If you get them out you should replace them with ALUMINUM plugs they would probally hold up longer than the plastic ones...
My plug in the Grady Drive was aluminum when I got my boat. I wanted to remove the plug for the first time on my 1992 Explorer (five years old at the time) and also had a tough time. Similar to yours, it was very difficult to remove. A six point socket is not the best choice for removing a square head plug. A twelve point socket is a much better choice (twelve point socket, is divisible by four point square head plug) . Another idea is to use a center punch (propbably not needed for a plastic plug) and tap it with a hammer to make a dimple on the end of the plug. Then drill the appropiate sized hole through the center of the square headed plug. Use an "easy out" (removal tool) and crank out the now weakened plug. Really not that hard to do. One more trick that helps when removing plugs, tap the wrench with pressure on the handle, this will sometimes break it free.
I replaced my aluminum plug with stainless steel and have not had a problem since (been ten years, pull it every year around this time for winter layup).
I replaced my aluminum plug with stainless steel and have not had a problem since (been ten years, pull it every year around this time for winter layup).
amazing....
why would you use teflon tape ??? pipe thread is "self sealing",did you know that ??? were you also aware of the fact,the plugs are tapered ???
grease,just plain cheap grease is the absolute best thing to use,use the cheap grease on the garboard plug too...tightening these plugs,it's a wedge,it can actually damage the flange....
aluminum brackets need aluminum plugs-pretty simple huh ??? i recall one of the members here bragging he changed his aluminum plugs in his bracket over to bronze :cry:
a big problem with removing the plug-if the plugs have not been pulled,and if someone used teflon tape or another form of a sealer,the threads of the aluminum can come out with the plug-not a good thing....again,you need to just hand tighten the plugs,a litttle snug,be sure to grease the plugs before installation....
if you break those plastic plugs,heat up a screw driver,almost as big as the plug,melt the srew driver into the plug,allow it to cool,and then twist the plug out...using an "e-z out" isn't gonna work....
CaptKennyW said:
why would you use teflon tape ??? pipe thread is "self sealing",did you know that ??? were you also aware of the fact,the plugs are tapered ???
grease,just plain cheap grease is the absolute best thing to use,use the cheap grease on the garboard plug too...tightening these plugs,it's a wedge,it can actually damage the flange....
aluminum brackets need aluminum plugs-pretty simple huh ??? i recall one of the members here bragging he changed his aluminum plugs in his bracket over to bronze :cry:
a big problem with removing the plug-if the plugs have not been pulled,and if someone used teflon tape or another form of a sealer,the threads of the aluminum can come out with the plug-not a good thing....again,you need to just hand tighten the plugs,a litttle snug,be sure to grease the plugs before installation....
if you break those plastic plugs,heat up a screw driver,almost as big as the plug,melt the srew driver into the plug,allow it to cool,and then twist the plug out...using an "e-z out" isn't gonna work....
Yep. Got to do the samething on mine. So, interesting subject and one that hopefully will be an easy job.
My bracket though needs serious paint. I am debating on weather to pull the entire bracket off and have it cleaned up and power coated, or just leave it on and sand blast the paint off and re-paint. The alum has yet to start corroding...at least in the areas I can see. My question, is the face of the bracket that mounts on the transon also solid alum? And is that area really more prone to corrosion then the exposed area?
HD
My bracket though needs serious paint. I am debating on weather to pull the entire bracket off and have it cleaned up and power coated, or just leave it on and sand blast the paint off and re-paint. The alum has yet to start corroding...at least in the areas I can see. My question, is the face of the bracket that mounts on the transon also solid alum? And is that area really more prone to corrosion then the exposed area?
HD
Teflon tape is non hardening and shouldn't cause a problem to remove. If you used one of the pipe dopes, all bets are off. All the teflon tape does is lubricate the threads, basically the same as the greese method.
That's a really good idea with the hot screwdriver.
Even if you do snap the PVC and some gets stuck on the inside, as long as the threads are clean in the bracket, things will be OK.
That's a really good idea with the hot screwdriver.
Even if you do snap the PVC and some gets stuck on the inside, as long as the threads are clean in the bracket, things will be OK.
