Got Rot ?

[bilgerat]

I do. My 14' Alumacraft jon needs the woodwork at the transom replaced. Looks like I'll be drilling out some rivets to access it. Also while I'm at it, the drain tube is a little boogered up also. Anyone got into these repairs ? Do's and Dont's appreciated.

[Fishing Rhino]

The woodwork at the transom.

Is it the transom, or is it just a cross member, to which the motor is clamped?

Is it plywood?

First order of business. If possible, get the wood piece out intact, so you can use it to trace its shape on the new wood.

If plywood, use marine grade plywood for the new piece. Marine grade plywood uses the same adhesive as exterior plywood.

The difference is there are no voids in marine grade plywood. A transom is no place to skimp.

When you say the drain plug looks boogered up, are you refering to the tube or the plug? Is the tube welded to the aluminum or is it a tube which passes through wood?

A simple solution is to use a through hull fitting of the appropriate size to allow a plug to seal. They come in plastic, bronze, etc., but plastic would work fine for your application. Install, then cut of the excess.

I you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[done]

Hey guys to add to his question and maybe help this guy out, what about making the wood on the transom larger? I was once told that it would help to relieve the stress on the aluminum on the back of the hull ( I have a new tracker topper 1446).

Is this something that can/should be done? Or should he use the exact same size?

[bilgerat]

The woodwork at the transom.

Is it the transom, or is it just a cross member, to which the motor is clamped?

Is it plywood?

First order of business. If possible, get the wood piece out intact, so you can use it to trace its shape on the new wood.

If plywood, use marine grade plywood for the new piece. Marine grade plywood uses the same adhesive as exterior plywood.

The difference is there are no voids in marine grade plywood. A transom is no place to skimp.

When you say the drain plug looks boogered up, are you refering to the tube or the plug? Is the tube welded to the aluminum or is it a tube which passes through wood?

A simple solution is to use a through hull fitting of the appropriate size to allow a plug to seal. They come in plastic, bronze, etc., but plastic would work fine for your application. Install, then cut of the excess.

I you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

1) It's an aluminum boat. The wood is structural support for the motor. The wood runs the width of the stern. In addition, there is a second smaller piece of wood which sits under a piece of sheetmetal. This is where the motor clampscrews go. All of the wood has rotted and needs replacement. The only way to get it out is by drilling out some rivets and removing some sheetmetal components.

2) The drain tube appears to be welded, this I am 99% sure of. Some paint will have to be removed to verify. I can see what appears to be a bead at the tube / transom joint. The tube has a split at the end where the plug goes. I've gotten around this in the past by installing the plug as snugly as possible, then filling the remaining tube cavity with silicone RTV. It's water tight, but a pain in the @$$ to keep doing it this way. The tube is also slightly deformed on the outside portion, from years of hitting stumps and other obstructions (previous owner, not me :)

Where do you get the rivets ? The rivet tool I own is for the nail type rivets, which obviously won't work here.

Thanks for the help !

[Fishing Rhino]

Here's one source.  Google "aluminum rivets" and you'll find plenty.

http://www.rjleahy.com/Store/rivets/arvf.htm

[bass or bass ?]

After you have cut your new pieces of wood to size, waterproof it this way. Mix up fiberglass resin following directions on can. Dilute the mix with acetone to a watery consistancy. Paint this mix on every surface. Allow to set up. Reapply a total of 3 diluted coats, then apply a full strength coat. The diluted mix soaks into the wood, then the acetone evaporates, impregnating the wood with fiberglass resin 8-). Your new wood will last the life of the boat if you treat it this way .      Happy fishing.