3.0L to 4.3L mtr mounts and 25 yo transom

[DeepBlue2010]

Thanks WOG. Appreciate your insight. Tomorrow I'll get to start glassing in some of this and sealing up the transom, Here's to some warmish weather for s few days.

If by sealing the transom you mean leave it as is and cover the core holes, I believe this would be a mistake. Moisture meters are very unreliable in the marine and boat environment, there are so many articles out there by respected marine surveyors about how next to useless they are.

If I were you and I am building this thing to last me for a while without repeating the cycle every now and then, I would just get this transom out and replace it. Rot is a bacterial infection in an organic material (wood) we all know how bacterial infection work when it strikes us, it multiplies exponentially and never stop. What looks, sounds, feels ?ok? now, can turn into a mulch soon enough.

With all due respect to everyone?s opinion, I don?t think injecting anything ? being anti freez or whatever ? is an effective treatment for this infection simply because there are no telling where it has already started. There is also no control over the flow of this injection, try to inject some wood with anything, how far it penetrates?! Even the pressure treatment doesn?t penetrate beyond few millimeters below the surface, the rest is just wood.

It is your boat and you decision but I assume you are here to ? implicitly ? asking for as many opinions as possible and this one just happened to be mine

 

[Rick Stephens]

Even the pressure treatment doesn’t penetrate beyond few millimeters below the surface, the rest is just wood.

It is your boat and you decision but I assume you are here to – implicitly – asking for as many opinions as possible and this one just happened to be mine

Well, my ignorance on wood is pretty complete compared to all ya'all. Don't have any knowledge of moisture content, never tore into a transom either. So far, haven't found anything but solid wood, if discolored from past leakage. I really don't know, waaaay more than two minds over it.

However, I have no doubt it will last years and years and at this point in time is mongo strong. I'm seriously leaning towards tossing some CSM over the center and calling it good for however many years. Same job 10 years from now as it is today to replace it.

 

[alldodge]

Blue does bring up a good point with moisture. The issue you have may take another 10 years to cause you to replace the transom, but can also be just a few years down the road if you are unable to stop the rot. Anything above 15 to 20% is to high, so either need to dry it out, or kill the spores. You could replace just the bottom section like I did with my Formula

 

[JASinIL2006]

If by sealing the transom you mean leave it as is and cover the core holes, I believe this would be a mistake. Moisture meters are very unreliable in the marine and boat environment, there are so many articles out there by respected marine surveyors about how next to useless they are.

If I were you and I am building this thing to last me for a while without repeating the cycle every now and then, I would just get this transom out and replace it. Rot is a bacterial infection in an organic material (wood) we all know how bacterial infection work when it strikes us, it multiplies exponentially and never stop. What looks, sounds, feels “ok” now, can turn into a mulch soon enough.

With all due respect to everyone’s opinion, I don’t think injecting anything – being anti freez or whatever – is an effective treatment for this infection simply because there are no telling where it has already started. There is also no control over the flow of this injection, try to inject some wood with anything, how far it penetrates?! Even the pressure treatment doesn’t penetrate beyond few millimeters below the surface, the rest is just wood.

It is your boat and you decision but I assume you are here to – implicitly – asking for as many opinions as possible and this one just happened to be mine

I have to agree. Discolored wood... high moisture content.... these are the early signs of trouble. It's hard to say what might happen if you seal it up. You might get 10 years of safe use, but you might not. I'm not a big fan of fixing something that's not broken, but I don't think I personally would be comfortable sealing this up and leaving it. I just went back and looked at the pics of the dark shavings. No way I'd leave that in. Most of the stuff is pulled already from the transom. Why not just be sure you're doing it right and replace the wood? Then you'd be sure -- not just hoping -- that everything is OK. Just my $.02...

 

[Bondo]

I truly believe we, as restorers, can sometimes, overthink and attempt to over-engineer things sometimes,

Ayuh,..... It's got Nothin' to do with Restorers WoG,.... It's a Boater thing in general,....

