drain tubes, plasic or brass?

[chrishayes]

I have been researching drain tubes for my resto and cant figure which way to go. Need some suggestions or thoughts from those who have used either or both. My boat had the plastic ones that are two piece, one long end with male threads and a female "cap". Now they look like CRAP and are far from usable. I dont know how long they were in there but they did not hold up well. However, they seem extrememly easy to install.

I have nver used brass or seen them used or installed. I have seen how you do it with and without the flanging tool. Also, I am handy and can come up with my own tool if you dont think it is worth the 30 bucks for the premade tool. Also, I have found that 2" is about the longest that you can get on the brass single ended flange tubes. My tansom is 3/8" glass-1.5" wood-1/8" glass so I dont think that the 2" would be long enough. What do you think?

 

[thrillhouse700]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

I am also wondering the same thing right now. I have a 2 1/8" transom. So here is a premature bump haha

 

[bigredinohio]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

I don't know if this will help or not but here is a good link that I found for you guys: http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=313855

Something I read in this thread that I found interesting was the use of stainless.

 

[Mark42]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

If you do a search, you can find the garboard drains in stainless steel. Garboard drains don't go all the way through the transom, only about 3/4". So the exposed plywood needs to be sealed with a coat or two of epoxy.

This one is $14.99. Should last forever.

http://www.foreandaftmarine.com/7-2366.htm

 

[chrishayes]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

Mark, I just dont understand why garboard drains dont go all the way through...thats why I have not included them in my criteria. I like them, but they just dont make much sense as there will always be some water in the bilge and if you have just epoxy coated wood, why use a drain tube at all? Why not just stick a plug in the epoxy coated hole?

 

[Mark42]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

Mark, I just dont understand why garboard drains dont go all the way through...thats why I have not included them in my criteria. I like them, but they just dont make much sense as there will always be some water in the bilge and if you have just epoxy coated wood, why use a drain tube at all? Why not just stick a plug in the epoxy coated hole?

I don't know why they don't go all the way through either. I can just guess that the purpose is to proved a more secure plug than the common rubber twist/flip plugs. If you just coated the bare wood with epoxy and tried to use a rubber plug, it would leak for sure unless you spent a lot of time sanding it smooth.

On my Bayliner, the hole drilled is on an uphill angle. The bottom two inches or so of the transom is solid glass, so the result is that only a small amount of ply was actually exposed by drilling the hole. I coated it with epoxy when I had the drain off for cleaning and re-sealing.

Having boats with both garboard and brass tube drains, I prefer the garboard because I know no one can remove the plug when i'm not looking, and there is no way the pipe thread plug will loosen on its own. The draw back is a wrench is needed to tighten it. I picked up spare drain plugs (they are solid brass, not hollow like pipe fittings) and plan to drill a hole so a phillips screw driver can be used to tighten/loosen it easier.

 

[VeroWing]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

I'm just completing rebuilding my transom on a 22' Grady. It has 4 cockpit drains, and the bilge drain. I'm currently installing new brass sleeves in all of these openings. The advantage of brass is that it will most likely last longer and not as subject to cracking.
I purchased mine from The Marine Connection, in Fort Pierce, Fl. They are available in various widths and lengths exceeding 5". I believe they were 4 or 5 dollars apiece, and flanged on one end. The tool to flange other end of tube is 40 or 50 dollars though. I rebuilt my transom with the assistance of, and material purchased from the Boat Builder Central (BBC) website. They have a loaner program for this tool to members. I used it for my bilge drain and it came out great. Regretfully however, the 4 scupper type drains in the selfdraining cockpit were larger and that tool was too small to install these. I ended up buying 1 1/4" tool for these.
I just want to add one more thought to installing these drains that I learned from BBC. First oversize drill out hole for draintube by at least 1/4-3/8", and then fill hole with an epoxy/fiberglass flour & strand paste mix. Let that set up and dry real good, and then drill proper size hole for your draintube size. Then coat inside of hole and outside of draintube with 3M 5200 before installing tube. After this type installation, you will have 3 layers of protection from water entering your hull material. First, the brass draintube. Second, the 5200. Third, the solid fiberglass/epoxy coating around inside of hole. This will promote longevity of your hull. I am doing each and every hole for all screws and attachments in my transom this way. More work now, but will pay off big time in the long run. Take a look at pic below, and you can see layer of this epoxy mix solidly coating interior of drain holes. Mike

 

[chrishayes]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

Thanks vero, if you check my thread sig below this post you will see that is exactly what I have done. I overdrilled by 1/4" then I will fill with PB then redrill to correct size. I found the tube style in 5" so I think I will go with that type since I need 2 for the splashwell and 1 for bilge. Doesnt make sense to have both types on my boat I guess. Havent found stainless but I wouldnt want to have to cut that crap anyhow. Will alluminum hold up as well as brass? I would rather have silver color than brass due to all the other hardware will be stainless so it would look more uniform.

