Glued to the dash?

Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
21
I bought my project boat last year, and it's been a work in progress for sure. So far I'm in for: new gimbal, 4 sets of bearings in the transmission, impeller, prop, 2 u-joints, all new floor, carpet, bulkhead, motor mounts, ventilation, and the engine had to be moved because it was off-center from the factory.

A project indeed.

At any rate, after two new fuel filters this past weekend it finally runs great! (I'm keeping it under 3400 RPM for a few hours as the engine and drivetrain had all been pulled for the floor/motor mounts/bulkhead work, but so for, so good.

The most exciting part, however, is that now I get to turn my attention toward aesthetics: Upholstery, striping, etc.

Anyway, I bought the boat and someone installed both a fish finder and a compass on the dashboard above the gauges. To my surprise, I discovered this weekend that they are not drilled/screwed to the dash, but rather than have been glued down with some sort of adhesive!!

I gave a little tug to the fish finder to see if it would budget, and it didn't. So, I'm pretty sure they are very securely attache and I haven't a clue how to go about removing them! Will I tear up the fiberglass? Any chance I'll cause **real** damage? Heat gun? A solution of some sort?

I'm at a loss.
 

GT1000000

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
4,916
Putty knife and a hammer...cut into it all the way round, bit by bit...
'Nother option is to get an oscillating tool and try to cut them free...
If you are careful you may not damage the gel coat, but even if you do, it can be patched...
Good luck...
 
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
21
Putty knife and a hammer...cut into it all the way round, bit by bit...
'Nother option is to get an oscillating tool and try to cut them free...
If you are careful you may not damage the gel coat, but even if you do, it can be patched...
Good luck...


I'm not gonna lie. That sounds scary to me. But, I'll give it a try.

Thanks GT1000000
 

GT1000000

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
4,916
Work slowly and as carefully as possible...you should start to feel the softness, relatively speaking of the glue/adhesive versus the "hardness" of the item you are removing or the top of the dash...
 
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
21
I had to run up to Lowe's tonight for something else. While I was roaming the aisles (because that's what we do at hardware stores, yes?!), I happened upon a group of 6 employees and thoought, "What the heck! I'll ask what they think."

And one guy piped up immediatel and sent me to the end of aisle 4 to pick up the pro grade Goof Off. So...I did. I guess I'll try that (because I'm still nervous about chipping away around the fiberglass).

More to come after this coming weekend.

Thanks guys!
 
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
21
Well, it was hot enough that both simply peeled off of the dash! Goof Off came in handy for cleaning the residue, however. Actually, the Goof Off came in handy for cleaning all kinds of things on the old boat! My problem now is that if I remove the transducer from the fish finder, then I'll have holes in the hull. What do I do about those?
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,924
Drill em out a bit bigger to get to good fresh wood and ensure the transom is ok, and then either mix up some Polyester resin and some cabosil so it's thick like mayonaise and then use a plastic putty knife to fill the holes or use some 3M 5200 Quick Set Marine Caulk/Filler. There is also a product called PC-11 that you can get at Ace Hardware that is a Great Filler. It is Epoxy however and Gelcoat will NOT adhere to it. It's White so if your hull is white it should blend in quite well.
 
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