transom drain plug

E

edson1988

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
30
hi im new to the forum and im having a problem with my drain plug i have the brass type with the square end to put a wrench on it. ive noticed that it is slowly seeping in maybe a teaspoon for about 8 hours of fishing ive tried replacing it .what else can i do to test it or even replace the hole asembly if i had to ? any ideas would be greatly apreciated
 
L

louiefl

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 11, 2012
Messages
119
Re: transom drain plug

I've heard others having success with putting teflon tape around the plug. Wind in so that the loose end does not unravel as you screw it in. Two full revolutions of tape should be enough. If you want to check for a leak and can get the boat out of the water, simply add enough water in the bilge to cover the plug by a few inches.
 
U

UncleWillie

Captain
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
3,995
Re: transom drain plug

If you do not pull the plug often the Teflon tape should work.
For a plug that size I would put at least 5 and up to 10 wraps of tape on it.

If you are pulling the plug often, a coat of grease on the thread will seal up the minor leak.
There is no real pressure you need to account for (<1 psi) so almost anything that plugs up the threads will work.

Do not overlook the possibility that the leak is NOT a plug to fitting leak.
It may be a fitting to transom leak.
If that is the case, your transom may be slowly getting waterlogged. Very BAD!
Pull the fitting and re-seal it to the transom.
Can you see the actual drip?
 
NYBo

NYBo

Admiral
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
7,107
Re: transom drain plug

Welcome to iboats!:cool:

It might not be the plug itself that's leaking. Water may be coming in around the outside of the fitting in the transom. That would be bad as it that would mean water getting into the wood core of the transom (If you have a fiberglass boat). The solution is to remove the three screws holding in the fitting, remove the fitting, check for rot around the opening, and, if no rot, clean the area thoroughly and re-seat the fitting, bedding it with 3M 5200 sealant.
 
E

edson1988

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
30
Re: transom drain plug

thanks for everyones help im goin to try the tape andsee if it stops im goin out on tuesday ill find out then if it worked. thank again everyone.
 
E

edson1988

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
30
Re: transom drain plug

ok im back from vacation still have my leak goin to replace the drain plug fitting looked for the 3m 5200 couldn t find any at the local store i did see 3m 4000 marine sealant was woundering if it could be used instead of 5200?
 
E

edson1988

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
30
Re: transom drain plug

oksince i still had my leak i decided i would replace the entire drain plug assembly so i got it off and i found that it wasnt sealed very well at all so im letting it dry probly for about a month then goin to reseal how much seal should i put in there to make sure its sealed properly ? i also found the 3m 5200 at bass pro for anyone in canada having problems finding it.
 
U

UncleWillie

Captain
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
3,995
Re: transom drain plug

edson1988 said:
... How much seal should I put in there to make sure its sealed properly? ...
Click to expand...

Enough to fill every void with some squeezing out as it it tightened down.
Within reason, and using good workmanship, More is better!
As long as you don't glue the drain plug in the threads, You can't put in too much!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top