Just like any other threaded fitting in plumbing work, and as Grog said, use the tape - it will also help to avoid the plug and drive from oxidizing together and separate easier.
If you prefer a compound instead, make sure it is compatible with aluminum.
I understand Walmart sells the aluminum plugs.
I use an open end wrench, possibly a metric size, the one I pick is very snug, impossible to round out the shape. The plug is tight but does loosen readily.
The Drive manufacturer may have used PVC for a period of time - some customers may have complained the alum plug and drive corroded together - they can, with moisture at the inside area - do expect some in the sump. With the plastic plugs cheap and available at any home store, one can put a new one in each time.
As far as restoring your drive finish, it depends on what you want to spend. You will get what you pay for.
If you prefer a compound instead, make sure it is compatible with aluminum.
I understand Walmart sells the aluminum plugs.
I use an open end wrench, possibly a metric size, the one I pick is very snug, impossible to round out the shape. The plug is tight but does loosen readily.
The Drive manufacturer may have used PVC for a period of time - some customers may have complained the alum plug and drive corroded together - they can, with moisture at the inside area - do expect some in the sump. With the plastic plugs cheap and available at any home store, one can put a new one in each time.
As far as restoring your drive finish, it depends on what you want to spend. You will get what you pay for.
Heavy Duty said:
smart play is to remove the bracket,sand blast it,etch prime it,then epoxy coat it... :wink:
I've used the standard bronze plugs with teflon tape, on atleast 6 different Grady brackets.... never had a problem. If you insist on using the aluminum ones, go to a dealer.
As already mentioned, the teflon tape acts like a lubricant, prevents it from "locking up", makes it easier to remove later for draining. It also helps to seal it. Why bother getting slopped up with grease? Sounds like it's the ideal thing to use, huh? Gee.... I think that's what the sh!t was designed for.... Cool huh? Anyone who's done even the simplest plumbing knows this, lol.
As already mentioned, the teflon tape acts like a lubricant, prevents it from "locking up", makes it easier to remove later for draining. It also helps to seal it. Why bother getting slopped up with grease? Sounds like it's the ideal thing to use, huh? Gee.... I think that's what the sh!t was designed for.... Cool huh? Anyone who's done even the simplest plumbing knows this, lol.
Re: amazing....
1 i use the teflon tape because i hate getting greese on my hands and it doesnt make a mess.
2 i know they are tapered i get them hand tight and be done with it.
3 im paraniod of them leaking
jimmy's marine service said:
1 i use the teflon tape because i hate getting greese on my hands and it doesnt make a mess.
2 i know they are tapered i get them hand tight and be done with it.
3 im paraniod of them leaking
you're much smarter than me...
well..i guess you're much smarter than me...you must know that mixing metals in sea water would never cause a problem...right ??? i gues you know more than the manufacture too,after all,why would they use aluminum plugs ??? especially if they could use bronze plugs...
whenever i see teflon tape on pipe fittings,i laugh... ya know why ??? pipe thread is self sealing,as well as tapered,using tape on the threads,you really can't feel how tight you're making it...did you also know,that using teflon tape on something like an oil pressure sender,it can isolate that part from grounding ??? but,hey,i guess a genius like you allready knows that...here's another one...why do certain mfg's specifically state "do not use teflon tape on the fittings" ??? those mfg's would be bennett ,you know the trim tab company...also sea star,the hydraulic people too...do you know more than those people too ???? you must be a wealth of knowledge.... :roll: here's another one...mercruiser,when you get fitting in their kits,the fittings are coated in a sealer,they specifically state "do not use teflon tape" ??? wonder why ??? if you're a plumber,do me a favor,stick to repairing clogged toilets...seems to me that's really what you're qualified to do...
you really seem to be offended by me...what's the problem there sparky ??? you seem to wanna go after me on a few other sites too...you gotta problem ??? if you do,my phone number is posted,i don't hide behind a catchy screen name...i realize know it alls like you,wanna try and throw a few rocks sometimes,however,when you've been in the buisness as long as me,and you've got a reputation like my shop does,then you can try and insult me...till that point comes,save it.... :roll:
do you ever think i get tired of taking sh@t from losers like you ???
