Blogs plug housing loose and turns

[1975glastoncarlson]

Hi all! 1976 Glastron Carlson CV16 here. Took her out on the lake and started getting a light leakage of water coming in from the bilge plug area. When I docked and pulled the plug A LOT of water came out and I noticed the housing can be spun around. There is no plate to remove or secure the housing and it has a flange on both sides so I can’t push it out through either side to get in there to replace it or seal it back in. Should I bend the flange out on one side and replace? Or can I seal it with an epoxy or water sealant of some kind to stop the leak? I know water has gotten into the transom and that’s something I’m going to have to definitely fix at some point soon. But to just stop the leak and take the boat out a few more times this summer- what’s the best way to go about it? I appreciate any and all answers. I’m somewhat handy (I really try) but eager to learn as much as I can from those who are willing to share their knowledge. Thanks much!

 

[Scott Danforth]

those garboard tubes are expanded in place. if it is moving, then I would suspect the transom

get a new tube and the expanding mandrel. then inspect the transom for rot when you have the tube out.

Amazon.com : transom drain tube

 

[alldodge]

The tool to flare cost the most, I had to buy one to install 2 my self
https://www.amazon.com/Flanging-Too...ds=transom+drain+tube&qid=1690888548&sr=8-121

Could try and flare some more to seal or better yet, remove, clean, use sealant and reinstall

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,... Welcome Aboard,..... I'd grind off the outer flange, push the tube out, inspect the condition of the wood, seal the wood, then mount a threaded garboard plug flange,.....

 

[1975glastoncarlson]

those garboard tubes are expanded in place. if it is moving, then I would suspect the transom

get a new tube and the expanding mandrel. then inspect the transom for rot when you have the tube out.

Amazon.com : transom drain tube

 

[1975glastoncarlson]

Thank you, garboard tube, yes, I’m not hood with the names and terms of things quite yet. Appreciate the advice!

 

[1975glastoncarlson]

Yeah dedini

The tool to flare cost the most, I had to buy one to install 2 my self
https://www.amazon.com/Flanging-Too...ds=transom+drain+tube&qid=1690888548&sr=8-121

Could try and flare some more to seal or better yet, remove, clean, use sealant and reinstall

Yeah definitely sounds like I should remove and see what’s going on inside. I’m scared! I’m not prepared to rebuild a rotted transom in that’s what I find. Also prepared to sink though…

 

[Scott Danforth]

I’m scared! I’m not prepared to rebuild a rotted transom in that’s what I find. Also prepared to sink though…

I have been in a boat with a rotten transom as a child (friend of the family). Dad and I didnt know it at the time. the next day the Gary hit a wake wrong and the boat came apart. took less than 10 seconds to sink.. managed to save Gary and his wife, lost the motor, boat and gear

Never be afraid to find an issue and fix it.

 

[alldodge]

Yeah dedini

Yeah definitely sounds like I should remove and see what’s going on inside. I’m scared! I’m not prepared to rebuild a rotted transom in that’s what I find. Also prepared to sink though…

If it's rotten then its not going to get better
Check the inside of the transom to see if it's soft. If soft how soft and how far up does it go. If its stays low around the drain maybe and short term fix. But it has to be pretty solid

Get some 3M 4000 and get it good and dry then clean with Acetone. Then put 4000 around the edges. This will last till season ends.

During winter do as Bondo mentioned and take it out and see if the wood is solid enough to replace with threaded type

 

[1975glastoncarlson]

I have been in a boat with a rotten transom as a child (friend of the family). Dad and I didnt know it at the time. the next day the Gary hit a wake wrong and the boat came apart. took less than 10 seconds to sink.. managed to save Gary and his wife, lost the motor, boat and gear

Never be afraid to find an issue and fix it.

Oops I meant to say that I’m *NOT prepared to sink! I gotta proof read my messages before I hit send…
And that story is terrifying! Especially because I take the dogs out with me sometimes. Ok. Taking care of this asap.

 

[Grub54891]

Rot is nothing to play with. A friend had a stringer setup, Suddenly took a hard right. Motor broke loose from the stringers, and did not sink!. Limped it home and scrapped it.

 

[1975glastoncarlson]

Rot is nothing to play with. A friend had a stringer setup, Suddenly took a hard right. Motor broke loose from the stringers, and did not sink!. Limped it home and scrapped it.

Heh. I had to look up stringer to see what you were referring to. Oh boy. I have so much to learn. I just want to take her out a few more times and wait for it to cool off outside before I start taking it all apart. I really hope I have that long. I’m going out to the garage in a moment to start feeling around the inside of the transom and see what I’m dealing with here. I hope for now I can at least do the very temporary fix as alldodge suggested

 

[Kola16]

Heh. I had to look up stringer to see what you were referring to. Oh boy. I have so much to learn. I just want to take her out a few more times and wait for it to cool off outside before I start taking it all apart. I really hope I have that long. I’m going out to the garage in a moment to start feeling around the inside of the transom and see what I’m dealing with here. I hope for now I can at least do the very temporary fix as alldodge suggested

You can quickly check how much of your transom is rotten like alldodge said to do very easily. Take a hammer and just start tapping around the transom from the inside of the boat and outside. Tap on the stringers too. If they are rotten, it will make a dull, soft, quieter, thud sound. Harder, good, not rotten wood will make a louder sound and the hammer will spring back more.

Here is a video kind of explaining it:

 

[Scott Danforth]

By the time you hear a hollow sound, the rotten wood has disintegrated. Many many years after the wood rotted

 

[airshot]

If you really want to know, drill holes from the inside of the transom. Just deep enough to get wood chips, if water comes out...your in trouble, but if wet wood chips come out....your still in trouble !! If dry wood chips come out, your good....seal the holes back up with good sealant and make your decisions.

 

[1975glastoncarlson]

By the time you hear a hollow sound, the rotten wood has disintegrated. Many many years after the wood rotted

I tapped on the transom from inside and it sounded hard and solid. The stringers… not so much. There is definitely rot in the floor under the carpet in some spots. I just want to make it through another month of funnin’ and sunnin’ and I’ll spend the (California) winter fixing all the things I hope…

 

[JASinIL2006]

Rapping on your boat with a hammer is not a reliable way to detect rot, unless you are highly experienced. My boat sounded great when tapping on the transom, but it was total mush when I pulled it apart. Drilling test holes into the wood from inside the boat is the way to tell if the wood is good or not.

 

[airshot]

I tapped on the transom from inside and it sounded hard and solid. The stringers… not so much. There is definitely rot in the floor under the carpet in some spots. I just want to make it through another month of funnin’ and sunnin’ and I’ll spend the (California) winter fixing all the things I hope…

Make sure you have life jackets for everyone...I would not be doing any towing/ skiing or wot running. If you have never saw a transom give way under power....not a pretty site in any way !!

 

[nola mike]

. Drilling test holes into the wood from inside the boat is the way to tell if the wood is good or not.

I want to emphasize that this sounds intimidating, but it's *so easy*. and your answer is obvious. this literally takes minutes to do and there's no guessing about the result.

 

[Scott Danforth]

If the wood shavings are light, dry, and smell like wood..... Seal hole with epoxy and go boating

If the wood shavings are dark, wet, and smells like rotten mulch.....start restoration