How To Remove Drain Plug From SeaRay

gil_happy

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Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
20
Hello,

I own a 1994 SeaRay 240 Overnighter and I have a question about removing the drain plug. While attempting to remove the drain plug from my boat last fall while in storage, the edges of the drain plug became so stripped that I was unable to remove it. To prevent the boat from filing with water during the winter, I decided to drill a hole in the middle of the drain plug for the water to escape.

Now that I'm getting my boat ready for the summer, I have a question about the best way to remove the drain plug:

a) option 1 appears to be drill out as much of the drain plug as possible and then gently hammer out the remaining plug (it is a soft material, so I assume it is brass?). Then I can maybe use a 'tap' to redo or repair the threads in the event that I damaged any of the threads while drilling or removing.

b) option 2, if you look at the attached picture (which is similar to my boat), I don't know what will happen if I try to remove the 3 screws and remove the whole assembly? Is this the easiest method, or will removing this create a bunch of work, e.g. will I then need to get in the engine compartment to properly repair / remove everything?

I guess I just worried about what will happen if I try option b vs just going with option 1 which seems to be pretty straight forward.

Thanks in advance!
 

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Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
27,036
You can remove the whole assembly and replace it, if you need to. The three screws and some caulking are all that hold it in. You could try to remove the old plug, but new garboard drain plug assemblies are pretty cheap.
 

ajgraz

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Mar 1, 2010
Messages
1,858
There's more to say...:)

After you remove the three screws and the whole assembly, take a look inside the hole through the transom and see if there is a tube of some kind (or at least epoxy coating or lots of sealant or somesuch) protecting the bare wood of the inside bore of the hole. If not, probe that bare wood to see if it is still structurally solid, not mulch.

If solid, coat it with epoxy, or better yet install a thru-tube for protection of the wood! Or both!

If not solid, get out the checkbook...:embarassed:
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,657
why not just grind the sides of your plug flat, and then put a wrench on it?

Then buy a new plug and the proper sized wrench, and keep it in the boat so the new plug doesn't get chewed up.

If it doesn't leak now, I would leave it alone.

If you want to inspect internals, buy a new one, and seal it properly, no caulk or silicone, use 4200 or 5200.
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
It appears the drain plug was installed from the INSIDE of the boat. This is a tapered thread pipe plug and must be installed from the OUTSIDE of the boat. No wonder it stuck.
 

gil_happy

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Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
20
There's more to say...:)

After you remove the three screws and the whole assembly, take a look inside the hole through the transom and see if there is a tube of some kind (or at least epoxy coating or lots of sealant or somesuch) protecting the bare wood of the inside bore of the hole. If not, probe that bare wood to see if it is still structurally solid, not mulch.

If solid, coat it with epoxy, or better yet install a thru-tube for protection of the wood! Or both!

If not solid, get out the checkbook...:embarassed:

Great, thanks for the tips... I will take a look after removing the assembly.
 

gil_happy

Cadet
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
20
why not just grind the sides of your plug flat, and then put a wrench on it?

Then buy a new plug and the proper sized wrench, and keep it in the boat so the new plug doesn't get chewed up.

If it doesn't leak now, I would leave it alone.

If you want to inspect internals, buy a new one, and seal it properly, no caulk or silicone, use 4200 or 5200.

That's a good idea, but the plug is so chewed up, there is not to much left of it.
 

Grub54891

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
5,908
When you do get the plug or assembly out, do not overtighten the plug. That is a pipe plug type, Tapered threads, just snugged up is plenty.
 

QBhoy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 10, 2016
Messages
8,286
100% the whole assembly.
In future, this can be avoided by using a well suited and sized spanner. If it must be a shifter or adjustable spanner...make sure it's a high quality one and tight fitting.
All the best.
 

gil_happy

Cadet
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
Messages
20
From researching, it looks like it comes down to 2 schools of thoughts on removing the garboard assembly:

a) the garboard assembly will be connected by 3 screws only and will be easy to remove by just removing the 3 screws and caulking, or

b) the garboard assembly will be attached using 3 screws and one of them is a bolt going to the engine compartment.

If mine happens to have the bolt goes to the engine compartment, this will add bunch of extra time, labor, and $$.
 

ajgraz

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
1,858
...
b) the garboard assembly will be attached using 3 screws and one of them is a bolt going to the engine compartment.

If mine happens to have the bolt goes to the engine compartment, this will add bunch of extra time, labor, and $$.

Where did this idea come from?
 
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