Recently pulled boat because marina removed power while they repair sea wall. At some point, after heavy rain storms, the batteries gave up and the aft was partially submerged. After pumping out transom I realized it was still sitting low in the water and found the bracket full of water. While I have it out I will look for leak, I'm guessing it is through transom. Nothing obvious so I'll try using light inserted through bracket access panel. While I have the chance I want to clean, reprime, and paint the aluminum bracket but my last attempt failed miserably. So help. Should I use an acid wash after I've removed old paint? What is recommended? What is the best primer and bottom paint to use on the submerged area of the bracket? Finally, I don't have a zinc on my bracket although I do have them on my motors and trim tabs. Should I? Couldn't hurt, right? Ideas appreciated.
Gulfstream 232 Motor Bracket
- Thread starter bls-fla
- Start date
On my GW 232 bracket, I resealed the bracket with 5200 and never had a drop in it since (only slight weep first year I had it). My bracket came set up for a Volvo zinc between the 2 engines. You could be getting water in there as the 2 holes do go thru (I sealed carefully with same 5200).
I use Interlux Trilux for bottom paint as my bracket is Almag and regular copper bottom paint should not be used. For touch ups, I use Petit Aluminum Etch, a metal top coat primer and then painted. Never an issue...
I use Interlux Trilux for bottom paint as my bracket is Almag and regular copper bottom paint should not be used. For touch ups, I use Petit Aluminum Etch, a metal top coat primer and then painted. Never an issue...
I thought I did a pretty good job of prepping and painting last time but not so. This time I'll take the aluminum bracket down to bare metal. The Petit product, is it the 6544? There is no sign that there was ever a zinc between my two motors.
water was entering thru the inspection plate on my bracket. i sealed it up with some boat life caulk and never had a problem afterward. i removed the bottom plug annually to drain any water at layup (none there) and regrease it. good luck, ron
My bracket has 3 inspection plates, I'm going to replace one of them with a screw-type deck plate. I did find two large blocks of foam when I opened up the bracket. Don't know if they are factory but I have read that some boats have them. I have the water drained but of course the foam is waterlogged. Hope to get it dried out over the next several days. My boat lives in the water but I now know to drain the bracket when I pull it out. I still believe I have a leak from the transom but haven't gotten that far yet. Thanks for the comments and help.
i had an '02 purchased new. if you did a bracket removal, you might have gaps back there which should be dealt with (probably 5200 and a wrench). i would call GW and find out about removing the foam. i had none and maybe they determined the foam was not such a good idea. if it is sealed properly, you should get adequate buoyancy. good luck, ron
I really, really don't want to remove the bracket. However, I've found the bracket is full of foam and styrofoam and I'd like it gone. Apparently the bracket is divided into 3 sections? I've been able to check the center section using a light at night; I placed a drop light in the bracket and looked for light around the bracket and in the transom. No sign of leak. So now I have to open the other access ports and repeat the test for the other sections. I think I'd like to get the foam out if I have to do it one small piece at a time, I know some of it is waterlogged.
Are you sure the foam is waterlogged or just wet on the outside? The foam in mine is closed cell and does not hold any water. Supposedly, the foam is in there is to displace any (additional) water that does get in, as opposed to having a bracket completely full of water.
If it were all closed cell foam I wouldn't be worried about it. There are at least two different kinds of foam in there, it definitely was not a professional job. At least some of what I can reach is waterlogged, more like a sponge than foam. Although it is rainy season here in South Florida I'm keeping it open as much as I can to dry it out.
Is this a grady drive bracket? On my 86 offshore with twins i have the grady drive bracket. I removed it last fall to find the foam water logged. I had my bracket media blasted, primered then line-xed. I reinstalled with 5200 and didn't install the foam cause i wanted to make sure no water was getting in. I also replaced all three deck plates with westmarine plastic ones. Siliconed them really well. Now when i pull the boat after a day on the water i have pressure escaping when opening up one of the deck plates. Now that i'm sure there is no water getting in i'm slowing filling the bracket with ping pong balls