pin hole auminum repair

[buchwheat]

Have a 1987 Alunicraft open bow. By an inside water test found a small hole, slightly larger than a safety pin with no other damage around it. In an area when on plane water prob. shoots in like a hose, mid bow area on port side. Poss. caused while beached or may have hit something under way' Need best repair, im sure it flexes a little when under way. I heard JB weld just to fill hole with glovet over or even a dab of 5200. Since id be over head on trailer not sure how the melted rods would work. Any suggestions appreciaced. A neighbor suggested drill it out, now a bigger hole!!, with a blind rivet.Thanks All.

 

[jbcurt00]

Might use the edit feature to re-type some of that ^^^

Drill a slightly larger hole and fill it w a closed end blind rivet dipped in 5200 would be my 1st choice.

 

[buchwheat]

Think I did the editing,Computer acting strange, sorry.

 

[GA_Boater]

I'm third in line with JB and your neighbor's idea. You can fix it from outside with the blind rivet and 3M 5200. If the rivet has a steel mandrel, dab some 5300 in the head to slow down the rust on the mandrel.

 

[buchwheat]

sounds good to me on ward rivet and 5200 thanks much

 

[gm280]

Before you do anything, is this pin hole just a divot in the aluminum or is the metal around this pin hole that thin? If it is merely a divot and a pin hole in the center, then go the rivet route. But if the aluminum is that thin around the pin hole, something else is working on the metal and it needs to be fixed...

 

[hotrod53]

I like the drill/rivit and 3800 idea, but they do make a 2 part epoxy for this purpose. I used it on my 12' boat in about 20 places 10 years ago and it worked flawlessly. I was called Marine-Tex and is available at ACE Hardware.

 

[robert graham]

On my 30 year old aluminum canoe I've used a very simple blob of 3M Yellow Weatherstrip Adhesive on the outside and/or inside of any cracks, leaks, rivets....stays on semi-flexible for years...never leaks!....I usually wire brush the area slightly to ensure clean adhesion surface....

 

[MTboatguy]

Well I am going to state something that will drive everybody crazy and I won't do it again, but so far it has not failed on me. The last two small holes I fixed with regular aluminum rivets and put a small blob of JB weld over the hole and then repainted to match the boat. Been working just fine for about 5 years now, with no leaks. I just secured about 50 packs of various sized blind rivets, so in the future, I will use them with a bit of sealer on them that is paint friendly and not worry about it.

 

[buchwheat]

Just rec.my alum. rivets today. Went to boat store for my 5200. Guy there said they do this fix with a self threading ss machine screw( I just learned the difference from a self tapping) After two more stops for self threaders to no avail decided to still go with rivet. I can see the advantatage of a larger surface for 5200 on the larger screw head but figure I can always drill out and use the screw. Thanks to all.