Phase 1 of the winter project is complete

[gw204]

Is your garboard drain offset to one side?

Leave the foam out. I seriously doubt it adds any structural support. Any forces placed on it would likely cause it to deform anyway. If you ever got to a point were it was supporting anything, you have bigger fish to fry...

I would do two additional things to that bracket (if it's in good enought shape to try and save it for a few more years).

1. Have your local fabricator add a flange to the top edge so you have a better sealing surface as well as a place to add more bolts.
2. Have the inside sand/soda blasted, etch it and paint it with Interprotect.

 

[lime4x4]

The bracket is being media blasted and will be coated with an etching primer inside and out. It will also be line-x'ed inside and out as well. Onto the foam. I've seen where people have left out with no issues. Some say to put foam in to displace water. Others remove the foam and install a small bilge pump just incase the bracket starts to take on large amount of water. I've emailed grady about it and they won't give an answer either way. Most likely liabilty concerns. There last suggestion was to contact the bracket manufacture. Well springfield is no longer in bussiness. After reveiwing some info abouyt the subject i will more then likely leave the foam out and install a small bilge pump and also install clear inpection plates as well. I bought the boat to go 10 to 20 miles off the east coast. That bracket could potentionaly hold alot of water. As far as the drain plugs i have to one on each side up by the transom. The only good thing was when i pulled the bracket the mounting bolt holes thru the transom was nice and dry. I was thinking of running a couple of #10 ss screws thru the upper flange into the transom for a tighter fit and seal. If the line-x process is done properly the bracket should out live the boat. I caught the corrosion before it actually went all the way thru the aluminum. I'm also pulling the aluminun gas tank and having that media blasted as well and if it's in good shape i will also have that coated with line-x as well

 

[ROBERTH]

I would reconsider putting the Starfoam blocks back in there so that they can help displace any water that might get in during an offshore trip. New foam of course. Think about it...If the bracket leaks for some reason and has room to hold let's say 100 gallons of water, that is a lot of weight. But if the foam blocks are in there, only a few gallons of weight can affect you until it is drained since the foam is displacing the water volume. This way, you don't have to worry with a bilge pump. But, if my boat stayed in the water, a bilge pump is a good idea.
I pull the 2 drain plugs on every trip as well as my transom plug as normal process, so the foam in there will likely never get saturated. I would guess your foam was saturated due to long term exposure to water and pressure in the cavity from not being drained.
Also, by pulling the plugs out, I can gauge how much of a leak I have and know if it is getting worse or not.

 

[suzukidave]

i suggest you fill it with foam except for the bottom 3" and a 6" diameter vertical tube down to that 3" airspace directly below the inspection hatch (use a cardboard concrete footing mold tube). that will give the foam a place to drip drain if it does get wet but there won't be enough space to ship enough water to drag your transom under.

 

[ROBERTH]

Hmm, never thought about this but one could fashion up some large diameter PVC tubes, end cap them with the glue and use a series of these to hold the air space and not soak up any water. And the will allow drainage. Could only install these when the bracket is off of course and custom fit them.
For those with bracket still mounted, that is why I thought something like those plastic ping pong balls would do the same and would just pour in there. Just thinking outside the box on this..... :hmm

 

[lime4x4]

Thanks for all the info. I got the winter to think it over. The bracket isn't getting bolted back on till spring unless of course we get a mini heat wave next month. Cause i don't think 5200 likes the cold

 

[lime4x4]

Got the floor hatch covers pulled up. There still in good shape. Found the gas tank was replaced in 2001 and shows no signs of corrossion. I was shocked to c the untreated plywood and 2by4's are still good yet.

 

[lime4x4]

i got the both engine cowls back today. I had them both line-x'ed. I went with line-x for 2 reasons. The local shop charged me 100 bucks to spray both cowls also with the line-x the engines should be a little quietier. My buddy is gonna spray them yamaha gray in a week or so. If i would've just have them painted it would've been easily 600 bucks for the pair. Mainly cause of all the prep work. With line-x the guy just quickly scuffed them and shot them. If i wanted to just paint them i would have to remove the vinyl wrap/stickers. Which i did try to do but there on there..

 

[lime4x4]

I picked up the engine bracket today. didn't turn out to bad.. Atleast now i should never have to worry about corrosion again..

 

[lime4x4]

What should i use to seal the bolted on lower plates and where the bracket joins the transom? Also what should i seal the top seam with? The company who did the line-x said i don't have to but i want to.

 

[ROBERTH]

I would think 4200 would be the one of choice. For the inspection plates, perhaps just use some black silicone so they can be removed easily enough for inspection later.

 

[DennisG01]

4200 is good stuff. The only place you don't want to use it is anywhere that the sun will get to it since it's not UV stable. I've been using the Boat Life products for about 10 years now and really like it. If I were to do this, I would use the Boat Life Life Calk.

 

[lime4x4]

Got the engine cowlings back from the painter.. They turned out pretty good. Now i'm just decding if i should have the rest of the engine peices painted

 

[lime4x4]

is there anything i can coat the stryofoam blocks with that were inside the drive bracket to make them water proof? Having them next to 650 deg coal stove the last couple of days and they already lost 4lbs of water. So i'm thinking i might just reuse them

 

[DennisG01]

I *think* you can epoxy them, but I'm not positive as to whether or not the epoxy will melt the styrofoam. Try a small section. If so, coat them with that, along with some thin fiberglass for integrity.

 

[lime4x4]

Engine bracket installed along with motors. also started to install the new top. Then i got sunburn and said im done...lol

 

[ROBERTH]

Update in regards to sealing bracket. Over winter, I did air pressure test....low pressure with the tire valve in PVC threaded tester I made that replaces one of the drain plugs. Found that the silicone I used last year did not keep it's seal with the starboard access plates. So, I cleaned them and reinstalled but used 4200 this time since it has a lot stronger bond. I also resealed the motor mounting bolts to rule them out from leakage.
On water all day Saturday in Ocean, when I pulled both plugs, not even a drop came out! This was the first time I was able to get it to seal this well, so very happy. Seems the problem is mostly those starboard access plates not sealing.

If the 4200 does not hold, then I will have to then get the smallest Armstrong pressure plates and cut the opening enough to allow them to fit, then I will have something that can be cranked down to seal.
Hoping the 4200 is going to do the trick!