VintageBlueOval
Cadet
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2008
- Messages
- 15
Hey all,
First off, let me say this is a terrific forum and I'm excited to be here. I've been reading here for weeks but I can't seem to find the specifics I'm looking for. I've got an 85 Chris Craft with a GM 3.8 and an 800 Stringer Drive. The transom has gotten soft where the swim ladder hardware let moisture seep in over the years. The deck and stringers are all solid. The engine and drive are in good working condition and I'm not really interested in yanking it all out to repair the transom. Seacast certainly has it's appeal to that end.
My plan is to remove the outdrive and intermediate gear case, cut and remove the rearmost section of the upper cap to expose the top of the transom and going forward with a Seacast repair. The transom has an inner skin and with the intermediate housing out of the way, access shouldn't be an issue.
My question is, once the old wood is removed, how do i seal off the outdrive opening when preparing to pour the Seacast? It seems logical to fabricate a wooden ring to the shape of the opening and pour the Seacast around it, but that's just my inexperienced mind at work. The giant rubber boot makes me think that the transom on a Stringer drive boat doesn't need to be solid as a rock to be safe, but I'd like a good repair that I can handle at home. I like this boat and I'm overall happy with the OMC and 3.8 so it's worth fixing in my opinion. Am I thinking my plan out in the right direction? Any thoughts on properly sealing off that outdrive opening? Do I even need to remove the intermediate housing with all the extra room afforded by the giant rubber boot?
All of your opinions are welcome and thanks in advance!
First off, let me say this is a terrific forum and I'm excited to be here. I've been reading here for weeks but I can't seem to find the specifics I'm looking for. I've got an 85 Chris Craft with a GM 3.8 and an 800 Stringer Drive. The transom has gotten soft where the swim ladder hardware let moisture seep in over the years. The deck and stringers are all solid. The engine and drive are in good working condition and I'm not really interested in yanking it all out to repair the transom. Seacast certainly has it's appeal to that end.
My plan is to remove the outdrive and intermediate gear case, cut and remove the rearmost section of the upper cap to expose the top of the transom and going forward with a Seacast repair. The transom has an inner skin and with the intermediate housing out of the way, access shouldn't be an issue.
My question is, once the old wood is removed, how do i seal off the outdrive opening when preparing to pour the Seacast? It seems logical to fabricate a wooden ring to the shape of the opening and pour the Seacast around it, but that's just my inexperienced mind at work. The giant rubber boot makes me think that the transom on a Stringer drive boat doesn't need to be solid as a rock to be safe, but I'd like a good repair that I can handle at home. I like this boat and I'm overall happy with the OMC and 3.8 so it's worth fixing in my opinion. Am I thinking my plan out in the right direction? Any thoughts on properly sealing off that outdrive opening? Do I even need to remove the intermediate housing with all the extra room afforded by the giant rubber boot?
All of your opinions are welcome and thanks in advance!
