Transom Seal Leaking

[Stamey]

My 83 Chaparral with Alpha One has a leaky transom seal. At least that's what it looks like. I saw water coming in from the bottom of the transom assembly on the inside last night, and today I flooded the bilge with a water hose until it ran into the transom assembly from the inside. I then looked at the bottom and saw water dripping out slowly. It appears someone has resealed this before, but with some kind of caulking around the outside.
My questions are:
1. Is the caulking or other sealer around the outside, without replacing the actual transom seal an acceptable fix?

1b. If yes, what should I use to seal it and is there any particular way I should prep the surfaces?

2. If I go to replace the seal, it looks like I can pull the out drive then loosen the 4, 6 or 8 bolts(?) from the inside and maybe that gives me enough room to put the o-ring on without actually pulling the entire gimbal housing off.

In the attached pics you can see the caulk or whatever it is coming loose and the other shows the leak at the bottom of the transom.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Bt Doctur]

Re: Transom Seal Leaking

1 not really if the transom is rotted
1b clean and sand the fiberglass and transom, wash with acetone, then apply 5200 sealant.
2 no, motor comes out, exaust comes off, steering , inner plate, then the outer housing comes off.

 

[Stamey]

Re: Transom Seal Leaking

OK, drew a bead of 5200 around it last night, after digging out whatever was used before and cleaning up. If that doesn't work I'll change the o-ring over the winter.
The 5200 says it cures in 7 days. Do I need to wait that long before I use the boat?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Don S]

Re: Transom Seal Leaking

My guess is your transom is rotted. The bead of 5200 around the edge is only a temporary fix at best.
If you don't let it cure, don't expect it to hold.

 

[Stamey]

Re: Transom Seal Leaking

Oh boy. So, can you tell me how to figure out if the transom is rotted? I am proceeding to do a search on this now.
I will say that as I installed my smart tabs last week I took note of the drill waste as I drilled holes in the bottom of the transom. I did not find any wet wood, and the screws are holding good.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Don S]

Re: Transom Seal Leaking

Have a visit to the Restoration forum ( http://forums.iboats.com/forumdisplay.php?f=22 ) , you'll get lots of info on checking for it, and how to fix it.

 

[brhodes]

Re: Transom Seal Leaking

I'll give this one a crack as well, I'm familiar with the thought process . If your boat is an 83, and someone has caulked it in the past, I think you can bet you have a rotten transom. One way to check is to lower the outrive, get a buddy. Now you take a straight edge and hold it vertically along the transom, ask them to stand on/off the drive and look for the fiberglass flexing. Another way is take some wood samples from the inside of the boat and check for water/wet wood. Another non-destructive method is to tap on the transom with a hammer. Listen for the hollow sound when you tap, then feel the hollowness in your stomach. Hoping I'm wrong for you. Just my .02, good luck

 

[Stamey]

Re: Transom Seal Leaking

I'll have to see if I can get the GF to stand on it for me tonight.
I have already drilled 10 holes about 1 inch from the bottom of the transom, from the outside, as I was installing my Smart Tabs. I found no evidence of rot/dark wood at that time.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[brhodes]

Re: Transom Seal Leaking

Chris,

Yeah, I read that part of your thread. I don't have Smart Tabs, but the rot usually starts under the drive, near the drain hole, etc. Maybe it's not too far gone. Also, check the lower bolts with the anodes on them. Many times these are loose, you can tighten them up. This may help, but I was told these bolts don't just come loose, they are loose cause the transom is rotten. I had my wife stand on the drive and didn't notice any flex on my rig. The real eye-opener was tapping with a hammer. Anyway, good luck.

Brian