1972 StarCraft 18 SS transom removal help please.

[kbh121956]

I have all bolts and screws removed. Aluminum corners removed. The top right and left part of the transom came out easy! The "Ears" I'll call them were separate from the rest of the transom. I have 2 eye bolts screwed into the transom, I'm using a cherry picker (engine host) and the transom will not budge! It will pick up the boat instead. Triple checked and all screws and bolts, drain tubes, everything is removed Any Ideas on how to get it out? I've tried posting photos, I wished that I could!

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Not sure how pics work here these days. Might be a sticky on the top of the forum. Someone will be along to help out though.

 

[ab59]

Hey , is it a sterndrive or an outboard transom ? If it's a sterndrive then just take a 2x4 and a floor jack and jack the board up after placing it in the top of the " keyhole " and let the weight of the boat slowly break it loose. Make sure you only have a hold of the wood part of the transom . Don't jack it up too far off the trailer , just where you have most of the weight of the boat on it is good , it does not need to be off the trailer.
If It's an outboard and you already have lifting eyes screwed into it then just lift it up till the weight of the boat is and the eyes and let it sit until it comes loose but again don't lift it off the trailer , it could damage the boat .

 

[Watermann]

The wood gets swollen and stuck in that bottom channel and there's always some bond between the AL and the wood with corrosion. Put some pull on with the cherry picker, grab a hammer and pry bar then get inside and do what you do with those tools, hammer and pry.

 

[kbh121956]

Thank you for the replies. This is a outboard transom. I have tension on the engine hoist. It doesn't help that I have rain forecasted for a week, making the transom thicker. I'll update once I get it pulled. I did try posting photo's using the email method from cell phone. I get the same "unknown error" message. I have not been able to post photos for a couple of years now.

 

[Watermann]

Photo posting thread, I've got you to the page I have my tutorial on using MS Onedrive.

https://forums.iboats.com/forum/oth...for-photo-attachments?p=10449178#post10449178

 

[kbh121956]

Thanks Watermann. I did get the transom out, she was swollen up tight in all the brackets. WD-40'd them overnight and hit them again in the morning. Prying on the corners and she came out. The new transom is drying and I'll start coating it with spar varnish tomorrow.

 

[PlayD0h]

I would consider cleaning, filling pits and at least prime the inner transom aluminum, along with the brackets and channel.
Get a couple nylon wire brushes for a drill. There color coded for grit, but most places just have a mild grit one. They won’t contaminate the aluminum with steel, and don’t remove as much aluminum. I have one with no grit, but it’s just to scuff or clean.
I used Marine Tex and a couple $5 tubes of JB Marine epoxy, which looked a lot like the Marine Tex. A bondo spreader and a skim over the pitting is all you need.

I guess maybe you already planned on doing all that and Im wasting my time here, lol. If you want that wood to last longer trouble free you could epoxy the wood. A quart should do a transom. I used System 3 S1 penetrating epoxy sealer. I did my deck with it also, and 2 gallons did both and some to spare yet. It’s 1:1 so you get 2 containers of part A & B, same size. With the price of Spar here, it worked out to $20 more a quart I think.
I paid $250 Canadian for 2 gallons, that’s $65ish a quart, probably $40 USD. The stuff reeks though, so take that into account.
Glad you got that bugger out. Mine wasn’t too bad and I took it out with the boat turtled so gravity helped. I remember scratching my head looking for bolts, or screws that I missed.

 

[kbh121956]

Thanks PlayDOh. Good story and funny. I don't have any pitting on the aluminum. I did clean her up and sprayed it with primer.

 

[ShoestringMariner]

. I used System 3 S1 penetrating epoxy sealer. I did my deck with it also, and 2 gallons did both and some to spare yet. It’s 1:1 so you get 2 containers of part A & B, same size. With the price of Spar here, it worked out to $20 more a quart I think.
I paid $250 Canadian for 2 gallons, that’s $65ish a quart, probably $40 USD.
.

Hey, hope this isn’t a hijack. Where did you find it? I assume it isn’t a hardware store stock item. My local Home Hardware has no listing of any epoxy sealer, though at one time I think they did (for repairing rotten wood)

 

[ShoestringMariner]

I have all bolts and screws removed. Aluminum corners removed. The top right and left part of the transom came out easy! The "Ears" I'll call them were separate from the rest of the transom. I have 2 eye bolts screwed into the transom, I'm using a cherry picker (engine host) and the transom will not budge! It will pick up the boat instead. Triple checked and all screws and bolts, drain tubes, everything is removed Any Ideas on how to get it out? I've tried posting photos, I wished that I could!

Did you figure out pic posting yet? Would like to see your rebuild. There’s a camera icon top left of the message window. Click that and choose upload. “Photo album” does not refer to your device’s album.
I love my ss160, but I wish I had the 18’ OB

 

[kbh121956]

Did you figure out pic posting yet? Would like to see your rebuild. There’s a camera icon top left of the message window. Click that and choose upload. “Photo album” does not refer to your device’s album.
I love my ss160, but I wish I had the 18’ OB

I never have been able to post a photo of it. I thought it was because I use a computer so, I tried posting using my cell phone. It also didn't work. I post pretty much daily on the Facebook StarCraft group. Watermann did post a photo of my boat here in a different post. The outside is in super clean shape with the finish and all but, it will get a new paint job, just to make her mine. I removed the decking, the transom, and filled her up with water. No leaks. Even the rivets still have the factory paint on them. The transom is replaced, I used marine plywood. I gave it 3 coats of spar varnish followed with 2 coats of an oil base light gray enamel. I've have 2 sections of deck installed using the large head blind rivets. The decking is being coated the same way that I did the transom. This boat sat for 12 years with an old 140hp Mercury tower of power in the up position, the transom wasn't rotted but it was warped. My knee brace was also cracked and I repaired it following how others did it in this group. I do not plan of using any carpet or vinyl on the deck. I will coat it with an oil enamel when needed. The old Merc was to costly for repairs for me so, she will end up with one of my other outboards for power. She won't have 140hp on it, I don't waterski, I fish on the larger lakes that Utah has to offer. Thank you for your interests in my project! I try and post photo's here every time that I post and will continue too do so.