Repairing Wet Screw Holes In Transom

2ndCurse · #1 07-09-2008, 07:44 PM

I removed an old transducer from the transom of my '91 Wellcraft V-20. When I removed the screws, water ran out of the screw holes. It doesn't look like they were sealed at all. I drilled out the holes trying to find dry wood. So far, no dice. The transom still seems very solid and it's an old boat, so I really want to avoid a rebuild. What is the best and most cost effective solution? I can drill the holes out and fill w/ Marine-Tex. Fill w/ 5200? I've seen a product that soaks into rotted wood and hardens, seems half-baked, but maybe... Any Ideas

macojoe · #2 07-09-2008, 07:57 PM

I would drill the holes a little bigger, also go to the other side of boat and drill a hole over there, tilt Bow all the way up as high as you can get it and let it drain for a few days.
The rot stuff that you saw is for rotted wood, not no wood! So I think forget that at this point.

I guess at this point I would fill solid with 5200 and let dry for a few days. It will harden up even under water so this is why I think the best way.

You could also leave the 5200 am little reaccessed and when dry cover with marine tex for a solid cover.

Thats what I would do I guess, see what else oters come up with.

Good Luck

willy · #3 07-09-2008, 08:51 PM

best at this point would be to open up the hole as said, let it drain out whatever in there, sitting h0ot in sun would probably help. The best way is to apply suction of some kind and see what you can draw out. Go to a mariners shop and find out the name of a product that hardens rotting wood. There is a commercial version sort of like a git rot product but better, it hardens like an epoxy. let it set up as per instructions, then fill with an two part epoxy or a 5200 and let it set up.
That is what a fellow I met years ago told me. He said he used and air pump of some type, I believe an air compressor set up for it and drew out a couple of pints out of the wood thru a little hole.

THEFERMANATOR · #4 07-09-2008, 09:03 PM

Slightly oversize the holes by drilling them out some. Raise the bow up like MJ and WILLY said and then get you a hair dryer and go back and heat it up some to dry it out some. Then I reccomend you get you a condiment bottle or something similiar from WAL-MART and then get some KWIK POLY filler/restorer and fill the holes in. Be prepared to do these 3 or 4 times as this stuff will soak into the wood VERY easily. It also has a QUICK curing time, you don't have a lot of working time with it. After you fill them in with this stuff, recess the holes a little and use some gel-past to cover them over to make them UV resitant. The KWIK POLY is water resistant, but the sul light will tear it up.

Heres a link to the KWIK POLY, I LOVE this stuff.
http://www.kwikpolyllc.com/