 

[VeroWing]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

Checked your thread Chris. Looks like some nice work you're doing there. Should last for many, many years.
Not sure about aluminum tubes. I've never come across them, but they could be out there. Mike

 

[chrishayes]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

Checked your thread Chris. Looks like some nice work you're doing there. Should last for many, many years.
Not sure about aluminum tubes. I've never come across them, but they could be out there. Mike

Thanks a lot! Always nice to hear! Yeah, here is a link for the aluminum.

http://www.iboats.com/Drain_Tube/dm/*******.458636913--**********.277661719--view_id.39188

I dont know. It seems that brass is tried and true so I may just go with that even though I think it will look odd with all silver colored hardware and then brass flanges sticking out...Also, I read some boston whaler threads and they use a o ring between the flange and hull. Is this something that is normal? Like when I order a tube will it come with an o ring?

 

[VeroWing]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

Thanks a lot! Always nice to hear! Yeah, here is a link for the aluminum.

http://www.iboats.com/Drain_Tube/dm/*******.458636913--**********.277661719--view_id.39188

I dont know. It seems that brass is tried and true so I may just go with that even though I think it will look odd with all silver colored hardware and then brass flanges sticking out...Also, I read some boston whaler threads and they use a o ring between the flange and hull. Is this something that is normal? Like when I order a tube will it come with an o ring?

I know that the tubes I purchased didn't have O-rings included. I did see that thread on continuouswave about the O-rings though. Probably couldn't hurt any.

 

[ghamby]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

The big pain here is the labor and time out of service. Put in the best and most
durable you can afford and be done with it.
GH

 

[83vert]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

I just bought a brass tube and plug from West Marine, about $12 bucks total. I am going to flare the one end in the bilge, just not sure how yet. I am not doing a new transom just to drill a hole in it and surface mount a flange without a tube. Thats what I had before and is partially the reason why the transom is being replaced.

 

[chrishayes]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

The big pain here is the labor and time out of service. Put in the best and most
durable you can afford and be done with it.
GH

I agree fully about getting the best you can afford but the problem lies with the fact that I dont know what is the BEST...

 

[chrishayes]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

I just bought a brass tube and plug from West Marine, about $12 bucks total. I am going to flare the one end in the bilge, just not sure how yet. I am not doing a new transom just to drill a hole in it and surface mount a flange without a tube. Thats what I had before and is partially the reason why the transom is being replaced.

100% agree here, no garboard for me. So brass it is. Thanks everyone!

 

[Mark42]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

I just bought a brass tube and plug from West Marine, about $12 bucks total. I am going to flare the one end in the bilge, just not sure how yet. I am not doing a new transom just to drill a hole in it and surface mount a flange without a tube. Thats what I had before and is partially the reason why the transom is being replaced.

Just take a minute to coat the hole with epoxy and its just as safe and secure as the rest of your transom. I don't care for brass tubes due to the corrosion factor in salt water. They are so thin, they rot through quickly and water seeps in . Also, they must be kept clean. I have to steel wool my brass tubes regularly so the rubber compression plugs seal. Don't have that problem with the garboard drain.

Just though I'd share my experience.

 

[chrishayes]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

Just take a minute to coat the hole with epoxy and its just as safe and secure as the rest of your transom. I don't care for brass tubes due to the corrosion factor in salt water. They are so thin, they rot through quickly and water seeps in . Also, they must be kept clean. I have to steel wool my brass tubes regularly so the rubber compression plugs seal. Don't have that problem with the garboard drain.

Just though I'd share my experience.

Dang it Mark, as soon as my mind was made up you come along and screw it up for me again! I wish I had real world expierience with how the PB epoxy mix I have used throughout my build held up in the long run when exposed to water...I have just been so consumed with making sure every mm of wood is covered with glass or some other non rotting material. Maybe it would be fine. I like the looks of the garboard better, not to mention that after all the work I have put in, I WILL take care of my boat which means that I wont leave water in the bilge anyhow...damn you MARK

 

[83vert]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

He makes a great point and my boat will be in salt water only. If I just used pb around the drain, say a 4in by 4in square and then notched the new transom around it so that if the tube leaked water would not get to the wood. Would that work???????

 

[Mark42]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

..... If I just used pb around the drain, say a 4in by 4in square ......

Ok, I know it's late and I'm tired, but I just can't figure out what "pb" is. Give me a clue?

 

[chrishayes]

Re: drain tubes, plasic or brass?

THickened epoxy. Come on bud!