Transom Inspection Help

mreinsmith

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 15, 2008
Messages
82
I've got a mystery on my hands.

I have a 1987 Bayliner Capri with a Force 125

After a visit to my local dealer for a relatively minor engine repair, I was informed that "the transom is soft and weak the motor is not secure with a soft transom"

They would not proceed with the engine repair declaring that the repairs to the transom would far exceed the value of the boat (understandable, sort of)

So i took it home and began the process of inspecting the transom for softness. Using a small aluminum hammer, I began to tap ALL OVER the transom and i CANNOT find any softness in the transom!?!?

Having said all that, can someone tell me how to fully inspect the transom to try and make some sort of assessment of it.

Thanks for your help

M
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: Transom Inspection Help

tilt motor up. grab lower unit. move up and down. watch for flex in the transom. it is better to use a rubber mallot, or the rubber handle on a hammer and rap the transom hard, thud, is soft wood, rap is good wood. then you can drill a hole, and look at wood chips. that vintage bayliner is known for bad transoms, stringers, and decks.
 

bhammer

Ensign
Joined
Mar 29, 2008
Messages
963
Re: Transom Inspection Help

What TD said is right on. Use a rubber mallet and whack it and listen. Also, if there is wood on the inside that you can access, use an awl and poke around and if you can sink the awl, it is soft wood.

I have also seen dealers stand on the lower unit with it at about 50% in and slight bounce on it to see if you get flex. Any flex and the wood is bad.

You can also use a moisture detector and that works good. Just shot the transom from the inside. I have one that I use in another line of business and I was surprised that it worked on my old boat. But, I didn't have a thick layer of glass on the inside either and that could make a difference.
 
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