Transom replacement on I/O
 

Hello again
Can someone tell me your thoughts please. I'm curious more so than anything.
My transom was replaced with Bluewater Coosa board in 2013 by Embree Marine in St Petersburg FL by previous owner. It's a single I/O. They billed for 32 hours of transom work. So with an I\O rebuild do most people take it all the way out to the port and starboard sides or just do a 4x4 or so foot section around the rotten outdrive (in the notes that was described as the area that was rotten)? . I notice on the storage box drain tube has some wetness so I'm assuming that they Didn't take it all the way out since its not load bearing over there with a bracket or a twin outboard setup. What do most people do when replacing an I/O boat? Thanks so much for your feedback. Cheers

I replaced mine full width - there was a good bit of rot around the trim tab mounts and around the mounts for the dive platform, but around the box drains wasn't as bad.

Thanks Flexpat
Since posting this I noticed that the starboard side is completely dry after I removed some fixtures there. Port side is toast just around drain box down. The water came in through a faulty drain plug in the storage box no doubt. It's old as probably been this way for a LONG time. I do have trim tabs as well. Since they redid everything almost up to this area with Bluewater 26 Coosa is it even worth messing with since it's a single outdrive? Thanks

QUOTE=FLexpat;253943]I replaced mine full width - there was a good bit of rot around the trim tab mounts and around the mounts for the dive platform, but around the box drains wasn't as bad.[/QUOTE]

What's the going rate for a sheet of bluewater coosa?

350.00 for a one inch thick 4x8

QUOTE=uncleboo;253947]What's the going rate for a sheet of bluewater coosa?[/QUOTE]

Thanks!

No problem. Is it even worth addressing that area way off to the side of transom on a single outdrive I/O? Since outdrive area was addressed and beefed up with coosa I may pretend like I never saw it!




QUOTE=uncleboo;253955]Thanks![/QUOTE]

Mine was and I/o and when they cut the box vents on port and starbord..water got inand I had many many termites holding hands.. The sides we're never addressed.. since it was done at factory76'...but the I/o hole was repaired.. bfore the new outdrive when in.. needles to say the whole transom rotted out. So I replaced with all new plywood and foam...

Ouch. So how far out did they replace around your Hole for outdrive? Best I can tell on mine by the discrete lines on outside of hull they went out about four feet but not all the way to the vents. I'm glad at least now that they used coosa board!! To help fend off the demons.

On both 23's I have those rear box drains were the reason the transom rotted. After replacing the transom I epoxied in fiberglass tubes so there's no chance of it happening again. If you're going to cut into the transom you might as well do it the right way and replace the whole transom.

Should I go on and do it now? (No sign of fatigue) it's an I/O with new coosa at the drive extending out several feet. Should I keep running it and keep an eye on it or put it to bed this winter and redo it all?




QUOTE=CoreyTrx;254000]On both 23's I have those rear box drains were the reason the transom rotted. After replacing the transom I epoxied in fiberglass tubes so there's no chance of it happening again. If you're going to cut into the transom you might as well do it the right way and replace the whole transom.[/QUOTE]

What's the cost of replacing a transom the right way considering I will not do it myself?



Should I go on and do it now? (No sign of fatigue) it's an I/O with new coosa at the drive extending out several feet. Should I keep running it and keep an eye on it or put it to bed this winter and redo it all?




QUOTE=CoreyTrx;254000]On both 23's I have those rear box drains were the reason the transom rotted. After replacing the transom I epoxied in fiberglass tubes so there's no chance of it happening again. If you're going to cut into the transom you might as well do it the right way and replace the whole transom.[/QUOTE]

You can do the transom yourself for around 1k or less depending on the materials you use.

If there's no problems with it you could just leave it for now. That's really only a decision you can make.

It would be a fun project but I've never done it. I guess I could learn. Its just that one side that the drain tube caused. There is no problem with its structural integrity. Yet. It's a bravo 3 single outdrive with bluewater 26 around it (done in 2013) I wouldn't have know the other problem existed unless I pulled the drain out of the aft transom box

There is no purpose of replacing a single "section" of the transom without doing the whole thing. Makes me cringe when some yard does this half assed kind of stuff...

Fun... Is not the word that comes to mind. It's a grind.

If its wet then do it - once moisture is present, its just a matter of time. If it's not structural now, it will be. Or, wait for it to get worse - it could take years - put it off and enjoy your boat.

Me ? If you have the time, will and ability, I'd do the whole thing, properly. I used plywood - gasp! and as long as you pot all thru bolts, epoxy those damn! transom storage drains - you should be good ( it's not expensive - its just time consuming ). Read up on how it gets done on this site. If you get stuck, the guys here will help. There's little cosmetics involved, mostly layering glass in a proper, structural way.

Good luck.

Transom replacement on I/O
 

So I have most of the wood out. Not a fun job. It apears that the rear plywood sheet went down all the way to the hull and the forward sheet sat on the glass that encased the core. I have gone down to the hull the full thickness of transom. The core wood was dry and had the grain going vertical. Is that the later building style?
What is the best way to glue the 2 layers together? I am going to be doing that at the same time I glass them to the skin. I plan to bolt a 2x12 to the back through the holes for the tie down hooks the clamp through the I/ o hole when I install the new wood.

I'll definitely be following this one. Thanks
Just out of curiosity, if the transom was dry why are you redoing it?

When I did my transom - I made a clear cut across each hawsalls, port and starboard, unscrewed the cap from the hull - and removed the back piece of cap to access the transom. I removed the transom with a circular saw, flatbar, grinder, chisels etc. I ground it so there was no wood remnant left. One days b*tchy work.

I used (2) 4x8' pcs of 3/4" ply wood. I glassed them together with several layers of mat and held them together with 10 or so cinder blocks, tool boxes - anything heavy I could find - on a flat floor. You want 'ooze out all sides.

Then (2) of us held the plywood against the back of the transom and a third guy used a pencil and outlined the transom's shape - chines and all (w/ that back cap off, it makes everything easier ). With a circular saw and jig saw, cut the outline of the new transom out.

Then, we did a lot of dry fitting to tweak the new transom to fit.

When ready, we glassed it in - I don't remember the exact layup. I did have a guy make for me the equivalent of (2) HUGE "C" clamps out of 3"x3" box tube. They were 3 - 3 1/2' long and about 10" wide - 4-5, Large 'thumb screws', which were tightened with a wrench, were added to each side of the long sides of the C clamp to tighten down and squeeze the newly glassed in transom to the hull. I've seen guys screw the new transom and hull together at this point - which is easier than making the clamps I had made... However, the clamps worked great. After, the clamps were a gift to the fiberglass guy who mentored and helped me.

We filled in any voids with epoxy or Duraglass - then, smoothed all out and covered with mat and roving, being sure to overlap enough over the sides of the hull to provide good structural integrity.

It was a solid, professional job and I learned a great deal. 90% of my transom damage was from the transom cap fish box drains. They use a garboard tube and that area flexes A LOT. The garboard tube either rots or moves from its bed allowing drain water to flow into the transom - over several years - the transom is cooked ! The other was from the through bolts of the inner and outer transom plate.

My project was a conversion from a twin i/o to a single so it was more involved, but this is the transom portion.

Hope this helps you with your project.

Great write up!

here is how I did my wood transom before the 4 layers of 1708 and tabbing of the edges

After you cut the transom cap off, how do you plan on re-attaching it and getting it smooth?