wspitler]

I'd cut/grind off the screws and cover it with the "Stern Mate" product. I have no relationship with the company, but if you check out their website it has a lot of good info, even if you don't use their product. It allows easy adjustment of your transducer to get the best readings. I've had very good luck with their product. It is different than stern saver apparently. I've had one on my Scout for several years now and have used it pretty hard in rough seas and at pretty high speeds. Not a hint of loosening. Good luck!

 

[Doc Stressor]

I agree with seasick. 5200 doesn't grip well to SS screws. You should be able to get them out.

For tough ones, I use either an angle screwdriver or a driver bit in a socket wrench. You need to put pressure on the screw with one hand as you use the leverage of the long handle to break the screw free.

I also agree that a Stern Saver or Transom Mate is much better than drilling more holes in the transom. I've had a Transom Mate on my Grady for 10 years and it has held up fine with large side-scanning transducers.

 

[INSURANCEMAN]

Thanks for all of the feedback! So I purchased a hand impact driver set. I am going to give that a try first and see if I can get the screws out. Hopefully I can get them to free up and come out on the lift. Man I hate having to pull her out of the water right now but can't mark any fish like this! haha

 

[INSURANCEMAN]

The 5200 doesn't add a lot of grip in my experience as far as screws go. Nice fish in the photos but I can'r seem to see the screws. I must be missing something.

I didn't take photos of the screws themselves. They aren't striped at all so hopefully the impact driver will get them out.

And yes those fish were great! I went with a buddy of mine last Friday and we picked up over 20, 4 keepers!

 

[SkunkBoat]

Stern Pad is the product I used not SternSaver

 

[INSURANCEMAN]

I got her ass! So anyway I bought a impact driver as suggested. Anyway we have a small paddle boat down at my dock and my 12 year old son gave me a hand holding the boat. I brought everything with me on the boat and then some. When I got out there I figured I’d give it a light tap with impact driver. So that was a bit harder than I expected as the wind kept blowing me all over in the paddle boat and I really didn’t feel like taking a dip! I took out my impact drill and put a screw bit in. Well got them out. I’m not going to say it was easy and to be honest I damn near didn’t get the last one out. Got the transducer back on there!!!

Thank you all for the help and advice! Going to try to get back out this weekend and get me a couple more rock!!!

 

[Sdfish]

Great to hear and good luck fishing!

 

[seasick]

I got her ass! So anyway I bought a impact driver as suggested. Anyway we have a small paddle boat down at my dock and my 12 year old son gave me a hand holding the boat. I brought everything with me on the boat and then some. When I got out there I figured I’d give it a light tap with impact driver. So that was a bit harder than I expected as the wind kept blowing me all over in the paddle boat and I really didn’t feel like taking a dip! I took out my impact drill and put a screw bit in. Well got them out. I’m not going to say it was easy and to be honest I damn near didn’t get the last one out. Got the transducer back on there!!!

Thank you all for the help and advice! Going to try to get back out this weekend and get me a couple more rock!!!

Sorry but I forgot to mention that when putting the screws back, you should dab a bit if 4200 or 5200 in the holes and on the underside of the screw head.If you didn't, no big deal, do it when the boat is out.

 

[INSURANCEMAN]

Sorry but I forgot to mention that when putting the screws back, you should dab a bit if 4200 or 5200 in the holes and on the underside of the screw head.If you didn't, no big deal, do it when the boat is out.

Thank you all is well. I did do that...

 

[ROBERTH]

I was going to say use a solder iron to get the screws hot, they will release from the caulk. Works pretty good, but takes a long time to heat up the screws with a solder iron. Need a high power one. However, you said in a paddle boat, so an electric solder gun while in a paddle boat might have given you more zap power to loosen the screws......