Broken "oddball" stern light socket- how to fill old hull screw holes?

[ratdude747]

Had a bit of a mishap today. Wife made a boo-boo while backing out of a slip full of deadwood, and bent the stern light. No big deal (it was a cheapo BassPro one). But, the mount got snapped in half:



Issue is that this mount is a bit longer than the similar 3-screw sockets I've seen for sale these days. Ran into this when originally looking to replace it (wiring was fried to a crisp, I ended up drilling the crimps and soldering new wires).

I assume since it looks like the mount warped when hit (not just snapped), epoxying/soldering the zinc back together isn't an option. So my next best bet is to get a new mount, fill the old unusable hole(s) with something, and drill a new hole? The one screw was always loose, it jammed when tightened and the sun deck rail got in the way of getting a better fit on the screw).

(I also have a defunct pitot tube mount and hose clamps I'd like to remove, also would be filling holes but some are below the water line on the transom proper).

Advice?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Considerin' that color would be impossible to match, I'd cut out a small plate outa aluminum, or ssteel to cover the area, 'n then mount whatever stern light that suits yer fancy,.....

for the pitot tube holes, marine-tex will fill those holes,....

 

[Scott Danforth]

Fill holes with PB, mix up some colored gel to get close, drill new holes

 

[ratdude747]

Ayuh,.... Considerin' that color would be impossible to match, I'd cut out a small plate outa aluminum, or ssteel to cover the area, 'n then mount whatever stern light that suits yer fancy,.....

for the pitot tube holes, marine-tex will fill those holes,....

What about filling the hole and putting some sort of appropriate sticker over it?

Fill holes with PB, mix up some colored gel to get close, drill new holes

By PB, you mean lead? As in pouring in molten lead the same way they pour lead into wooden fish decoys?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Use a sticker if you want,....

PB, is thickened resin, to a peanut butter consistence,....

 

[ratdude747]

Ayuh,.... Use a sticker if you want,....

PB, is thickened resin, to a peanut butter consistence,....

Ah... Gotcha. Noob ratdude strikes again.

Will do some more digging... Maybe I'll get lucky like I did with the fuel filler and find something NOS that fits without redrilling. Trying to keep things looking period correct if possible.

 

[ratdude747]

May have found a used one off an '88 Celebrity that's the correct screw pattern and looks very similar. $37 after shipping, but unless I find an NOS one like it, that'll be what I do. The internals are slightly different (newer style) but that's not a bad thing...

 

[ratdude747]

Socket came in. Had to open the hole a bit with my oscillatory saw and file (due to being of the newer style) but it did otherwise fit up:









Since I didnt need to fill holes, then no need to bother pulling the old pitot hardware... For another day.