Hence the antifreeze, 'n foggin' battles in the I/O forums this time of year,.....

Funny thing is, the answer to both is the same,.....

Get Rid of the Water,.....

 

[Rick Stephens]

No Title

I hear ya. I may glass in the mounts and see what happens to moisture content with the paint off the transom. The entire area around the cutout is around 20%. The three four inch area to the left of the cutout 1/4" plate near the stringer is 30-31% today, out in the sun. Even the top outside of that plate in the 'white' wood is low teens.

I dragged the boat outside to blow out the dust, wipe down with acetone.

 

[alldodge]

I have never seen a transom put in by a builder in pieces until today. If this is original all I can say is wow. It looks like someone cut a rectangular hole and inserted new plywood. The water issue may be coming from flexing of the transom. When the V6 is installed there will be more stress put on the transom. The load of pushing the boat needs to be transferred to the stringers and the bottom of the hull

 

[alldodge]

I would suggest a minimum repair of lines in Green, or up to the Red top. Cut into the stringers and glass them back in when done

 

[Rick Stephens]

That center section is 1/4 thick overlay over the top of the transom laminate. My pet peeve is that they painted most of it, only the bottom 3-4 inches was glassed.

 

[Rick Stephens]

I would suggest a minimum repair of lines in Green, or up to the Red top. Cut into the stringers and glass them back in when done

I would suggest a minimum repair of lines in Green, or up to the Red top. Cut into the stringers and glass them back in when done

I'll start whacking tomorrow.

 

[JASinIL2006]

If you're going to remove the stuff outlined in green, you might as will remove the stuff outlined in red, too. Then you have a transom that's a single, solid piece. The stuff at the top does not look bad, but I would want it to be all one solid piece of wood. If it were me.

 

[alldodge]

Good oscillating tool with round and straight blades. Harbor Freight is one of the places for the blades and
https://www.multitoolworld.com/

 

[Rick Stephens]

If you're going to remove the stuff outlined in green, you might as will remove the stuff outlined in red, too. Then you have a transom that's a single, solid piece. The stuff at the top does not look bad, but I would want it to be all one solid piece of wood. If it were me.

Good point. Easy enough to do.

Good oscillating tool with round and straight blades. Harbor Freight is one of the places for the blades and
https://www.multitoolworld.com/

Thanks for the link. I've owned one of those for a while, they do a good job if sometimes slowish.


Rick

 

[Rick Stephens]

I'm spending some quality verbal abuse time with this transom. What a miserable job when the wood isn't trashed. Top half is out, other than the laminate layer closest to the fiberglass. The plywood has to be delaminated to get it out. Yuk. Little chunks. Anyway, bring beer if you're coming by to help.

 

[alldodge]

Anyway, bring beer if you're coming by to help.

I feel your pain, did that stuff with mine. If you lived closer I would bring plenty.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

Make a grid with a circular saw and then use a chisel and hammer to remove each square of the grid, it will go faster

 

[Rick Stephens]

No Title

I'm not talking to anyone until I finish my margarita and can straighten my knees....

 

[alldodge]

Made some real progress,

 

[Rick Stephens]

Have my jigsaw puzzle replacement piece PB'd together and curing. Lots of sanding left to do. Port side I'm just going to glass back in the piece removed from stringer and floor. That side is perfect. Obvious once torn apart that transducer mounted right at the end of the starboard stringer is what was location of old leak. When I bought the boat I replaced that and sealed it up. Was an interesting layer of wetness that traveled up towards cutout in one of the middle laminate layers. Gone now.

With 50 degree highs the resin is kicking sloooow. I have a couple 12 hour shifts as an EMT next couple days. Back at this later in the week.

Thanks again for all the help.

Rick

 

[JASinIL2006]

Getting that old stuff out of there is hard work, but after that it's all downhill. Sounds like you're doing some nice work!