Transom Repair Advise Needed - Getting it Apart

[metriccrescentwrench]

1981 15 ft Bomber fish-n-ski. I've got the engine pulled, all the rivets out which attach the cap to hull, and everythings ready for the cap removal except for one thing...

Thus far I've been unable to seperate the cap from the transom at the splashwell. I've lifted on the splashwell area until the stern of the boat was off the trailer, nothing doing. Access under the splashwell is very limited, and can't really see anything in there that I've missed.

I'm thinking the easiest route may be to grind/cut the fiberglass off the top of the transom (See photo showing the transom - the aluminum molding is pulled away, I believe this helped channel water into the transom). Any input will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Transom Repair Advise Needed - Getting it Apart

Your talking about cutting the splashwell...... yes it has been done by people before. You will be doing a fiberglass repair on what you cut so consider leaving sone room to make the repair.

I will bet it was assembled with wet resin

 

[wambs8]

Re: Transom Repair Advise Needed - Getting it Apart

Hi
I had the same problem on my boat some sealant they used to attach the cap to the boat leaked onto the back of the splash well. I cut through the first ply on the ply wood transom with a grinder and used a pry bar to separate that piece from the transom. The cap then popped off. See photo.
Is your outboard off the boat? On my boat the top two bolts that hold the outboard to the transom go through both the transom and the spashwell.

Insert pry bar to release the ply from the splash well

Some sealant oozed behind the splashwell

 

[jonesg]

Re: Transom Repair Advise Needed - Getting it Apart

Hi
I had the same problem on my boat some sealant they used to attach the cap to the boat leaked onto the back of the splash well. I cut through the first ply on the ply wood transom with a grinder and used a pry bar to separate that piece from the transom. The cap then popped off. See photo.
Is your outboard off the boat? On my boat the top two bolts that hold the outboard to the transom go through both the transom and the spashwell.

Insert pry bar to release the ply from the splash well

Some sealant oozed behind the splashwell

Mine was the same, when you go back try some mat between splashwell and transom, getting a really good fit is very difficult once its removed, but a layer of mat and resin plus some cabosil'd paste will ensure a good bond regardless of small gaps ( right where you can't see them)

 

[jonesg]

Re: Transom Repair Advise Needed - Getting it Apart

1981 15 ft Bomber fish-n-ski. I've got the engine pulled, all the rivets out which attach the cap to hull, and everythings ready for the cap removal except for one thing...

Thus far I've been unable to seperate the cap from the transom at the splashwell. I've lifted on the splashwell area until the stern of the boat was off the trailer, nothing doing. Access under the splashwell is very limited, and can't really see anything in there that I've missed.

I'm thinking the easiest route may be to grind/cut the fiberglass off the top of the transom (See photo showing the transom - the aluminum molding is pulled away, I believe this helped channel water into the transom). Any input will be greatly appreciated.

Yeh... have to cut somewhere,
just decide which part you prefer to repair, here or there.?
When you cut, make sure the splashwell comes free, you don't want to have to work around or under that.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: Transom Repair Advise Needed - Getting it Apart

Thanks for those photos, that was exactly what I needed to see. While not identical, my boat is constructed in a similar manner and it was that filler material between the splashwell and transom that was the hang-up. Once I cut out that little piece of the splashwell over the transom it was relatively easy to do surgery with a pry bar and get everything broken loose.

By the way, a diamond wheel on a dremel works wonders for cutting fiberglass - goes through it like a hot knife through butter. Most of the time I prefer it to a cut-off wheel and grinder.

Once I got the cap off I was somewhat disappointed to see that only the top few inches of the transom are rotted. In the back of my mind a little voice is saying that we could have used the boat the rest of the summer and saved this project for winter. (Plus all of that solid wood is going to be fun to get out.)

 

[jonesg]

Re: Transom Repair Advise Needed - Getting it Apart

you must have thin glasswork if a dremel can reach through it.
then again I know guys who do muffler work with a dremel, neat tool.

I find the angle grinder with a $12 4 inch DeWalt diamond steel disk cuts anything, fiberglass , bolts etc.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: Transom Repair Advise Needed - Getting it Apart

I should have been more specific and added that I like a dremel with the diamond wheel for tight spaces/delicate work where a clumsy oaf like myself would make a real mess of things with a grinder.