Hey, Just looking for some advice on transom bracket. I have been reading over and over my boat sank when the transom gave out. My gulfstream is twenty years old, I did slightly over power it. I am very pleased with it performance. Cruises at 35 knots at half steam which seams to reduce fuel consumption. I have read that many people choose to replace or beef up transom or bracket support. The boat is in good condition no signs of rot or any cracking ect. I do drive the boat in mind that it has alot of torque for what is was designed for. It this a real concern? I did read of one grady thats transom bracket tore off. I would believe there would be a underlying issue there. Do the brackets become water logged? Do they need to be replaced?? I have heard of floats that go under them to help support more weight. My lower units do sit in the water but boat sits above water line or right on. In a couple of years I will upgrade to four strokes. I would have to keep at least 200hp per motor. Big weight deference.
Transom bracket bullet proof???
- Thread starter GreatWhite23
- Start date
Like anything that is bolted onto a transom. Bolts can slightly loosen and adhesives can fail. So I would say brackets are not bullet proof. I had 1 bolt come slightly loose on a swim platform and in a season of heavy use it migrated into a 3" soft spot. If you don't know what you are looking for I would take her to the local yard and get her checked. As far as the repower, a pair of the new Yamaha 200 will fit the bill as far as a light weight 4 stroke or you can go with a pair of Etecs. There are alot of the Grady's here in central Fl with the white motors on them. It's a good pairing.
Thanks for the reply i have found the yard is good but the boards have more knowledge of GWs. I have no soft spots , no cracking, and chalking looks good. Can it rot from the core out?? They fellow I bought it from was a wash and wax no maintenance type of fellow. There was no float switch on bilge and it stayed in the water eight months a year. I like Johnson just as well as yamaha. I have had dodge chevy and ford trucks it is just a sticker to me,how they run and how much they cost to run is my main factor.(heated seats also come into play) two strokes weigh considerably more than four strokes so I would think this would be a factor??
Yes the core can get waterlogged and rot without you knowing it till the gelcoat and glass starts cracking. You could pull random bolts and check with a moisture meter. If she sat in the water that much I would definitely check it out. Mine stays on a lift year round and that rotting around my swim platform bolt was definitely from one season and due to me being lax. But it motivated me to go through the whole boat and check everything out. Sometimes when they run so smooth for a long time, you get comfy and it comes back to bite you.
At the time of my repower Yamaha was just coming out with the newer 4 strokes with the ceramic coated pistons and cylinder walls. I did not want to be the guinea pig. The 250 Etec was way less money also lighter than a 4 stroke at that time (2011). I don't know about now. I know my hole shot,top end and fuel consumption is better than 2 of my neighbors who have Gulstreams with newer Yamaha 4 strokes. I have 410 hrs and have used 9 gallons of oil at 30 bucks per. I have had 1 300 hr service and zero issues.
At the time of my repower Yamaha was just coming out with the newer 4 strokes with the ceramic coated pistons and cylinder walls. I did not want to be the guinea pig. The 250 Etec was way less money also lighter than a 4 stroke at that time (2011). I don't know about now. I know my hole shot,top end and fuel consumption is better than 2 of my neighbors who have Gulstreams with newer Yamaha 4 strokes. I have 410 hrs and have used 9 gallons of oil at 30 bucks per. I have had 1 300 hr service and zero issues.
Unless they are made of a ballistic material then no they are not bullet proof. Are they tough and designed to take the all the loads and stresses that a typical boat would see? Yep. Do they factor extra loads into it and test it for failing? Likely. We have a bracket on my 228 and we inspect it for water intrusion and after 5 years of service it is dry and solid. If you have doubts have her inspected by the yard.
ROBERTH
GreatGrady Captain
To do a check, drill some 1/8" holes from inside, but not go through outside skin and the drill bit will show if clean or wet wood. Also, if water pours out, not a good thing, but what you are looking for is dark wet wood which is a sure sign of potential rot or softening/weakening. You can fill those holes with 4200 so they stay dry if your test passes. That is one way to check.
Other than that, you can always beef up strength by using a 1/2" aluminum angle bar on the inside across the transom, through bolting bracket where possible if you are concerned.
Other than that, you can always beef up strength by using a 1/2" aluminum angle bar on the inside across the transom, through bolting bracket where possible if you are concerned.