It's just ants...oh wait...

[Slice of Life]

Performing a visual inspection before taking the boat out into the slip for the first time this season, I look into my engine bay of my 92' Bayliner 2655 and see a line of ants on the starboard side going all the way to the back of the boat. I look to see where they are going, thinking it's a release hole that water goes through just under the engine bay door for when it rains, or something that's above the water line. Looking further I see there's a hole where a wire used to come through that's right under the starboard trim tab hose.

I look outside of the boat and then see the same line of ants coming out from the other end where the wires go in :facepalm:
I squirt a bit of water into the hole from inside the engine bay, and sure enough the water is leaking from outside where the wires go through near the hole that was made. A couple of seasons ago I put the boat into the water to find water gushing through around those trim tab hoses, where I guess the sealant wore off over time (or incorrect sealant used in the first place, just looks like black silicone)

Going to use some 3M 5200 both outside and inside in the engine bay, in and around the hole. Should I try to remove some of the old sealant/silicone first before applying the new stuff? Thanks.

 

[jbcurt00]

Remove all the old, its not sealing, using it as a backer for new doesnt give the new a good bonding surface.

If ants and water are getting thru the hole in the transom this year and the thru holes for the trim tab hoses were leaking last year, I'd be probing the transom, not just sealing up a leak w new goop, even though 5200 is great goop.

 

[redneck joe]

Always clean anything to bare when you can. I just cleaned silicone with a scraper to the fiberglass, razor blad as close as i could get, then 150 grit to clean glasss then acetone before i rsealed with 4200. Btw i would use 4200 not 5200 iv ypu ever want to remove the sealant.

 

[Scott Danforth]

2015 anti-bond works to remove 5200. dont ask me whats in the stuff, I dont know. I do know it works. only thing we found at work that will remove 5200 without a grinder or utility knife.

 

[Woodonglass]

I agree with JBC I'd be inspecting and probing that hole before GOOPING it up with any sealant. It doesn't take water very long to do its DAMAGE!!!

 

[MI_Pirate]

It's May... If it were me... I'd go boating until November, and THEN go probing.

I know. Wrong answer, but... :facepalm:

 

[jbcurt00]

Wheel's loose, check it now or after a 1500mi trip?

 

[MI_Pirate]

LOL... A loose wheel is a much more pressing issue. His inside pic of the boat where the wires come through looks pretty good. I seriously doubt that his transom is so bad that it would take a hike to the curb without the boat within the next 5 months. I was hoping that the face palm thingy would express my sarcasm a little more clearly.

 

[Woodonglass]

That's exactly what this guy thought..."I bet my transom will be good to go for this season. I'll fix it this fall after one more fun filled summer of boating!!!"

OOPS!!!!

 

[Slice of Life]

I did a knock test around the area and on the entire back of the boat and it all sounds solid like last season with no obvious weak spots that I could find. Hoping to sell the boat this season so if something does progress within a year or so it will be someone else's problem. I suspect part of the problem is insufficient sealant. "Just use some silicone to fix that" a mechanic told me a couple seasons ago when looking at the trim tab lines. Reading the forums about under the water line seals, and if I remember correctly, a proper sealant, not silicone, should be used and silicone for above the water line. If the stuff is black could it still be the correct stuff?

If 3M 4200 is less permanent, does that mean it will provide less of a seal than 5200? Can't wait to get a pontoon with less to worry about :facepalm:

 

[Woodonglass]

Wow "Somebody else's Problem" NICE!!!! The Knock Test is probably THE MOST UNRELIABLE method for testing a transom's integrity there is!!! I HIGHLY recommend that you and everyone on your boat ALWAYS wear your PFD's this year!!! I also hope when it comes time to sell the boat you fully disclose it's condition to the potential buyer. You have "Put it in writing" on an open forum soooo There is That!!!!

 

[Slice of Life]

Wow "Somebody else's Problem" NICE!!!! The Knock Test is probably THE MOST UNRELIABLE method for testing a transom's integrity there is!!! I HIGHLY recommend that you and everyone on your boat ALWAYS wear your PFD's this year!!! I also hope when it comes time to sell the boat you fully disclose it's condition to the potential buyer. You have "Put it in writing" on an open forum soooo There is That!!!!

Ok then, please enlighten me

I get suggestions to "probe" and "evaluate," but nothing specific. Basic search into this shows knocking is a way to test this kind of thing. Other ways like drilling holes everywhere, paying $$$ for a "pro", or using advanced scientific equipment to carbon date the wood and fiberglass might be the only things to satisfy some here of the forums, I'm not getting anything specific otherwise.

I don't KNOW there's a serious problem for sure, and neither do you. This place is kind of like WebMD. You research a cough, and you find out you have cancer. I have some old sealant that's worn on a wire that goes to an old depth/fish finder, and apparently my whole transom is rotten and the entire bottom, or hell the entire boat itself needs reconditioned now all of a sudden. Lets replace the engine and outdrive while we're at it. :lol:

 

[Woodonglass]

"A couple of seasons ago I put the boat into the water to find water gushing through around those trim tab hoses, where I guess the sealant wore off over time (or incorrect sealant used in the first place, just looks like black silicone)"

It doesn't take long for water to take it's toll! You said 2 years!!! SillyCone never is a good choice for marine work. It won't hold up.

As you say, You don't know and neither do I. IF you DO want to know for sure...it doesn't take long to check a transom correctly! Put some tape on a 3/8" drill bit @ the 1" mark and drill into your transom at various locations in the vicinity of the leaking access hole. If you get light colored, dry shavings then OK while you're using the 3M 4200 to repair the access hole fill the core sample holes too! All is well!!! If, on the other hand you find wet/damp dark colored shavings, you should continue to drill in other areas to see how extensive the water intrusion continues. Once the wood has been compromised it will NEVER dry and eventually ROT!!! Your boat is 24 years old. We've seen transoms go bad a lot sooner. I HOPE this turns out to be totally isolated to the Wire Access hole and nothing more. But IF it were me I would WANT TO BE SURE so I wouldn't have to worry!!! Doing it this way WILL take all the worry out of it!!!:nod: The iBoats Forum and all it's members takes Safety and doing things thoroughly and the Right Way very seriously. I apologize if you were offended.

 

[Slice of Life]

Thank you very much for the information. No offense taken. You probably don't remember, but you helped me with reconditioning my console last season which allowed me to make it look brand new. Anyway, I will try the drill method. The old silicone has filled up the hole where the wires come, so I'm trying to get as much of that out as possible before using the 4200 into it.

 

[redneck joe]

Thank you very much for the information. No offense taken. You probably don't remember, but you helped me with reconditioning my console last season which allowed me to make it look brand new. Anyway, I will try the drill method. The old silicone has filled up the hole where the wires come, so I'm trying to get as much of that out as possible before using the 4200 into it.

:thumb:

 

[John Vinzant]

When I picked up mine, I did a knock test also, sounded solid, After removing the floor due to soft spots, seen where wood ants ate trails in my transom after I took off the top cap.