Transom.....son of a b!&*(

[shaneburris74]

Aright guys as most of you know I'm doing a transom rebuild. I startedtearing out all the wood to do the poor method..the same as MauryC did. I know "this thread is useless without pics." I'll get em....The problem I have run into is that the wood at the bottom of the transom is a beast to get out. I've gotten as far as I can with a chainsaw....I've got an exteded bore bit I'm working with now..or was...I have broken off the extender last night. I don't think there is anyway I can totally clean all the wood out with out cutting the outer skin off to expose it. So I want some opinions from you guys..so here' s my thoughts:

Am I just being a pansy and I need to just keep chipping away at it?

Can I leave some wood in the bottom and just bore holes in it and pour the compound and expect the compound to fill it up and everything be ok? (theres about 4" of hard wood in the lower corners)

Do I just go ahead and cut the skin off and clean it out and then do a patch job and put it back on? how difficult is that patch job? I know NYMack did it this way......

Thanks for you help guys.

[tsubaki]

Just to see if you have looked at this one.
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/community/showthread.php?t=2808&highlight=specs&page=6
In my case there was a void between the transom, floor and stringers, about 3" from the bottom that I had to pack in order to prevent the poured material from escaping.

[shaneburris74]

I checked out your thread..I had read it before but its been a while. What kind of money are we talking for the glass panels and resin? My heartache will putting the skin back on...I've never worked with fiberglass....I think I could probably handle it...I just don't know if it will be pretty when I'm finished...lol

[tsubaki]

I happened to have the panels, I gotta reread the thread to see how many gallons of resin and cloth used.
Here is someone that carries a bunch of stuff.
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/main.do

[tsubaki]

Dear GOD, I had a fortune of the glass plank, it was 48x48.
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=8758&familyName=G10+Fiberglass+Board

[shaneburris74]

If you ad that to the resin...looks like it would be more expensive than the nida core pore...I'm gonna stick with it. I'm gonna go get another extender tomorrow (i broke two drilling...one just snapped and one the set screw stripped) and keep hacking away at it. If it wears me out again I 'll just cut the back off and go from there....but for now I'm gonna keep charging down that hole and breaking tools....

[tsubaki]

Where are the pictures???
And are you heating a garage for the resin to set?
Dese temps are gonna be a killer!!

[Enforcer]

Get a long piece of steel or a straight crowbar sharpen the edge and start chiseling it out!! Most say that it won't stick to wood.
But if you get 95% I think you will be fine.

Also did you check the ends of your stringers?? they rot right were they go into the transom, easy to cut off the rot now add new wood and then pour , you be good forever after that

[nymack66]

My advice is to cut the skin see my post very important where you cut it, I ran into the same problem solid wood at the bottom, Nothing beats removing all the wood this is very important since the new transom will be much stronger by gluing it self to the bottom of the Boat this is its strongest point of contact.
Its no big deal attaching the skin see my post if I can do so can you.
I use Resin (Gel) from Auto Zone and mat& resin from Boaters World
The time and effort you save by removing the skin is worth it.

[shaneburris74]

NYMack,
Alright..I'm still seriously considering it....more to follow. I gotta get some pics up too. Later guys.

[tsubaki]

My advice is to cut the skin
I cringe (like ice water on a chipped tooth) when I think about it, it's just me. I consider that a last resort. Probably from a lack of experience with fiberglass.

[nymack66]

I cringe (like ice water on a chipped tooth) when I think about it, it's just me. I consider that a last resort. Probably from a lack of experience with fiberglass.

I will definitely not recommend removing the skin as the first and only option, However but if you have a partial rotten transom like this and mine, removing the skin is the only way to go.
It is VERY IMPORTANT that all traces of wood be completely removed since the new transom needs to glue it self to the bottom of the Boat
This part of the Transom to me this is the foundation and the strongest part of the Transom.
Please be sure to use Acetone as the final clean up agent since it removes all traces of contamination and old mold from the surface then brush fresh resin on the inside area let it dry or to a tack then pour !
Use thin roller brush for acetone and resin.

[mauryc]

"Am I just being a pansy and I need to just keep chipping away at it?"
Your not. Do your drill extensions reach the entire depth of the transom? If so, don't force them, let them do the work. Drill as much as you can in an area then use "whatever means possible" to loosen the wood chips/fibers. It will take some time. The flat blade I used acted like an ax and I was able to get the wood out in little slivers. Not efficient, but it worked. I had some sore arms when it was all over but I bottemed out on fiberglass across the entire width of transom.
Maury

[msbhammer]

Dont remove the outer skin. It will never be as strong.

[nymack66]

Dont remove the outer skin. It will never be as strong.
Not if its done correctly, On mine I layer multiple layers of mat from the inside across the cutout sealing and adding extra strength and thickness to the skin in such a way it appears and tested stronger than the original. Hey if mine ever cracks or shows any issues I stand corrected.
On the morning of the pour I again coated the insides with resin let dry then pour the Arjay.
An old timer did a test on my Transom before and after my stress testing and told me there is zero flex on my transom.
All I am saying is if your transom is completely rotten then don't remove the skin, if you have a one half rotten and solid at the bottom then remove the skin..

[Stillrunning]

I still think that taking the boat apart is the best way to replace the transom on a v20. The hardest part is figuring out how to hoist the inner section out of the hull. We had mine apart in a day and this gives you acces to every thing below the flooring like the stringers. I wish I had replaced the flooring at the same time when I had access to the bottom of the floor.

[RWilson2526]

[quote=nymack66;136768]
An old timer did a test on my Transom before and after my stress testing and told me there is zero flex on my transom.
quote]

What's the procedure for testing for flex? I have pushed and pulled on mine and all seems stiff but I always wondered if I needed to do a better inspection....(although I'm a little scared!!!)

[Chomper]

I just got done removing the wood from mine and as mauryc said it is brutal, but it can be done. I would say I have gotten all the wood I can out probably around 90 to 95 percent and the whole bottom is down to the fiberglass all the way across. I do have some very thin wood left on the sides in places but it just won't come off so it is staying. I was a bit conservative with the chainsaw and chiseled most of the bottom out which seemed like it took forever but I got there. Keep chipping away.

[nymack66]

[quote=nymack66;136768]
An old timer did a test on my Transom before and after my stress testing and told me there is zero flex on my transom.
quote]

What's the procedure for testing for flex? I have pushed and pulled on mine and all seems stiff but I always wondered if I needed to do a better inspection....(although I'm a little scared!!!)
First I tilt the engine all the way up and lock it in place, with me pulling on the prop he was visually check both the outside and inside for movements or flex. Note (I did this before the new transom) and yes it did flex !
On the lake he use tow pieces of 2 x4 and made a mark on the floor of the Boat , I did some 360 and WOT etc, all seems well and no flex.

[nymack66]

I just got done removing the wood from mine and as mauryc said it is brutal, but it can be done. I would say I have gotten all the wood I can out probably around 90 to 95 percent and the whole bottom is down to the fiberglass all the way across. I do have some very thin wood left on the sides in places but it just won't come off so it is staying. I was a bit conservative with the chainsaw and chiseled most of the bottom out which seemed like it took forever but I got there. Keep chipping away.

For this stage use a sharp wood chisel and attach duct tape it to a pipe this works , Also it did rain and fill up my project when I was working on it low and behold it seem a lot easer the next weekend when I finished it.
The wood came off the skin with no effort !

[mauryc]

Shane, Where are the pics?