Attemped first transducer install today

[SpilledBEERMayday]

Please dont laugh at the pics. I didnt want to wait the three weeks to get it professionally installed so I thought, hey....the only way to get good at this stuff is to man up and just do it. It came with some twists and turns and hardships. Garmin instructions had me drill a 5/8ths hole to slip transducer plug through. So I did. But Garmin gave me a 1 inch cable entry cover....so I had to run out and get a 1 inch drill and open it up just enough to get the cover on. I ended smoking my fresh water hose when I went though...and I was SURE i had enough room to clear it. Oh well, just another project this summer while sipping on a beer.

It sure seems weird to have that big of a hole for just a tiny wire in the end. I just gunked a bunch of 5200 in the hole....Its a pretty loose fit because I think the wires on the 8 pin plugs are thicker too...so my wire is just dangling out of this larger sized hole. I think I got enough sealant in there to compensate.

I really wish I would have gotten black sealant for the black hardware. Dumb.

So on to my question. Transducer location. How does it look. Too high, too low? Ive watched a ton of videos.....but still just unsure. Id rather adjust now than when Im already in my slip for summer.

Questioned everything I did today....especially the sealant on the screws. How much do you guys put on them before you screw them into your pilot holes? Do you try and put sealant in the pilot holes too before you screw in?

 

[StingrayMike]

I did not see any pics

 

[SpilledBEERMayday]

They are showing attached when I see my post.....

 

[b.gagnon]

It looks looks a good starting point.... I fill the pilot hole and then put a little dab over the hole before the install. The only thing I would have done differently is I would have installed a much larger mounting block on the transom. You are not going to have much room for adjustment!

 

[SpilledBEERMayday]

When you say you fill the pilot hole. I actually drilled through the wood in the transom because I didnt have much real estate.
So the hole is actually like 3 inches or maybe a bit more long. Should I have filled the entire hole? I just kind of made sure the entry of the hole was covered before I put the cover plate on.

Should I try and seal it from the inside too on the surface?

 

[SpilledBEERMayday]

Man the more i read....the more i shouldnt have drilled a 5/8ths hole thru the cored part of transom. Did i just screw up? Granted its above water...but on that design...not by much. Should i have epoxied that??? Ughhhh...worried.

 

[Alumarine]

Man the more i read....the more i shouldnt have drilled a 5/8ths hole thru the cored part of transom. Did i just screw up? Granted its above water...but on that design...not by much. Should i have epoxied that??? Ughhhh...worried.

If you used 3M 4200 you'll be just fine.
You will probably have to move the transducer down or it won't read when you are on plane.

 

[89retta]

Looks good to me. Why pay someone for a job that you can do. Well done

 

[JASinIL2006]

Looks OK to me, too!

 

[briangcc]

To me...it looks a bit high. A water test will tell you if you need to lower it any to get clear water when running at speed. At least you have adjustment to lower it down. Other than that it looks good here..

 

[dingbat]

Man the more i read....the more i shouldnt have drilled a 5/8ths hole thru the cored part of transom. Did i just screw up? Granted its above water...but on that design...not by much. Should i have epoxied that??? Ughhhh...worried.

You didn’t screw up but sealing it with 4200 is a ticking time bomb. While 4200 is a decent sealer, it’s nowhere close to a permanent solution.

Sealing the core with a penetrating epoxy then filling the hole with a sealant would have been the preferred method of installation.

Same thing with the mounting holes. Seal core, Install screws using marine epoxy once adjustments have been made.

Installing a stern saver greatly simplifies installation and adjustment of transducers