why don't you post some pics of jobs you've performed ??? show us all some of your wisdom,c'mon...let's see what great things you've accomplished....don't let your alligator mouth talk for your tadpole butt...here's your chance.....
catch22 said:
well..i guess you're much smarter than me...you must know that mixing metals in sea water would never cause a problem...right ??? i gues you know more than the manufacture too,after all,why would they use aluminum plugs ??? especially if they could use bronze plugs...
whenever i see teflon tape on pipe fittings,i laugh... ya know why ??? pipe thread is self sealing,as well as tapered,using tape on the threads,you really can't feel how tight you're making it...did you also know,that using teflon tape on something like an oil pressure sender,it can isolate that part from grounding ??? but,hey,i guess a genius like you allready knows that...here's another one...why do certain mfg's specifically state "do not use teflon tape on the fittings" ??? those mfg's would be bennett ,you know the trim tab company...also sea star,the hydraulic people too...do you know more than those people too ???? you must be a wealth of knowledge.... :roll: here's another one...mercruiser,when you get fitting in their kits,the fittings are coated in a sealer,they specifically state "do not use teflon tape" ??? wonder why ??? if you're a plumber,do me a favor,stick to repairing clogged toilets...seems to me that's really what you're qualified to do...
you really seem to be offended by me...what's the problem there sparky ??? you seem to wanna go after me on a few other sites too...you gotta problem ??? if you do,my phone number is posted,i don't hide behind a catchy screen name...i realize know it alls like you,wanna try and throw a few rocks sometimes,however,when you've been in the buisness as long as me,and you've got a reputation like my shop does,then you can try and insult me...till that point comes,save it.... :roll:
do you ever think i get tired of taking sh@t from losers like you ???
why don't you post some pics of jobs you've performed ??? show us all some of your wisdom,c'mon...let's see what great things you've accomplished....don't let your alligator mouth talk for your tadpole butt...here's your chance.....
As with most things mechanical, there's usually many ways to accomplish the end goal, most being neither the definitively right or definitively wrong. I usually run from a shop that professes their way to be the only way. :roll:
Re: you're much smarter than me...
I don't see what trim tabs, auto pilots, sending units, etc have to do with something as simple as a drain plug? This isn't rocket science, (now where did I hear that before?) but... since you brought it up -
"Bennett....you know the trim tab company";
http://www.bennetttrimtabs.com/online.html
Tools and material list, (right at the top).
Step 7 - Inside the transom, apply Teflon tape on male threads of pipe nipples and tighten 90 degree brass elbows to pipe nipples.
The reason I sometimes get offended is because, instead of simply sticking to the topic, you mention things like, "some other guy was BRAGGING about using bronze plugs instead of aluminum", and using "catchy names", and so on, and so on, and so on. You find it necessary to belittle and insult people. You antaganize and bring these responses on yourself.
I don't brag, (atleast I hope I don't). There's only one person on this website that BRAGGS, and we all know exactly who that is.
Well....gotta get back to my clogged toilet.
jimmy's marine service said:
I don't see what trim tabs, auto pilots, sending units, etc have to do with something as simple as a drain plug? This isn't rocket science, (now where did I hear that before?) but... since you brought it up -
"Bennett....you know the trim tab company";
http://www.bennetttrimtabs.com/online.html
Tools and material list, (right at the top).
Step 7 - Inside the transom, apply Teflon tape on male threads of pipe nipples and tighten 90 degree brass elbows to pipe nipples.
The reason I sometimes get offended is because, instead of simply sticking to the topic, you mention things like, "some other guy was BRAGGING about using bronze plugs instead of aluminum", and using "catchy names", and so on, and so on, and so on. You find it necessary to belittle and insult people. You antaganize and bring these responses on yourself.
I don't brag, (atleast I hope I don't). There's only one person on this website that BRAGGS, and we all know exactly who that is.
Well....gotta get back to my clogged toilet.
You don't use teflon tape where it can come off the threads and get stuck where you don't want it. I don't think you have to worry about using it on a bracket drain plug.
