Transom repair

[SkunkBoat]

cut lines in blue



Cuts made in cap



Cap is still stuck to transom inner skin. Trying to figure out a way to free it without cutting too much.

[SkunkBoat]

So, after a couple days of cold rain, I got back to business...

After making my planned cuts, the skin of the motor well was still stuck to the transom inner skin. I started with a very thin pry bar and worked my way up, separating the skins which were cemented together. I worked slow & steady so as not to damage the skins.

After it popped loose, I had another problem.
I tried for about an hour to wiggle the entire piece out but could not do it.
I ended up cutting one corner of the piece off to get some wiggle room and she came right out.

I was surprised to see that the Transom is not one piece all the way across. There are three sections; 2 angle in from the sides and 1 straight piece in the center where the motor mounts. In the pictures you can clearly see the separation and there is even glass between the pieces.

The straight piece is in very good shape and I can say with 100% certainty that the motor was not in eminent danger of falling off. But the angled pieces were wet and black. I'll be removing the wood and inner skin, re-attaching the CLEAN skin to make a hollow space to pour the Carbon-Core.

I'm posting some pix just to wet your appetite but I am also shooting video and will post a youtube link when I finish.

[Striper80]

What's your plan for finishing the cuts? Gelcoat?

[SkunkBoat]

I'll be glassing and painting inside the splash well.
I'm hoping to do the structural glassing from the inside, since I have access to the inside of the cuts through hatches.

For the very visible cuts in the stern of the cap, if I can get away with it, I'm going to try and just fill the outside line with Marine Tex. If so, I don't have to paint the entire cap.

[phatdaddy]

whose amputated bloody finger is that in the second pic?

[smokeonthewater]

Originally Posted by phatdaddy

whose amputated bloody finger is that in the second pic?

No sh!t ... WTF? over

[Striper80]

Originally Posted by SkunkBoat

I'll be glassing and painting inside the splash well.
I'm hoping to do the structural glassing from the inside, since I have access to the inside of the cuts through hatches.

For the very visible cuts in the stern of the cap, if I can get away with it, I'm going to try and just fill the outside line with Marine Tex. If so, I don't have to paint the entire cap.

I'm up in the air on this as well. I was hoping you were going to say gelcoat and you had a place to purchase it locally already tinted. I've messed around trying to tint gelcoat to match my Grady and its been a royal pain, and I do it all the time with cars.

[SkunkBoat]

So! A question about the hardness of cured ceramic compound has come up from another guy on the forum who just poured a transom also, saying
"it is supposed to be as hard as a rock and you can’t drive a nail into it”.
His is not. Mine is not.

Now I figured that, as a core material, it would not be that hard.
There is no official info about it on Carbon-Core's site or Arjay's site

I have a hockey puck shaped piece that I made in a measuring cup during my pour.
It is dry. Not tacky.
It seems solid to me but it can be easily screwed into, easily drilled, and while I can’t get a finish nail into it, a cement shingle nail goes in readily. It does not split or chip at the nail hole.
The edges can be shaved and the shavings hold together somewhat.
I drilled the drain hole in the transom with a 1 inch spade bit and it was like smooth fine grained wood.
It is not brittle and it certainly is not “hard as a rock”.

The transom itself is solid, no flex with my 200 lbs jumping on it.
It got really hot so it definitely kicked and it is not tacky.

Before I glass everything back together and hang a 429 lb motor on it, can anyone with first hand experience set my mind at ease (hopefully) or tell me not to put the motor on without more life insurance.

[bgreene]

Suggestions......

1. Put your question on the Hull Truth web site - likely get fast, experienced feedback.

2. Call the product mfg. and ask about it.

[never satisfied]

Ok,
Heard back from Arjay.. First I want to say how grateful I am they took my same issue with great importance
Second by the time they received my sample it had fully cured along with the sample I have on my desk. They said it was exactly what you would expect with the material. I am waiting another week to hang my engine but I feel so much better knowing, that they said it was good

John