Installed trim tabs and fish finder transom mount.... how do I know if it's leaking?

[tabletop]

Hi all,
I recently bought a boat that I keep in a slip. I had it out of the water for an inspection, survey, etc. and while it was out I had some service done and installed a few things like trim tabs and a fish finder bracket, etc.

Now the boat is back in the water and I'm realizing... how will I know if I have a leak? Won't the transom just soak up all the water and rot and I'll have no idea? Is there any way to tell if there's some kind of slow leak in the transom of a boat that stays in the water, while the boat is in the water?

Thanks all

 

[bjly92]

If it’s visible you can just look while it’s in the water.

If it’s not visible I’m not sure there’s a way.

Best thing to do for installation is to hog out a hole larger than you need for the screws or bolts, fill it back in with fibreglass and after cured drill the smaller correct size hole. If it does leak water comes in contact with the fibreglass and resin instead of wood in your transom.

If your used 5200 and applied it properly I wouldn’t worry.

 

[redneck joe]

Yeah as long as you trust your skills you are gtg.

 

[dingbat]

If your used 5200 and applied it properly I wouldn’t worry.

Now that would make me worry…….5200 is high viscosity adhesive. Not designed to be used as a thread sealer.

The installation instructions for my trim tabs specifically said to use marine epoxy.

 

[redneck joe]

If applied completely 5200 is a perfect sealant but not removable like 4200. Back in the day over on the hull truth, tabman from Bennet told me it was fine unless I wanted to remove some day otherwise to use 4200.

 

[cyclops222]

Did you seal every possible nut, washer and bolt contacting surfaces ? Also includes all THREADS of nuts and bolts. A messy but necessary requirement to prevent rotting out of transom and engine stringers in some boats.

 

[tabletop]

Ok so here's what I did on the trim tabs. They have two plates the kind of sandwich the tab, but for all intents and purposes, what I need to seal is the back plate. I drilled holes, sanded the area just to scuff it, and then I put 5200 in the screw holes, spread a line of 5200 around the back edge of the plate (like where a gasket would go), circled the back of the screw holes with 5200 (like if there were washer gaskets around each of the screw holes), and smeared some extra 5200 around the back of the plate.

Then, when I was putting the screws in, I put some 5200 on the threads (not a ton, just like a line going up the screw) and screwed them in. I did something similar with the fish finder bracket

But, here's why I'm worried. That 5200 is kind of thin and while I was getting everything in, things slipped a little and slid around a bit. I am not sure whether this is enough to like thin out the 5200 enough that it didn't seal? Or maybe I didn't use enough 5200 on the threads? A couple of screws I stripped (bad angle with a screw gun) and had to back them out and put new ones in. I put new 5200 on the new threads but maybe that does something bad to have had to have backed them out?

I don't know, maybe I'm just panicking. Does this all sound right or reasonable? I feel like once I got things tightened down, some 5200 squished out, which is a good sign, I think?

Thanks

 

[tabletop]

Best thing to do for installation is to hog out a hole larger than you need for the screws or bolts, fill it back in with fibreglass and after cured drill the smaller correct size hole. If it does leak water comes in contact with the fibreglass and resin instead of wood in your transom.

This is actually genius, I hadn't even thought of this. Either way, I will be doing this next time I haul my boat out for sure. Question. How do you ensure that your new fiberglass bonds well? Especially when the part is a high stress part like a trim tab?

Like let's say I use a hole saw to drill out a hole in order to fill with fiberglass. Now, I have a hole with smooth edges. Even if I rough it up, I'm still just hoping that my fiberglass bonds with the smooth edges of my hole.

Conversely, a screw holds fast because you drill a smooth hole, and then the screw threads cut into the glass and wood. You don't get this when you just stuff fiberglass into a smooth round hole, right?

Maybe I'm missing something—this does seem like a very cool idea.

 

[redneck joe]

Ifyou used 5200, you are done. Like it or lu p it unless you are unfortunately a who.e bunch more work. Your description of your process sounds fine