"It Happened!" Transom has to be replaced! (NOW W/PICS)

[Slager]

For my rebuild I called practically every lumber yard in my city until I found one 30 miles away that carried Douglas fir marine plywood that was treated and dried. What I ended up getting was MCA (micronized copper azole) treated and kiln dried for $70 a sheet for 3/4".

 

[tpenfield]

The 2 well-known brands of rot-resistant plywood, which are KDAT (Kiln Dried After Treatment) are 'Greenwood XL' and 'Perma Panel'

You can check the APA (American Plywood Association) ratings for plywood. The glue is the same for the 'Exposure1', 'Exterior', and 'Marine' rated plywood's. The differences are mainly in the quality of the veneers that make up the plywood, 'Marine' being the best quality, 'Exposure1' being the least.

There is a thread currently on-going about plywood for boat construction, if you really want to become confused.

For a transom, I wouldn't sweat it too much and get what you can in your area that has at least the 'Exterior' rating.

 

[kcassells]

ACX or Bcx ad home deblows.

 

[redneck joe]

I've already lost $15K over what the boat is worth. What do the resident experts say?

I love my boat and am more than that in the hole, and planning to keep putting money in it now that I've decide not to sell. I made the mistake of spending the weekend out....

 

[LX Kid]

Does anyone know if there is a bolt from the gimbal housing side into the Y tube? I've removed four of the five bolts and drilled two holes 4" down side of frpzen bolt and it still won't let loose.

 

[LX Kid]

No Title

Being I'm so frustrated with the damn frozen bolt I moved on to the engine while it on the engine stand. As mentioned earlier I bought another oil pan. Pulled the harmonic balancer of and discovered the timing chain cover needs replacing. Found chrome one with gaskets and oil seal for $18.50 from eBay. When I pulled the water pump off, engine upside down, I was surprised to see a lot of ground up shale in the engine water jacket. Suppose one of the previous owner ran it aground and a lot of it collected in the engine water jacket. Anyway I stuck the water hose in the block and flushed everything out. Plan is to clean and paint block, install new plugs, new Edelbrock intake, points and condenser and maybe some new plug wires. Both the elbows and exhaust manifolds have already been replaced a couple months ago.

We will start with the transom cutting and fiberglassing this coming week. (That is if I can get that darn frozen bolt out of the Y tube.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Lot's of digging, scraping and cursing! Here's some pics of todays progress. Gonna have to do the stringers in the rear of the engine bay.

Pretty sure your going to find more issues with bulkheads and stringers as you keep going

Regarding the stuck bolts.....heat, penetrating oil and force

 

[LX Kid]

No Title

Success! Finally my buds and I were able to get the frozen bolt loose from the Y-tube. Used a sawmill and side cut the full length of the bolt and split it open. The Y-tube was corroded thru in two spots on the separator so it wasn't reusable anyway. If it ever quits raining we will start cutting, sealing and wrapping the wood. Four another Y-tube assy for $50 and will have to go pick it up next couple of days. Still have to check out the serviceability of the gimbal housing.

The stringers weren't as bad as I had worried about. They were only rotted about six inches from the transom but cut them out all the way back to the motor support towers.

 

[LX Kid]

Let me think here a minute! Who was it that said this job would only take a week to ten days to complete? "OH WAIT, I THINK IT WAS ME!" Man what a butt whopping we're taking! Half days cause the humidity runs us into the house not to mention the rain. I must live in Florida. LoL

This $700 estimate is looking more like $1500 with all the other mechanical problems being discovered. Still haven't been able to get around to looking at the gimbal housing and outdrive for serviceability. When finished we will have a boat worth about $1200 that since bought in 2008 put about $22K into it. Man oh man isn't fishing and boating a fun sport!!!!!!

 

[chevymaher]

Yea but if your keeping it and not trying to make money. it is worth all of it. I got moral support here. 2 guys that did this to a chriscraft. The smiles on their faces. Oh your doing the right thing it is so worth it.

My one buddy actually tried to buy my exact boat new. But Four Winns wouldn't work with the trade in. So he got a bayliner instead. And he knows someone with my exact same boat. So there will be 2 of these things at the river when I am done.

 

[LX Kid]

Checked out my gimbal housing today and gonna have to replace it. Two rusted mounting studs twisted off and two more about rusted thru. The gimbal pivot on the bottom is rusted frozen and can't even get the cotter pin out of it. If I could only get it apart I could problem fix it. Maybe I'll take it to a good machine shop to cut them off and drill them out but that sounds like a lot of money right there.

Can someone tell me what kind of gimbal housing assembly I have? I always thought it to be a Alpha 1 Gen 1 housing but when I look on eBay all I see is ones with only 4 bolt exhaust to Y-tube connection. Mine has 5 bolt Y-tube exhaust. (Two on top and three on the bottom.) My boat is an '1982 and seems there are transition changes between '82 and '83 models.

 

[redneck joe]

can answer your question but you may be right or have been franken-motored. My 79 MC-1 is close enough to Alpha that my guy was able to use an ~81 alpha gimble assy he had to replace mine.

 

[tpenfield]

Let me think here a minute! Who was it that said this job would only take a week to ten days to complete? "OH WAIT, I THINK IT WAS ME!" Man what a butt whopping we're taking! Half days cause the humidity runs us into the house not to mention the rain. I must live in Florida. LoL

This $700 estimate is looking more like $1500 with all the other mechanical problems being discovered. Still haven't been able to get around to looking at the gimbal housing and outdrive for serviceability. When finished we will have a boat worth about $1200 that since bought in 2008 put about $22K into it. Man oh man isn't fishing and boating a fun sport!!!!!!

You think you are having 'fun' now . . . wait until you start putting that transom back together :faint:

 

[redneck joe]

opcorn:

....

 

[LX Kid]

Another fun day grinding and sanding! While my two ship mates were working on the fiberglass I, fortunately, worked on the motor. Painted the block, installed new timing chain cover and oil pan. Checked all the freeze plugs for corrosion and they all are good. Tomorrow I'll start working on the motor's top side with intake manifold.

Took the gimbal housing to a machinist and he has been able to remove all but one broken stud. Says it needs to soak another day or two before he puts the heat to it. All in all everything is going along rather well but is just taking a little longer than we novices had estimated.

 

[LX Kid]

With all the flooding in Texas, Louisiana and others I know I should be grateful for the meager amount of rain we have been getting here in the Tampa area. Say a prayer for all the displaced, hungry and lost! I just can't imagine what will happen to the thousands of people. No job to go to, no home to go to, no vehicle to go anywhere and no where to put your family.

 

[LX Kid]

No Title

Started cutting, fitting and sanding. We are doing 1/3 & 2/3 split on the wood for ease of fitting the bottom and sides. The outside board will be same but in a staggered fitting on the first.

 

[redneck joe]

With all the flooding in Texas, Louisiana and others I know I should be grateful for the meager amount of rain we have been getting here in the Tampa area. y.

you may be next

 

[LX Kid]

No Title

Pretty much got the engine put back together. I'm sure all the "pretty, pretty" work I've done will make it run so much better! LoL

 

[zool]

Pretty and clean does make it run better