Water can enter from the engine mounts, the access plates on top, by the seal to the boat or through the drain plug. It sounds like your plugs were never taken out so there's a few years of build-up.
Water can enter from the engine mounts, the access plates on top, by the seal to the boat or through the drain plug. It sounds like your plugs were never taken out so there's a few years of build-up.
When my leaky bracket was replaced last winter, we saw that the leaks were coming in from around the mounting bolts. The dis-similar metals sitting in saltwater causes galvanic corrosion and naturally the lower noble alluminum corrodes away first before the steel bolts.
This is why my scraping and re-sealing every spring with 5200 around the access ports and the edge between the bracket and the transom didn't do squat and every fall I released another 50 gallons of water from my bracket when I hauled her.
If you do a search and find the tread "cool upgrade", you will see pix of this and the excellent job Jimmy's Marine Service did with the installation of my new Hermco Fiberglass bracket.
This new bracket has NO corrosion issues, PLUS adds floatation which allows the boat to sit higher in the water with the scuppers a good 2" above the water line, and the boat handles better, jumps up on plane quicker, and stays on plane at lower rpm than it used to.
This is why my scraping and re-sealing every spring with 5200 around the access ports and the edge between the bracket and the transom didn't do squat and every fall I released another 50 gallons of water from my bracket when I hauled her.
If you do a search and find the tread "cool upgrade", you will see pix of this and the excellent job Jimmy's Marine Service did with the installation of my new Hermco Fiberglass bracket.
This new bracket has NO corrosion issues, PLUS adds floatation which allows the boat to sit higher in the water with the scuppers a good 2" above the water line, and the boat handles better, jumps up on plane quicker, and stays on plane at lower rpm than it used to.
CaptKennyW said:
Hiya Kenny, been lurkin here on and off in between fishing this season, and a good season it was.
Caught some nice Stripers, Blues, Fluke and Seabass inshore, and took her out to the Hudson Canyon for Tuna and Dolphin and offshore for Shark a few times as well. Too bad it's all over now (MAN that was a fast 7 months since I splashed her), I'm hauling her and will be winterizing her this Wednesday.
The new Etecs performed flawlessly all season, and as mentioned in the post above, I'm very happy with the Hermco bracket too.
Hope your season was good as well, and you have a great Holiday season.
I'm surprised the stainless reacted with the aluminum, I suspect the engine and drive were not bonded together electrically (grounded)
Capt. K- use the open end wrench and snug it up with one hand, don't want it to loosen under vibration - plenty of it around. The length of the open end wrenches is set to size of the head, to avoid making it easy to overtighten.
When it comes to tapered threaded plumbing fittings, be it hydraulic, fuel, oil, water, waste, drains in grady drives, whatever, the threads make the seal - not a sealant, a lubricant is needed to get the full takeup and avoid galling later - preventing loosening.
If you want to use grease, tripleguard, etc, be sure if you paint the drive after, the excess grease doesn't contaminate the roller, brush etc. That's the concern I see with using grease.
As was said, the manufacturers who specifiy no teflon, as do gas filter and fitting vendors sometimes, do it to avoid those who over tape and loose tape ends up in the wrong place, it will not dissolve.
All the same applies to the threaded bilge drain plug, handle it the same way.
Capt. K- use the open end wrench and snug it up with one hand, don't want it to loosen under vibration - plenty of it around. The length of the open end wrenches is set to size of the head, to avoid making it easy to overtighten.
When it comes to tapered threaded plumbing fittings, be it hydraulic, fuel, oil, water, waste, drains in grady drives, whatever, the threads make the seal - not a sealant, a lubricant is needed to get the full takeup and avoid galling later - preventing loosening.
If you want to use grease, tripleguard, etc, be sure if you paint the drive after, the excess grease doesn't contaminate the roller, brush etc. That's the concern I see with using grease.
As was said, the manufacturers who specifiy no teflon, as do gas filter and fitting vendors sometimes, do it to avoid those who over tape and loose tape ends up in the wrong place, it will not dissolve.
All the same applies to the threaded bilge drain plug, handle it the same way.